Emeritus Professor of the University of the Highlands and Islands, having recently retired as Principal at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Orkney College, and Professor of Social and Human Rights Informatics at the University. He has a background in politics, human rights, governance, and social informatics. He is currently a Trustee of the William Temple Foundation. He has been involved as an Expert Panel member at the Cambridge Governance Labs, Cambridge University, and a Visiting Professor to the Citizenship and Governance Strategic Research Area (SRA), at the Open University. He is an Associate Schumann Fellow of the European University and served as an Expert for the European Parliament Scientific and Technical Options (STOA) Unit.