Speakers

Monday 17 October 2016

Conference opening ceremony, 09.00-09.30

HE Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory
HE Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory was appointed Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius in March 2016. He had a successful career as a Senior Lecturer at the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) from 1976-1995 when he took early retirement from the MIE and joined active politics. Prior to becoming Vice-President, Vyapoory was the High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius in South Africa. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Mauritius, a Master’s in Education from Sam Houston University, USA, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Curriculum Development from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Keynote address, 09.30-10.30

The Hon Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun
The Hon Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun is the Mauritian Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research since December 2014. An educator by profession, she has been active in politics since September 2000, including as Minister of Arts and Culture from 2004-2005, and Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions from 2010-2011. She holds a Bachelors’ degree from the University of Delhi, India, and completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) and her Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Brighton, UK. She is also a part-time lecturer at the MIE.

Keynote address, 12.00-13.00

Professor Helen Beebee
Professor Helen Beebee is Samuel Hall Professor of Philosphy at the University of Manchester, UK. She was Director of the British Philosophical Association (BPA) from 2007-2011, during which time she established the BPA and Society for Women in Philosophy UK’s (SWIP) joint-committee for Women in Philosophy, which she co-chairs. In 2011, she co-authored a report on the underrepresentation of women in philosophy in the UK, and in 2014 launched the BPA/SWIP ‘Good Practice Scheme’ aimed at getting philosophy departments to address the problem. She is a Patron of the Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena SWAN Charter, which recognises higher education institutions that are actively taking steps to reduce gender inequality.

Concurrent sessions, 14.00-15.00

Marcia Buchholz
Marcia Buchholz is Associate Vice-President of Human Resources at the University of Calgary, Canada, and is currently focused on leadership development, work-life initiatives, employee engagement, and mental health programmes. She has worked in the human resources domain her entire career, with previous positions including Senior Managing Consultant for Strategy and Business Transformation at IBM, and Client Delivery Executive in HR outsourcing for EDS Canada. Over the past decade, Ms Buchholz has expanded her expertise into the areas of human resources transformation, service delivery, consulting, and outsourcing. She has an MBA in human resources.

• Download abstract: 'Transforming and modernising the HR function at the University of Calgary'

Thompson Moyo
Thompson Moyo is Senior Assistant Registrar for Human Resources (Academic) at the National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe. He has over 15 years of human resources experience, eight of which have been in higher education. Mr Moyo has worked in both the private and public sectors, and has considerable hands-on experience in the fields of industrial relations, recruitment and selection, talent management, performance management, and reward management.

• Download abstract: 'Achieving staff engagement: perspectives from an African university'

Isaac Eliot Nyieku
Isaac Eliot Nyieku is Assistant Registrar in the Directorate of Human Resource at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His areas of interest include training and development, negotiation and placement, institutional development, communication and customer care, and occupational health and safety management. Mr Nyieku has an MBA in employee relations from the University of Leicester, UK, and is a member of the Institute of Human Resource Management Practitioners, Ghana.

• Download abstract: 'Managing teams and strategies for conflict management – critical tools for staff engagement in higher education institutions'

Shikha Gera

Shikha Gera is a research scholar at the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, India. She is currently working at the Rukmini Devi Institute of Advanced Studies, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Previously, she worked as an Assistant Professor in Lakshmi Bai College, University of Delhi. Her research interests are in leadership (primarily transformational leadership), virtual teams, psychological capital, entrepreneurship, narcissism and trust. She has presented and written research papers for national and international conferences and journals. Her paper 'Positive Psychological Traits in The Present Transactional and Transformational Leaders' was judged as the best paper in the International Conference in Human Resource Management on HR Leadership: People, Process and Practice, IISWBM, Kolkata, in 2014.

• Download abstract: 'All work equally well: face-to-face teams versus virtual teams'

Concurrent sessions, 16.00-17.00 or 16.00-18.00

Amanda Glaeser
Amanda Glaeser has been Executive Director of Human Resources at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, since 2003. She has previously worked in a number of senior HR roles, the most recent of which was National Training and Development Manager at the retailer Woolworths in South Africa. She has a Master’s degree in industrial psychology from the University of the Western Cape and is registered as an industrial psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

• Download abstract: 'Tertiary institutions require active leadership from HR during times of crisis'

Dr Marilyn Thompson
Dr Marilyn Thompson is Associate Provost of Human Resources at the University of Waterloo, Canada. A senior executive officer of the university, she plays a key role in strategic planning and decisions affecting the university’s employees, and provides vision for university-wide initiatives and human resources leadership. Before joining the University of Waterloo, Dr Thompson gained executive and senior leadership experience in healthcare, government, education, and various business sectors. She has worked with many voluntary sector, community, professional, and business companies and associations, providing education, human resources and evaluation expertise. She holds an MEd and PhD, both from the University of Toronto, Canada.

• Download abstract: 'Excellence, innovation and wellness: a journey to workplace transformation'

Professor Martin Broad
Professor Martin Broad is the Head of Southampton Business School at the University of Southampton, UK. He has extensive research and educational experience in performance management and management accounting, with a particular interest in the associated problems of implementing such techniques within the public and third sector. Recently this has extended into governance practices in higher education globally. His teaching experience spans a range of management accounting topics at all levels of higher education. He has held positions of Director of Postgraduate Programmes and Associate Dean (Education and Student Experience) in the Faculty of Business, Law and Art.

• Download abstract (presented jointly with Professor Teerooven Soobaroyen): 'Leadership at the top? The role of university governing board members'

Professor Teerooven Soobaroyen
Professor Teerooven Soobaroyen is Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex, UK.
He has held academic positions at the University of Mauritius and Aberystwyth University, UK, and until recently was a Reader in Accounting, Head of the Accounting Group, and School International Development Director at the University of Southampton Business School, UK. Professor Soobaroyen’s research interests and publications focus on the interplay between accounting, accountability, and governance in corporate and non-profit settings, and his work has been published in a number of international journals. He is also a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies.

• Download abstract (presented jointly with Professor Martin Broad): 'Leadership at the top? The role of university governing board members'

Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe
Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe is Professor of English and Founding Director of the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. She is also a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research at the University of Sussex, UK. She has over 25 years of experience in formulating gender equity polices, conducting gender training, and evaluating gender programmes for local and international organisations, including the International Labor Organization, the ACU, CARE International, Practical Action, and the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka. As well as authoring a number of publications on gender issues, Professor Wickramasinghe was an Associate Editor of the Wiley Blackwell Encyclopaedia on Gender and Sexuality Studies.

• Download abstract: 'The role of HR professionals and people managers in embedding gender equality and equity in universities'

Tuesday 18 October 2016

Keynote address, 09.00-10.00

Professor Rajesh Chandra
Professor Rajesh Chandra has been Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, since 2008. He was the founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fiji and has held a number of senior academic positions, as well as visiting professorships and fellowships at institutions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA. He has published over 48 articles in scholarly journals and books, and has authored and edited a number of books. He has a PhD in industrial/development geography from the University of British Columbia, Canada.

HR Programmes: what can HR contribute at 10.00-10.30

The Revd Keith Stephenson
The Revd Keith Stephenson is Director of Resources at The Association of Commonwealth Universities. Revd Stephenson studied Mathematics and then Management Studies at Cambridge University, UK. After graduating, he trained with Courtaulds Textiles as a Management Accountant, including two years living and working in France. He then completed an MBA at the University of Strathclyde, UK, and subsequently worked for the NHS in Dumfries and Galloway, St John's College, Cambridge, and PricewaterhouseCoopers, before becoming Acting and then permanent Finance Director at the University of Hull, UK. While working in Hull, he trained as a non-stipendiary minister in the Church of England.

Concurrent sessions, 11.00-12.00

Chelepe David Mocwana
Chelepe David Mocwana is Senior Officer: Human Resources and Employee Relations Specialist at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He is also the provincial coordinator of the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) tertiary sector, a member of Free State provincial paralegal team, regional coordinator of Central West region paralegal team, and represents union members at hearings. He has an LLM in labour law from the University of the Free State.

• Download abstract: 'Transforming HR: ‘Business Partner Model’ as a vehicle for transformation'

Dr Matata Mokoele
Dr Matata Mokoele is Senior Director of Human Resources at Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Prior to his current role, he was Executive Director of Human Capital at the University of Zululand and Human Resources Executive at the University of Limpopo, both in South Africa. Dr Mokoele has international and local experience in both corporate and non-corporate settings. He is also an adult educator and holds a PhD in adult learning and human resource development from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), USA.

• Download abstract: 'Next generation of human resources governance: implications for HR executives in South African universities'

Dr Rajendra Parsad Gunputh
Dr Rajendra Parsad Gunputh is Associate Professor of Law at the University of Mauritius. Previous positions have included Head of the Law Department and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law and Management at the University of Mauritius, and Visiting Professor at Gujarat National Law University, India. As well as sitting on the editorial board for various journals, Dr Gunputh has authored more than 100 articles, as well as books and manuals on law, and is Editor-in-Chief of Just Africa − the all-Africa journal of criminal justice. He has a double PhD in law from Université Paris Descartes and Université de La Réunion, France.

• Download abstract: 'An investigation of the impact of the knowledge management economy on knowledge technology hub in challenging and competitive tertiary institutions: a Mauritian case study'

Concurrent sessions, 13.15-14.15

Alex Killick
Alex Killick is Director of People at Glasgow Caledonian University, UK. Prior to joining the higher education sector in 2012, he spent over 20 years in a variety of senior HR roles for NHS Scotland. He has also worked for the Scottish Government, with responsibility for employment and retention policy across NHS Scotland, and providing advice to ministers. Mr Killick is currently co-chair of UHR Scotland, the national HR group for the higher education sector, and treasurer for UHR (UK). He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and is undertaking a professional doctorate focusing on employee engagement.

• Download abstract: 'Stepping out (from the shadows), stepping on (the gas) and stepping up (to the plate): how the People Services team enabled transformational culture change at Glasgow Caledonian University'

Professor Martin Broad
Professor Martin Broad is the Head of Southampton Business School at the University of Southampton, UK. He has extensive research and educational experience in performance management and management accounting, with a particular interest in the associated problems of implementing such techniques within the public and third sector. Recently this has extended into governance practices in higher education globally. His teaching experience spans a range of management accounting topics at all levels of higher education. He has held positions of Director of Postgraduate Programmes and Associate Dean (Education and Student Experience) in the Faculty of Business, Law and Art.

• Download abstract: 'Performance measurement and management in higher education institutions: a review and considerations for effective management'

Tebogo Molotsi
Tebogo Molotsi is Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at the University of South Africa. Her previous positions include Human Resource Practitioner and Advisor at the University of South Africa, and Payroll and Personnel Officer at the City Council of Mafikeng and the Northwest Development Cooperation. Ms Molotsi is registered with the South African Board of Personnel Practices as a Chartered Human Resource Professional, and is currently pursuing a PhD in commerce (human resource management), with a specific focus on human resource risk management.

• Download abstract: 'Unveiling the veil: academic staff’s perceptions of human resource risk of a merged higher education institution in South Africa'

Concurrent sessions, 14.15-15.15

Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He has Master’s degrees in both economic policy analysis and business administration from the University of the Free State, and a Postgraduate Certificate of Education from the University of South Africa. His main research focus is the use of eye tracking in usability testing.

• Download abstract: 'The importance of applying established website design principles on an online performance management system'

Dr Indi Seehra
Dr Indi Seehra is Director of Human Resources at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. Previously Director of Human Resources at the University of Cambridge, UK, Dr Seehra is a Fellow of the Judge Business School at Cambridge, a visiting lecturer at two institutions in India, and coordinator of the SGPC Cambridge Scholarship. Prior to joining the higher education sector, he held a number of significant private and public sector appointments, including HR Director of the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Crime Agency. Dr Seehra is Chair of the Careers Research and Advisory Council and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

• Download abstract: 'Developing the next generation of global researchers: the critical role of HR governance frameworks and leadership in institutional research capacity building'

Elizabeth Baré
Elizabeth Baré is a higher education consultant, working with universities and colleges in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, and the UK to improve management and service delivery. She has headed the human resource function in three different organisations, including her role as Vice-Principal of Human Resources at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Ms Baré is a Senior Fellow of the LH Martin Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Management – the national leadership institute for higher education in Australia – and a founding member of HR Global Innovations.

• Download abstract (co-authored by Professor Stijn Dekeyser): 'The creeping history of regulation of academic work: academic workload models and the implications for HR'

Mary Tizikara
Mary K Tizikara is Director of Human Resources at Makerere University, Uganda, where she has been involved in the reorganisation of HR processes, staff structures, and financing. Prior to her current role, she has spent 20 years practising administration and human resources, ten of which at senior managerial level. Ms Tizikara holds a postgraduate diploma in human resource management, an MA in educational management, and a number of human resource professional training certificates.

• Download abstract: 'Academic workloads'

Concurrent sessions, 15.45-16.45

Anita Lombard
Anita Lombard has been CEO of the University of the Free State Personnel Union, South Africa, since 1999. She handles all the union’s communications, as well as members’ grievances and disciplinary hearings, and is a permanent member on all interview panels at the university. Ms Lombard studied law, labour law, and social sciences at the University of Pretoria, the University of South Africa, and the University of the Free State, passing several postgraduate courses in labour law with distinction. She has a longstanding commitment to community and social programmes, and serves on many university committees.

• Download abstract (presented jointly with Professor Johan Grobbelaar and Chelepe David Mocwana): 'An academic perspective on the reality of academic workloads at the University of the Free State and the effect on teaching and research, with specific reference to managing productivity in the light of differentiation and as part of HR'

Professor Johan Grobbelaar
Professor Johan Grobbelaar is a Senior Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He has undertaken research at institutions across the world, serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, and has received many honours for his research. He served as chair of the majority trade union at the University of the Free State for 15 years, and played a major role in the establishment of a remuneration model for the university, as well as the conclusion of a cooperation agreement between the two trade unions on campus.

• Download abstract (presented jointly with Anita Lombard and Chelepe David Mocwana): 'An academic perspective on the reality of academic workloads at the University of the Free State and the effect on teaching and research, with specific reference to managing productivity in the light of differentiation and as part of HR'

Chelepe David Mocwana
Chelepe David Mocwana is Senior Officer: Human Resources and Employee Relations Specialist at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He is also the provincial coordinator of the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) tertiary sector, a member of Free State provincial paralegal team, regional coordinator of Central West region paralegal team, and represents union members at hearings. He has an LLM in labour law from the University of the Free State.

• Download abstract (presented jointly with Professor Johan Grobbelaar and Anita Lombard): 'An academic perspective on the reality of academic workloads at the University of the Free State and the effect on teaching and research, with specific reference to managing productivity in the light of differentiation and as part of HR'

Ansuya Sobhee
Ansuya Sobhee-Runnoo has worked for the Tertiary Education Commission in Mauritius for more than five years. She has been involved in a number of programme accreditation and quality assurance exercises, and has acted as audit secretary for various international quality audit panels. To sharpen her knowledge of the sector, Ms Sobhee-Runnoo has also worked as a lecturer. Her set of experiences gives her an informed perspective from both sides − regulator and programme delivery. She holds a Master’s degree in human resource studies from the University of Mauritius.

• Download abstract (presented jointly with Indeeren Vencatachellum): 'Research output in the tertiary education sector in Mauritius: academics' perspective of knowledge transfer from university to industry'

Indeeren Vencatachellum
Indeeren Vencatachellum is Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at the University of Mauritius, specialising in human resource development, knowledge management, and eHR. He has developed distance learning manuals for the university, and pioneered e-learning for its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Previously, he was a management consultant for Coopers & Lybrand, and KPMG, both in Mauritius, advising on organisational review, salary restructuring, performance management, productivity, and quality improvement projects. Mr Vencatachellum regularly delivers management development programmes in both public and private sector organisations, and has published scholarly and business papers.

• Download abstract (presented jointly with Ansuya Sobhee): 'Research output in the tertiary education sector in Mauritius: academics' perspective of knowledge transfer from university to industry'

Professor Nasira Jabeen
Professor Dr Nasira Jabeen is Director of the Institute of Administrative Sciences, Director of the Human Resources Development Centre, and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences at the University of the Punjab, Pakistan. She has an MPA from the University of Southern California, USA, and a PhD from the University of Stirling, UK, in the area of gender and the federal civil service in Pakistan. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, with a focus on gender and governance, and held the Prince Claus Chair at the University of Utrecht, Netherlands. Professor Jabeen’s research interests include governance, human resource management, gender, and organisational change.

• Download abstract: 'HRM reforms and governance of public sector universities in Pakistan'

Keynote address, 19.00-10.00

Dave van Eeden
Dave van Eeden is Executive: Organisation Development at Libstar, a South African company consisting of businesses that manufacture and distribute consumer goods. He was the Executive Director of Human Resources at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, for eight years, and more recently worked as a consultant for Operational Improvement Management (OIM), a performance improvement consultancy in South Africa. He was also a partner in HR Global Innovations, a specialist human resource consulting practice for international higher education, and has recently edited a book titled The Role of the Chief Human Resource Officer.