Conference Guest Speakers
Professor Dr. Josef W.M. Kessels
Dr. Joseph W.M. Kessels (1952) is professor of Human Resource Development at the
University of Twente, where he also served as Dean of TSM Business School.
From 1995- 2000 he held a similar chair at the University of Leiden. In 1977 he founded
Kessels & Smit, The Learning Company, a consultancy firm specializing in HRD topics.
Joseph Kessels has a specific research interest is in the characteristics of learning
environments that support knowledge productivity and that facilitate innovation. As a
consultant he conducted projects for national and international government bodies,
education, health care, industry, banking, transport, and telecom. He consulted with a
number of leading international firms.
As an academic he published several books and numerous articles on learning and development in an emerging knowledge economy. He co-authored, with Rosemary Harrison, Human Resource Development in a Knowledge Economy (Palgrave Macmillan 2004).
He is member of the Netherlands Education Platform, and serves on the editorial boards of HRDI: Human Resource Development International, European Journal Vocational Education, and GJSS: Graduate Journal Social Sciences. He is chairman of the Advisory Board of HayGroup Netherlands.
His main research interest is in exploring and explaining characteristics of designing
effective learning environments in knowledge intensive firms. Major concepts are knowledge
productivity, the corporate curriculum and social capital.
For further contact:kessels@kessels-smit.nl
