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The 2025 UFHRD conference will provide a platform for multi-disciplinary knowledge exchange as well as the creation and promotion of directions for HRD professionals, academics and government support agencies to help capitalize upon the benefits and mitigate the challenges of HRD 4.0.
The conference goals are two-fold and are designed to be of interest and relevance to our increasingly diverse UFHRD community:
- Exploration of how digitization and industry 4.0 has affected the field of HRD and what implications this has had / will have for professional practice, academia and policy support and intervention.
- Critical evaluation of the espoused value of HRD 4.0 and reconsideration of the role and importance of human interaction as a key mechanism underpinning HRD.
Keynote Speakers include:
Professor Emma Parry
Cranfield University
Emma is an internationally renowned expert in Human Resource Management and the changing world of work with a particular interest in the impact of technological innovation, workforce demographics and changing employee attitudes.
She is Head of the Changing World of Work Group at Cranfield, Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Human Resource Management (IJHRM) and Chair of the British Academy of Management (BAM).
Professor Colin Lindsay
University of Strathclyde
Colin is a leading voice in workplace transformation and employee engagement. His innovative research continues to shape the future of HR development.
He is the Deputy Director of the Scottish Centre for Employment Research and Director of the ESRC PrOPEL Hub, a UKRI initiative aiming to boost productivity and wellbeing by supporting the growth of better workplaces in the UK.
Gordon Parkes
Executive Director – People & Culture, NIE Networks
Gordon has worked for NIE Networks for 24 years. He has over 40 years’ experience in Human Resources across several organisations and sectors.
He is a Board Member of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Opera House Trust and of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. He is currently Chair of the Green Skills Delivery Group and also a member of the Northern Ireland Skills Council established by the Department for the Economy.
The International Conference is supported by the University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) and the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD).
We look forward to welcoming you on 11th – 13th June 2025 for UFHRD at Ulster University, Belfast.
Event info
Wednesday 11 June to Friday 13 June
Ulster University Business School
Photography and Video at event
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