HR in HE Community Challenge Grantees 2020/2021

Aisha Estwick

The University of the West Indies 

Aisha Estwick is the HR Officer, Recruitment and Staff Development, at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Open Campus in Barbados. The Open Campus serves 17 countries in the Caribbean and Belize in Central America. In her role as HR Officer, she is tasked with overseeing various HR services including recruitment activities and online training activities.

Aisha applied for an HR in HE Challenge grant to support the launch of a mentorship programme for staff at the university. The programme will support career development, develop emerging leaders, increase employee engagement and foster a healthier and more inclusive workplace culture. In collaboration with the Marketing and Communications department and the IT department, the Open Campus HR team will develop an online platform where members of staff can access the programme. The grant will also enable a group of staff to attend a train-the-trainer mentorship certification course, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to train others to become successful mentors.

Shailen Gungah

University of Mauritius

Shailen Gungah is Director of Human Resources at the University of Mauritius (UoM). Shailen applied for an HR in HE Community Challenge Grant to deliver a research project investigating whether the University of Mauritius has effectively implemented remote and hybrid working and the implications for the HR function. His research will explore the successes and challenges of remote and hybrid working and question what changes HR need to make to support this.

The research will also make recommendations to improve the HR service delivery in a university remote working environment. As a result, new HR strategies, practices, systems and structures will be devised to attract, develop and retain the best talent, ensure effective leadership and management, and build a culture conducive to remote and hybrid working.

The main output of the project will be a report on the implementation of remote and hybrid working at the University of Mauritius, and a series of training workshops to upgrade the skills and competencies of managers. Both will be made available to members of the ACU’s HR in HE Community for them to gain insight into the challenges faced by UoM during the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to ensure business continuity through hybrid working.