The School of Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) successfully hosted the first ever Global People Practices Conference (GPPC).
This marked a significant step towards fostering critical discourse, academic collaboration and innovation in human resource management, industrial psychology, labour relations management and human resource development.
Held over three days in Parys, Free State, the event welcomed approximately 50 delegates, including leading academics, industry professionals and postgraduate students. Under the theme “Fostering sustainable people practice research”, the conference set out to highlight South Africa’s contribution to the global people practice discourse, while nurturing academic excellence and postgraduate development.
The GPPC was spearheaded and chaired by Prof Bennie Linde, whose vision and leadership were instrumental in conceptualising and delivering the event. His efforts ensured a high-impact programme that reflected the strong reputation of the NWU in people practices. This symposium provided a platform for global engagement, strengthening academic collaboration and internationalisation across disciplines.
Prof Marissa Brouwers, deputy director of the school, emphasised that the GPPC aligns closely with the NWU’s strategic priorities of academic excellence, social impact and global engagement. Supported by a South African Tourism conference grant and drawing from the prior experience of the school in hosting academic events, the GPPC succeeded in offering a rich and inclusive platform for knowledge exchange.
The programme opened with a welcoming cocktail evening and featured a range of academic and professional activities, including keynote addresses, paper presentation sessions, professional development workshops and a dedicated PhD colloquium. A session on academic publishing offered early-career researchers guidance in strengthening their scholarly contributions, while the popular Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition provided postgraduate students with an opportunity to present their research in a concise and engaging format. Delegates also enjoyed a cultural excursion to the Vredefort Meteorite Dome and a traditional boma dinner, which added to the networking experience.
Distinguished keynote speakers brought global perspectives to the conversation. Dr Ajay Jivan from the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) opened the event with a focus on professional human resource standards and the value of structured frameworks. Prof Charissa Freese of the Avans University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands addressed the importance of inclusive labour markets through multidisciplinary approaches. Prof Elaine Farndale from the Penn State University highlighted the role of accessible, sustainable human resource knowledge in shaping the future of work. Additional international contributions came from Prof René Schalk from Tilburg University, Prof Fabiano Pallonetto and Dr Amy Fahy - both from the Maynooth University - whose insights added both academic and practical value.
Several important themes emerged from the conference. These included the need to professionalise human resource management, the growing impact of digitisation on people practices, and the critical role of lifelong learning in equipping workforces for future challenges. Delegates also
engaged in robust discussions around recent legislative developments, particularly amendments to the Labour Relations Act, and examined the effects of external challenges such as load-shedding and the Covid-19 pandemic on employee well-being, organisational resilience and job satisfaction. Throughout the conference, sustainability, inclusion and adaptability stood out as essential elements of forward-looking human resource strategies.
While no formal resolutions were adopted, the conference yielded numerous practical outcomes. These included increased promotion of micro-credentials and short learning programmes, the strengthening of international academic partnerships, and the dissemination of empirical research to guide leadership development and inform human resource policy.
Looking ahead, Prof Brouwers confirmed that the GPPC will become a biennial event. “By offering a platform for critical discourse, collaborative research and postgraduate development, the GPPC underscores the leadership of the NWU in the evolving field of people practices,” she said. Prof Brouwers added that the success of the inaugural GPPC reinforces the role of the NWU as a hub for cutting-edge people practice scholarship and its growing influence on both the local and international stage.
