Alison Darling on awards, AI in HR, and new programs
Canadian HR Reporter recently caught up with Alison Darling, Director of Professional Programs at Queen’s University IRC, after the institute was named a 2025 Readers; Choice Award winner. For the second consecutive year, Queen’s IRC claimed victories in all four categories related to professional and leadership development.
“These awards are very prestigious, and it really shows the quality of the education that we’re providing,” said Darling. “Queen’s IRC has been doing what we do for 88 years now. We are always looking to innovate, but the Readers’ Choice Awards really validate all of the hard work that we’re doing.”
Darling highlighted the recently released 2025 HR Trends report, which helps guide program development. “AI is really on everybody’s minds right now,” she said. “We started embedding that into our organizational transformation program, and now we are expanding it into other programming as well.”
Equity, diversity, and inclusion also remain central. “We launched a program in workplace equity and diversity last fall, and that remains a priority for leaders and organizations,” noted Darling. Other priorities include succession planning, HR analytics, and leadership development.
A standout new initiative is the Building and Leading Teams program, created after a highly successful webinar. “It’s really looking at both the legal and people aspects of managing in today’s environment,” Darling explained. “The program has been very successful, and the facilitators bring a holistic view of managing in today’s workplace.”
She added that the institute’s faculty are what make the programs exceptional: “The people we bring in are leading experts from across Canada. Our participants are learning the most up-to-date and important skills they possibly can.”
Looking ahead, Darling emphasized Queen’s IRC’s ongoing mission to bridge academic knowledge with real-world application.
“What people are looking for is not just theory, but how to implement it in their workplace,” she said. “We want our programs to empower participants to make a real difference when they return to their organizations.”
To learn more about Alison Darling and Queen’s University IRC, click here, to watch the full interview.
