Paul M. Cunningham

Paul M Cunningham is Director of the IST-Africa Institute (www.IST-Africa.org). Founded in 2002, IST-Africa is a strategic collaboration with ministries and national councils responsible for innovation, science and technology across Africa. Supported by the European Commission and African Union Commission, the IST-Africa Institute is a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN) and was recognised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as a WSIS 2018 Prizes Champion – International and Regional Cooperation.

As President and CEO of IIMC (International Information Management Corporation), Paul leads a team providing technology, strategy, and policy expertise to international and national government organizations and international and nationally funded research and innovation programs, primarily in Europe and Africa.

Paul is an Adjunct/Visiting Professor at the International University of Management (IUM, Namibia), a Visiting Senior Fellow at Wrexham Glyndŵr University (Wales), and an IEEE SSIT Distinguished Lecturer, focusing on sustainable and ethical technology solutions.

Paul is Coordinator of mHealth4Afrika (www.mHealth4Afrika.org), which is co-designing and validating a modular state-of-the-art platform for primary healthcare facilities in resource constrained environments. Supported by the European Commission, mHealth4Afrika is collaborating with Ministries of Health, local universities, district health offices and clinic healthcare staff in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa.

Recognized by Enterprise Ireland as an Irish Champion of EU Research (2015, 2017), Paul’s research interests include the social implications of technology, ethics, entrepreneurship in resource constrained environments (particularly Africa), and leveraging technology to address societal challenges related to health & nutrition, food security, energy and education.

Paul served as 2018 Chair of the IEEE Humanitarian Activities Committee (HAC), which is focused on strengthening the capacity and impact of IEEE volunteers in the global sustainable development and humanitarian technology space. IEEE HAC facilitates necessary education and training, builds strategic partnerships, provides funding for projects and events and supports multi-stakeholder collaboration through IEEE SIGHT.

Paul served as 2017-2018 President, IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT), is a member of the IEEE Global Public Policy Committee, and an IEEE Access Associate Editor. He is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland (M Inst D.) and a former Board Director (2008 – 2012) of Meeting Professionals International.