The Sustainability Summit: Utrecht University Study Visit
Utrecht University, May 12-15

Overcoming barriers to sustainability and social responsibility in higher education

The historic 2015 Paris Agreement building on the UN’s Convention on Climate Change was a turning point. It charts a new course in the global challenge to address climate change.

The Agreement also provided a much needed impetus for universities to demonstrate more visibly, the unique role that they can play in effecting lasting change in relation to climate change by virtue of their role as knowledge-intensive organisations.

In this second edition of the HUMANE-Utrecht University Study Visit, we will explore what different universities around the world are doing to achieving ‘change that sticks’ in implementing their sustainability and social responsibility strategies.

With contributions from university representatives from around Europe and further afield in Australia, student activists and others playing a leading role in managing the transition to a low carbon economy, participants will be engaged in an immersive, interactive and practical learning experience.

You’ll have the opportunity to discuss in detail both the successes and challenges of different institutional approaches to achieving genuine sustainability and widen your international networks for your own and your institution’s future development.

Our study visit is based at Utrecht University, an institution which has committed itself to making this journey. It is designed as an intensive, interactive programme over two and a half days, with participants arriving on the Sunday evening for an informal get-to-know-each-other dinner.

The programme has been designed to allow participants to learn about our host’s lessons learned as well as their successes; and for the hosts to learn from participants, particularly during the structured feedback sessions.

Register now to secure a place - this is a popular programme and places are now very limited, available on a first come first served basis. A waitlist will be available in case of cancellations.

From human resource management to talent management in 21st century universities

HUMANE Spring Seminar
March 28-29, 2019
Hosted by the University of Amsterdam

Farewell HR, hello people!

How is your human resources division meeting the challenge to reinvent itself as your institution seeks greater alignment with an ever more competitive operating environment?

Individual institution’s responses to this challenge are context specific, but the adoption of talent management principles has been at the core of many of these new approaches to HR.

What can we learn from recent research into the relationship between talent management and an organisation’s business strategy?

And what has been the experience of other knowledge intensive industry sectors who have travelled this road before universities?

Our seminar will focus on these issues as well as case studies of Organisation Development, new models of Performance Development and the relationship between a talent management philosophy, employee engagement and achieving cultural change.

With contributions from expert speakers as well as representatives of HUMANE member institutions, the seminar will also feature practical workshops enabling participants to access take-away lessons to be implemented in their home institutions. HR Directors, Organisation Development Directors and other senior HR and OD professionals, as well as HUMANE members will all benefit from attending this seminar. Click here for the programme.

Click here for more information and register now to secure your place at what promises to be a thought provoking and interactive seminar.

The seminar will be held from midday Thursday 28 to midday Friday 29 March, allowing participants to travel home for the weekend, or stay over for the weekend in Amsterdam.

Register now to secure your place.

STEERING HUMANE'S GROWTH AND IMPACT

Call for expressions of interest

HUMANE’s annual programme has expanded significantly to embrace new leadership and professional development events which have proven to be highly popular with our members.

The expansion of our residential schools held in Barcelona, Berlin and Hong Kong, has been overseen by a small, but highly effective steering group. We believe there is an opportunity to achieve the same growth of our fledgling Professional Pathways Programmes and our long standing Annual Conference.

We are therefore inviting members to express interest in being a member or chair of steering committees to guide the future development of these HUMANE programmes.

Who can submit expressions of interest?

Senior staff from all institutional membership categories are welcome to submit expressions of interest. ‘Senior staff' refers to either the institutional representative, normally the head of administration or equivalent, or another senior member of staff, normally a past participant of a HUMANE residential programme.

What will membership of a steering committee involve?

Taking a lead from existing steering committees, these new groups will meet in person once or twice each year, as well as hold Skype/Zoom or telephone conference calls. Their primary purpose is to create a growth agenda and steer its implementation. The modus operandi is collegial and informal, but with a focus on achieving results. The committee will conduct its business in English.

Face to face meetings will be timed to enable the chairs of the new committees to attend HUMANE’s Executive Committee meetings to report progress.

We want to create two steering committees in the first instance, one for the expansion of the Annual Conference and the other to guide the future development of Professional Pathways Programmes.

How should I apply?

In addition to submitting a summary one-page CV, all that is required is:

• a covering letter, which may be in the form of an email message, outlining what you think you would bring to a steering committee;
• your preferences in terms of specific committee membership;
• and whether or not you would like to be considered as a potential committee chair.

If you are interested in a chairing role, you may wish to outline briefly your thoughts on the committee’s potential future agenda.

All Expressions of interest should be emailed to Tim Evans in the secretariat at contact(at)humane.eu by close of business on Friday February 8, 2019.

How will committee membership be decided?

The Executive Committee of HUMANE will review and manage the expressions of interest process, including any follow up phone calls. Depending on the volume of expressions of interest received, the Executive Committee will do its best to accommodate members’ interests and preferences, if not immediately then in the near future when additional steering committees/working groups will be created.

To conclude

Our mission is to be Europe’s leading international network for higher education professionals by providing forums and platforms for international networking, showcasing innovation and providing professional development for our members and their senior staff.

Members of these new committees will have the opportunity to help shape our Association’s future growth, optimising its impact for the benefit of our members and higher education more generally.