Workshop submissions call open for #UHR26

Present at the UHR Conference 2026

The UHR Conference 2026 will run online from 12–14 May 2026, and once again we look forward to welcoming thousands of colleagues from across the sector to explore the future of HR in Higher Education. In 2025, more than 2,650 delegates joined live, with many more accessing sessions afterwards.

This year, we are delighted to open the call for workshop, business and legal session proposals and we want you to be part of the programme.

HE is evolving at pace, and this moment demands ideas, experimentation, creativity and confidence. We are looking for sessions that help our community anticipate what’s coming, respond to change with purpose, and shape the future of people practice in our sector, even if the future feels uncertain.

This is your opportunity not just to join the conversation, but to lead it.

What we’re looking for

We welcome submissions from:

• UHR members and university teams

• Sector partners and specialist organisations

• Large and small institutions and businesses

We are especially keen to receive proposals that:

• Reflect real-world practice and lessons learned

• Offer original insight or fresh challenge

• Encourage interaction and reflection

• Bring in diverse voices and perspectives

• Help the sector think boldly, ethically, and creatively about the future

Why present?

Presenting at the UHR Conference is a chance to:

• Influence national thinking and help shape the HR agenda in HE

• Share innovative practice and highlight the impact of your work

• Grow your network across institutions, disciplines, and regions
  

• Stretch yourself professionally and step outside your comfort zone

• Contribute to a diverse, inclusive programme that reflects our whole community

Whether you’re working on culture change, reward, wellbeing, data and analytics, strategic workforce planning, EDI, OD, employee experience, HR technology, or any area of people practice, your insight could energise and inspire fellow professionals.

And you do not need to be a seasoned presenter. We welcome voices from across career stages and backgrounds and we are particularly keen to see proposals from under-represented groups. If you have a story, an idea, or a project with real learning behind it, this platform could be for you.

Ready to take part?

To express your interest, complete the online submission form. Before you submit, please read our advice, we receive more proposals than we have slots, so these insights will help your idea shine.

This is more than a conference. It is a space to explore what’s next, challenge conventional thinking, and build the future of HR in Higher Education — together.

Whether you're ready to showcase an innovative project, share lessons from your practice, or push the sector forward with new thinking, we can’t wait to hear from you.

Bring your ideas. Bring your voice. Help shape #UHR26.