Spotlight on Dr William Collinge

We continue our series in which the members of the LCP introduce themselves and their work from a more personal perspective. Dr William Collinge, our Associate Professor in Construction Management, shares a bit more about himself below.

I am Bill Collinge.  I am from the Wirral peninsula in the north-west of the UK (between Liverpool and North Wales on the map).  I work as Associate Professor in Construction Management at the University of Leeds and am also Programme Director for the MSc International Construction Management & Engineering (ICME).  I joined the University in 2023, moving from University of Manchester.

I have a lifelong interest in human structures and the societies that created them.  This interest led me on my career journey from Archaeology to Construction Project Management and Engineering (PhD); my career journey embracing IT systems design, librarianship and information management along the way, together with jobs in industry, government and health services.

As a lifelong educator of students (my first full-time teaching position was in 1998), I strive to give students a great learning experience.  In my teaching, there is ample material for students to digest and explore from both academic and practical perspectives: projects and project management work being dynamic and constantly evolving.  I design and deliver MSc modules on Project Management Tools and Techniques and Contextual Issues in International Construction.  I also contribute to teaching and assessment on the undergraduate module Surveying, Construction Technology and Management.

In my research, I believe that projects and the resultant dynamics between people, technologies and commercial organisations provide rich contexts of study.  There are fruitful and rewarding opportunities for study for the enquiring mind and the application of novel theories and concepts.

In my work, I have employed conceptual and theoretical constructs to examine project management dynamics in detail, resulting in work examining stakeholder management, innovation design and delivery, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and systems dynamics (please see publications).

As a Chartered Construction Manager (MCIOB), I have active links with industry, including CIOB (Committee member – West Yorkshire) and Major Projects Association (MPA).  I am eager to make fruitful collaborations with industry that are mutually beneficial: I have previously led prize-winning research projects in construction health and safety (BIM Risk Library project) and recognise the benefit of working closely with industry to advance their business operations and overall performance.

Many challenges now confronting project-based companies (i.e. sustainability; digitalisation; systems-thinking, etc.) benefit from partnerships with academic colleagues.  I am happy to discuss potential collaborative work with interested parties.

My email: [email protected]