Fernando Duran-Palma

Dr. Fernando Duran-Palma serves as Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at the University of Westminster's School of Organisations, Economy and Society and co-directs the Centre for the Study of the Production of the Built Environment (ProBE). His interdisciplinary work bridges industrial relations, precarious employment studies, and sustainable construction transitions.

His academic foundation includes:

• PhD in Industrial Relations from Loughborough University (2011)
• MSc in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from LSE (2001)
• BA and Licentiate in Psychology (Industrial/Organisational) from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (1996)

Dr. Duran-Palma's research centers on how vulnerable workers organize globally, with emphasis on Latin American labor movements and European construction sector transitions. His projects reveal consistent focus on transforming precarious work through collective action while addressing climate change impacts on labor. The 2017-2018 Westminster-funded study challenged assumptions about 'unorganizable' workers, while recent EU projects develop practical frameworks for inclusive green construction training.

His publication pattern shows strategic evolution from Chilean labor history (2005-2011) toward contemporary global challenges: precarious work organization (2017-2019), climate-labor intersections (2020-2023), and technology impacts on worker voice (2025). This trajectory demonstrates responsiveness to emerging labor market transformations while maintaining regional expertise.

Securing continuous funding since 2005, he currently leads British Academy (2025) and European Commission projects while supervising doctoral research. His supervision approach, informed by 2013 publications, emphasizes policy-relevant scholarship with international fieldwork opportunities.

As ProBE co-director, he cultivates a research environment focused on labor-constructed environment connections, facilitating collaborations between trade unions, construction firms, and policymakers across 10+ countries to develop actionable solutions for decent work in sustainable industries.