Dr Zulfiqar Ali holds a doctoral degree in Systems Engineering and Engineering Management with a research focus on innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and creativity in higher education from the City University of Hong Kong, a master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Fatih University, Istanbul, and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan.

Before joining this institution, Dr Ali worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management and the Department of Management Sciences at the City University of Hong Kong. 

Dr Ali has rich experience and expertise in design thinking.  He also established a design studio in Fatih University in collaboration with Hasso Plattner Institute, Germany.  His research areas include innovation and capability development in SMEs, technology and innovation management, interoperability and agile SMEs, creativity, design thinking, and innovation in higher education. Dr Ali has also developed a design thinking model called SNIPE.