Through NCETA’s onoing international involvment in the Global addiction academy Project (GaaP) and based on its reputation as an international leader in AOD workforce development, Professor Ann Roche was invited to give the opening keynote address at The Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (DARC), Middlesex University’s annual drug and alcohol conference 'Workforce Development: Where we have been, where we are, and where we are going' held on 29 April 2016.