Schedule

Awards

The 2026 Academy of Human Resource Development in Japan Conference celebrates excellence by recognizing scholarly and service contributions that advance human resource development research, practice, and global dialogue. The conference awards are designed to honor work that exemplifies intellectual rigor, thoughtful inquiry, and meaningful impact—spotlighting ideas that challenge assumptions, bridge theory and practice, and contribute to the evolving HRD landscape across Asia and beyond. Through these awards, the conference seeks to commend participants whose research, review, and engagement reflect a shared commitment to quality, collaboration, and the future of the HRD field.

The Best Paper Awards (Regular & Student Papers)

The Asian AHRD in Japan Conference Best Paper Award is a prestigious recognition honoring an outstanding peer-reviewed scholarly contribution presented at the annual Asian AHRD in Japan Conference. This award reflects the conference’s commitment to advancing the field of human resource development and recognizes research that demonstrates academic rigor, originality, and meaningful impact on theory, practice, and policy in HRD. The selection of the award recipient becomes part of the enduring scholarly legacy of the Asian AHRD community and its commitment to excellence in research.

Regular Paper and Student Paper Awards will be conferred.

Eligibility

All peer-reviewed papers in the refereed full manuscripts category accepted for presentation at the Asian AHRD in Japan Conference 2026 are eligible for consideration for the Best Paper Award.

To Be Eligible:

  • The paper must have successfully completed the conference peer-review process.
  • The paper must be accepted for presentation in one of the official conference tracks.
  • At least one author must register for and present the paper at the conference.
  • Papers that are withdrawn, not presented, or not registered for presentation are not eligible for the award.

Award Criteria

Papers considered for the Asian AHRD Japan Conference Best Paper Award are evaluated based on the following criteria:

    1. Alignment with the mission of AHRD: The paper reflects the mission and values of the Academy of Human Resource Development and contributes to the advancement of HRD in Asia and globally.
    2. Advancement of HRD Scholarship: The paper advances the state of scholarship in human resource development through strong theoretical grounding, methodological rigor, and an original contribution to the field.
       
    3. Scholarly Impact & Thought Leadership: The paper provokes critical reflection and directs attention toward important challenges and emerging issues facing human resource development.

       

    4. Quality of Peer-Reviewed Contribution: The paper demonstrates academic excellence as a peer-reviewed conference contribution and represents a high standard of research quality.

 

The Best Reviewer Award

The Asian AHRD in Japan Conference Best Reviewer Award recognizes an outstanding reviewer whose peer-review service demonstrates exceptional scholarly judgment, developmental feedback, and sustained commitment to advancing human resource development research. It honors reviewers who exemplify intellectual stewardship by providing timely, rigorous, and constructive evaluations that uphold scholarly standards while supporting authors’ development. The recipient’s service contributes to the enduring scholarly legacy of the Asian AHRD community and its commitment to excellence in research and academic service.

Eligibility

All individuals who served as peer reviewers for refereed full manuscripts submitted to the Asian AHRD in Japan Conference 2026 are eligible for consideration for the Best Reviewer Award.

To be eligible, reviewers must:

  • Complete at least one peer review for the conference.
  • Submit reviews by the designated deadline.
  • Adhere to the conference’s standards of ethical, fair, constructive, and developmental peer review.


Award Criteria

Reviewers considered for the Asian AHRD in Japan Conference Best Reviewer Award will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  1. Quality and Constructiveness of Feedback: The reviewer provides clear, thoughtful, and actionable feedback that supports authors’ scholarly development while maintaining high academic standards.

  2. Contribution to HRD Scholarship: The review demonstrates a strong understanding of HRD theory, research, and practice and contributes to the advancement of HRD scholarship in Asian and global contexts.

  3. Scholarly Judgment and Rigor: The reviewer applies sound scholarly judgment, engages critically with manuscripts, and offers well-reasoned evaluations aligned with conference review criteria.

  4. Commitment to Academic Service and Professionalism: The reviewer demonstrates reliability, collegiality, and ethical responsibility, contributing positively to the peer-review process and the broader international AHRD scholarly community.