AIRAANZ Conference 2027
The Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand (AIRAANZ) is pleased to announce that the 2027 conference will take place in Brisbane, Queensland, at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) from Wednesday 3 February, to Friday 5 February 2027.
The conference theme is "Power in the Balance: Technology, Participation and Decent Work." As labour markets respond to technological disruption, climate disasters, and geopolitical instability, relationships of power between individual actors, institutions, and states are continually shifting, reconfiguring labour processes and employment relationships. Across industries and economies, the boundaries of managerial control, worker autonomy, and collective action are being redrawn. At the same time, evolving labour markets, regulatory frameworks, and forms of work organisation are putting pressure on established understandings of participation, representation, and decent work.
This year’s theme invites contributions that explore these tensions from multiple angles: asking who benefits from change, who carries the risks, how workers, unions, employers, and states are responding, and what fairness, security, and inclusion look like in an increasingly volatile world. This conference offers a timely opportunity to turn the attention of industrial relations scholarship towards some of the most pressing questions facing the world of work today.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dr Uma Rani is Senior Economist at the Research Department of the International Labour Office. She is a development economist by training and holds a Ph.D in Development Economics from University of Hyderabad, India. Prior to joining the ILO she held the position of Associate Professor at Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad, India and held a number of Visiting Fellow Positions in Tokyo, Zürich and Paris. She has conducted research in the area of informal employment, non-standard forms of work, minimum wages, poverty and inequality with a focus on gender. Since 2016 she has been working on digital transformations in the world of work, wherein she tries to explore how labour and social institutions could be strengthened to address economic and social inequality. She coordinated the major flagship report of the ILO on "World Employment and Social Outlook 2021: The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work” and is currently co-editing a book on "From Taylorism to algorithmic management: A multi-sector analysis of technology, control and worker experiences”.
Dr Iain Ross AO is the Chair of the Net Zero Economy Authority and a member Monetary Policy Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia. Iain led the Fair Work Commission for over a decade from March 2012 to November 2022. Prior to his appointment as President of the FWC he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria and President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Iain previously served as a Vice President of the AIRC for 12 years and prior to that appointment was an Assistant Secretary at the ACTU. In 2023 Iain was a special advisor to the Victorian Apprenticeship Taskforce and in 2024 was a joint reviewer on the Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentives System. Iain was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 201
Professor Jody Currie has more than 20 years’ of experience in health and human services delivery, and is an advocate for improving service accessibility to vulnerable communities. A Mununjahli Yugambeh woman, Jody has extensive experience working with vulnerable families in the aged care, health and early childhood sectors to improve outcomes in the community. She was most recently Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane, and established ATSICHS Brisbane as a Nationally Registered Early Childhood Education provider, a Nationally Registered Housing Provider, and a Registered National Disability Insurance Scheme Provider. Jody was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Birthing in Our Community (BiOC) Program, which resulted in improved outcomes in antenatal care attendance, pre-term births and breastfeeding on discharge. Jody is also a member of the National Aged Care Advisory Council, an organisation with the goal of ensuring advice to Government reflects the need and expectations of Senior Australians, their families and carers. Jody is an experienced Company Director with demonstrated business acumen across many varying portfolios.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
If you already have an AIRAANZ membership account, please LOGIN BEFORE REGISTERING for the conference here: https://www.airaanz.org/account
Once logged in, you can then register for the conference with the discount. Scroll to end of this page and click on the “Registration” button.
You can also become a NEW member and receive the discount. First, create a new membership account, then make sure to login, and you will now be able to register for the conference with the membership discount.
Registration fees
Rate (AUD)
Early bird Standard Member
760 (until 6 Dec)
Early bird Non-Member
970 (until 6 Dec)
Early bird Retiree or Student member
365 (until 6 Dec)
Standard Member
905
Standard Non-Member
1075
Standard Retired/Student
550
Prices are in AUD. Registration fee is all-inclusive of conference events (welcome drinks, conference dinner and HDR afternoon tea for HDR delegates)
HDR STUDENTS NOTE: The conference will involve a higher degree research workshop and networking afternoon tea BEFORE THE CONFERENCE on the afternoon of Tuesday 2 February 2027. More details will be provided closer to the conference.
ACCOMMODATION
If you would like to book accommodation through Conference Solutions (who are assisting with organising the conference), please book via this link:
https://consol.eventsair.com/airaanz-2027/book-accommodation
Please direct any questions about accommodation to: airaanz@con-sol.com
AIRAANZ 2027 EVENTS
HDR workshop and networking afternoon tea
Tue 2 Feb 2027
(before the conference)
P Block, QUT Gardens Point
Welcome drinks
Wed 3 Feb 2027
(day 1)
The Cube, P Block, QUT Gardens Point
Conference dinner
Thurs 4 Feb 2027
(day 2)
Room360, QUT Gardens Point
CONFERENCE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
AIRAANZ is pleased to announce that nominations and applications for its Awards and Grants are now open ahead of the 2027 Conference. Apply by 13 November 2026:
AIRAANZ Conference 2027 - Postgraduate Scholarships via the application on our website: https://lnkd.in/grMANUqz
AIRAANZ Conference 2027 - Early Career Researcher Grants via the application on our website: https://lnkd.in/gQ-U73HNAIRAANZ Best Postgraduate Student Paper Award - Please see the full eligibility criteria and instructions on how to apply here: https://lnkd.in/gwbDwpU8
The Vic Taylor Distinguished Long-Term Contribution Award - Please see the full details and instructions on how to nominate here: https://lnkd.in/gSKXc_zGAIRAANZ 2027 KEY DATES
Abstract submissions: Closed
Draft programme available: 30 Nov 2026
Early bird registrations open: 9 Oct 2026
Standard registrations open: 7 Dec 2026
Registrations close: 18 Jan 2027
Registration