(MENAFN- The Conversation) Professor and Head of Department, University of Pretoria Profile Articles Activity

Prof. Hanlie Smuts is an academic and industry expert specializing in business transformation, knowledge management, and digital transformation. She is the Head of the Department of Informatics and Chair of the School of Information Technology at the University of Pretoria.

Her career spans both academia and industry, with a strong background in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), particularly in enterprise architecture, AI for knowledge management (AI4KM), big data management, and digital decarbonization. She previously led Product and Digital Development at MTN South Africa and was instrumental in establishing telco insurance ventures across Africa.

Her research focuses on the organizational impact of IT, human computer interaction (user experience design), applied AI, Society 5.0, and sustainable digital transformation, and she has published extensively in academic and industry journals. She is also committed to grooming young leaders, supervising postgraduate students, and driving impactful collaborations between academia and industry.

Experience

• 2025–present Chair professor, University of Pretoria
• 2017–2024 Associate professor, University of Pretoria

Education

• 2025 University of Pretoria, PhD (in examination)
• 2012 University of South Africa, PhD
• 2008 University of South Africa, Masters (Information Systems)
• 1984 Stellenbosch University, BSc Computer Science (Honours)
• 1983 Stellenbosch University, BSc Computer Science

Professional Memberships

• Enterprise Architecture Collaboration Forum, University of Pretoria – Secretary, Member of Steering Committee
• South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists (SAICSIT) – Honorary Secretary and part of EXCO and Council
• Association for Information Systems (AIS) – member
• Southern African Computer Lecturers 'Association – member
• Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) - member

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