27 November 2025 
Emma Walton-Pond, Communications Officer
Garima shares her highlights from a day of learning, laughter and sector-wide collaboration
The excitement of Scotland’s World Cup qualification seemed to follow us into our UHR Connects event last week. On a bright and sunny morning (a rarity we will happily celebrate), paired with the more familiar Scottish chill, UHR members from universities across Scotland gathered at Glasgow Caledonian University for a day of insight-sharing, discussion, and networking.
We kicked off with a round of Bingo across the six tables - a fun and surprisingly effective way to break the ice. Within minutes, the tables were filled with laughter and “same here!” moments, a reminder that these events are as much about connection as they are about the wealth of content.
The keynote session followed, focusing on People, Culture and the Environment - preparing for REF 2029 and beyond, delivered by Prof. Chris Pearce of the University of Glasgow. A strong message echoed throughout: research cannot flourish without positive and supportive research cultures. Two ideas particularly stood out to me - the importance of “focusing on the positives rather than reducing everything to poor behaviour,” and the need to move beyond traditional notions of excellence.
Connects is a thoughtfully designed and well-curated event by the UHR team, special credit to Julie, Emma and Sophie. The second part of the day brought in fresh perspectives from outside the HE sector, focusing on experiences of working with AI and navigating digital transformation. We had an incredibly insightful session from Katharine O’ Callaghan, Elsa Critchley and Jaclyn Needham, who shared both practical lessons and strategic reflections from the finance sector. This was followed by a session from our very own Emma and Sophie, exploring AI and its impact on HR within HE. Together, these discussions made one thing clear: AI is not something HR teams can afford to overlook. The sessions offered valuable ideas on addressing the risks and challenges of AI, while emphasising that successful adoption isn’t just about technology - it’s about culture, strategy, and people.
After a piping-hot lunch, topped off with a delicious apple and blackberry crumble tart, we moved into the session on Voices and Boundaries: Navigating Academic Freedom of Expression and Equality Law. Debbie Fellows from Thorntons brought the topic to life with clear, thoughtful case studies that made the complexities easier to grasp. The conversations that followed were equally enriching, prompting everyone to reflect on the practical implications for our own contexts.
Lastly, though certainly not least, and personally my favourite session of the day was the HRD Insight Panel. The panel composed of Elise Gallagher, Morag McElhinney and Penny McIntyre, who spoke candidly about the challenges in the sector, how to navigate complexity, and shared practical advice from their own experiences. The discussion, expertly facilitated by Helen, offered inspiring viewpoints and grounded reflections that resonated across the room.
We also discovered that some of you haven’t yet signed up for our weekly newsletter, The Rapid Round-Up. It’s a quick read where we bring together everything all in one place - a weekly snapshot of what’s happening across the sector broken down for you into topics so you can quickly digest everything relevant to your role and the latest UHR news and upcoming events. If that sounds useful, simply log in to the UHR website, head to My Profile, scroll down to Preferences, and tick the option: “I would like to receive the UHR newsletter via email.” You’ll start receiving the newsletter every Friday, usually by mid-afternoon.
Attending my first UHR in-person event in Scotland felt truly special. It was the first place I arrived when I came to the UK, it’s where I graduated from university, and it’s now the place I proudly call my second home. What struck me the most about the event, especially as someone fairly new to the HR side of the HE sector (and slowly mastering all the abbreviations!) - was the openness and generosity in the room. People from different institutions were genuinely happy to share their challenges, successes, and lessons learned. It was refreshing to see how collaborative the sector is.
After so much time working from home, connecting, laughing, and learning in-person made the experience even more meaningful. It was wonderful to have conversations and discussions that didn’t take place through a screen. If you would like to be a part of an equally insightful and fun event, grab your place now for our UHR Connects: South in London in February 2026.
Garima Somani, Projects and Research Officer at UHR
