Prof. Dr. Ali A. Guenduez

As Assistant Professor for Digital Government at the University of St.Gallen my research focuses on digital transformation and innovation in government and public sector organizations, analyzed from a public management and governance perspective. At its core I investigate responsible innovation: how governments adapt to technological change, build digital transformation capacities, and create public value through effective, accountable, and responsive public services while preserving legitimacy and democratic responsibility.

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My work has appeared in leading journals, including Research Policy (FT50), Government Information Quarterly, Public Management Review, and Public Administration Review. I have attracted more than CHF 1.4 million in competitive third-party research funding. As Co-Founder and Head of the Smart Government Lab, I lead a multidisciplinary research group advancing scholarship at the intersection of public management, digital governance, and innovation studies. Internationally, I have been holding appointments as Visiting Professor at Carleton University, Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley, and Visiting Scientist at the University of Cologne. Across this work, I connect rigorous academic inquiry with practical relevance and generate research that moves «From insight to impact».

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I connect research, academic self-governance, public sector practice, and professional exchange through institutional, advisory, and leadership roles. As Vice Director of IMP-HSG, I contribute to the strategic development and governance of the institute. I serve as Board Member of the Swiss Society for Public Administration Sciences (SGVW), Member of the Strategic Advisory Board for Digital Transformation in the Canton of Zurich, and Initiator and Director of the Swiss Smart Government Day, one of Switzerland’s leading conferences on digital transformation in the public sector. I also engage in public debate and knowledge dissemination through publications in outlets such as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and expert contributions to policy and practice.

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In teaching, supervision, and executive education, I bring these insights to students, doctoral researchers, public sector leaders, and professionals. I have supervised numerous Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral theses and served on habilitation committees. My aim is to enable students and practitioners to understand and shape digital transformation in the public sector, and to help position HSG as one of the leading universities for talent development in public management and governance, guided by HSG’s mission of «Empowering talents, inspiring leaders».