This year, our 2018 Conference and Exhibition took place in Bristol from 22-25 May.
Following on from the huge success of our previous conferences, the 2018 event was as stimulating and inspiring as ever. The conference brought those working in the sector an exciting mix of plenary speakers, workshops, legal sessions, evening social activities as well as a fantastic Gala Dinner and the UHR Awards.
The conference was held at the historic Mercure Grand Bristol Hotel in the heart of the city.
We were delighted to welcome Margaret Heffernan, Professor Moira Clark, Matthew Syed, and Professors Susan Rigby and Steve West as our main plenary speakers.
League tables, rankings and periodic assessments of Research, and, now Teaching, Excellence, place universities firmly in competition with each other. Brexit will heighten the focus on each institution’s ability to recruit and retain a diminishing pool of highly talented staff.
At the same time, we’re seeing increased emphasis on partnerships, including: increased collaboration to address research challenges; local partnerships and the regional role of universities; and, consortia of universities to achieve economies of scale and increased efficiency in delivering core functions and professional services.
Can this tension be met collectively or will universities become more fiercely competitive in this new environment?
The 2018 UHR Conference focused on the people management implications of identifying opportunities for competitive advantage and distinctiveness in our own institution’s mission, whilst recognising the value of collaboration as a sector in responding to common opportunities and threats.
The following presentations were made during the plenary, legal and workshop sessions. Please note that you will need your UHR member login to access these pdf documents.
