University leadership

Team of engineers are conducting an experiment in a lab

Developing a GenAI policy for research and innovation

Establishing a framework to guide AI use in research is vital for ensuring institutions are and remain fully compliant

Helen Brownlee, Tracy Moulton

University of East Anglia

Group of people sitting around a table at a meeting

Building blocks of a successful staff-student environmental, social and governance committee

To embed sustainability across institutions can be challenging. Find out how a staff-student environmental, social and governance committee can align priorities and drive meaningful change

Emily Centeno

ESCP Business School

Illustration of hand holding a cup aloft

Everything you wanted to know about National Teaching Fellowships but were afraid to ask…

The UK’s National Teaching Fellowships were established to recognise excellence in teaching and student learning. Fellow James Derounian asks if the scheme fulfils its goals

James Derounian

University of Bolton

A lightbulb against a pink background

Ways to create time and mental space for strategic innovation in higher education

How higher education institutions can better position themselves to adapt and innovate

Catherine Wehlburg

Athens State University

A woman stands up in front of a boardroom table

How to navigate your first steps into leadership

Moving from colleague to taking charge can be a daunting transition. Kingsley O. Omeihe and Ibiyemi Omeihe offer advice on your first few moves as a leader

Kingsley Omeihe, Ibiyemi Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

A young woman shakes hands over a desk

A blueprint for hiring innovative educators

Academics in Pakistan found the rules for hiring university teachers were letting well-rounded candidates, with real-world experience, slip through the cracks. Here’s how they changed and improved the situation

Asghar Zaidi

University of Oxford

Hands holding a compass

Taking on academic leadership even if you are not prepared for it

The call to leadership can come before you feel ready for a more senior role, as happened to David Waller. Here he shares what he has learned from five years as a department head

David Waller

University of Technology Sydney

A ball of paper gradually becomes a paper plane

Change is coming, whether higher education likes it or not

Universities may talk about digital transformation, but are yet to translate it into action. Here’s how to start building the momentum for change, instead of standing still

Andrew Greenway

Public Digital

Leadership concept

Growing into an academic leadership role

What qualities in new faculty members predict success in academic administrative leadership? Here, William Owen explores the traits that can see junior faculty transition effectively into more senior roles

William J. Owen

University of Northern British Columbia

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THE podcast: how technology is reshaping the 21st-century campus

When hybrid learning and immersive technology can connect and engage students working in any location, where does that leave all those lecture halls and libraries? We ask two US experts about how universities are adapting to the digital transformation

Stephen W. Harmon, Lev Gonick

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, Arizona State University

International student concept

Taking an administrative office performance from process-focused to people-driven

Improving processes can start with an objective to help team members be happy in their jobs while supporting their office’s activities. These steps focus on staff, faculty and students rather than systems

Joanna Daaboul

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

Departures sign at an airport

It’s time: how to get your department off X

With a flurry of HE professionals leaving the platform, here’s how to notify your followers and provide alternative options for staying up to date

Ned Potter

University of York

A Black student in a lecture hall

Equity without whiteness: what leaders get wrong in pursuit of an equitable campus

How can equity be advanced within a system that protects the status quo, and how can university leaders make a difference? Jordan Harper, Rozana Carducci and Adrianna Kezar examine how

Jordan Harper, Rozana Carducci, Adrianna Kezar

Morgan State University, Elon University, University of Southern California

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THE podcast: how to prepare for university leadership

Middlesex University vice-chancellor Shân Wareing talks about the need to make the path to senior roles transparent and why confidence is not the be-all and end-all of leadership

Shân Wareing

Middlesex University

A group of people work in a room full of books

Tips for moving from learning designer to educational leader

Learning designers have all the skills to make great leaders. Here’s how to transition into the role

Paul Moss, Richard McInnes, Simon Marek

The University of Adelaide

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THE podcast: higher education leaders on their priorities for the new UK government

What will the UK’s new Labour-led parliament mean for university funding, research impact, international student flows and free speech on campus? Two higher education leaders share their perspectives on the challenges ahead

Vivienne Stern, Chris Day

Universities UK, Russell Group

A yellow ball rolls out ahead of blue blocks

We can face the challenge of corporatisation by embracing subversive leadership

Educational developers must balance the corporatisation of higher education with providing transformative education. To do this, subversive leadership is the key, argues Richard McInnes

Richard McInnes

The University of Adelaide

In a group of wooden toy people, a red one stands out

Emerging leaders, your universities need you

When a university is undergoing transformational change, emerging leaders are crucial for translating strategy into action. Zoë Allman and Gary Souter share their experience of leading on curriculum change

Zoë Allman, Gary Souter

De Montfort University

Compass pointing to sustainability

Why visible senior leadership in sustainability matters

Successful or sustainable? Is this the biggest challenge that universities face when striving to reduce their carbon footprint? Jan Evans-Freeman explains where leadership fits into the equation

Jan Evans-Freeman

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Advice on developing and managing successful interdisciplinary research teams

How to successfully develop and run interdisciplinary research teams

John Domingue explains how to foster a culture of openness and support that encourages and helps staff teams to pursue interdisciplinary research projects

John Domingue

The Open University

Two female colleagues discussing some work over a laptop

Eight ways to be a better leader

Being brave enough to make decisions without worrying about failure is important. Lead the way and you can inspire and develop your team, writes Padma Rani

Padma Rani

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Female leader in an office smiling at the camera

Five leadership tips for women in higher education

The first woman of Indian heritage to head a Russell Group business school shares leadership insights for women in higher education, from mentorship and resilience to self-discovery and embracing your unique identity

Palie Smart

University of Bristol

Hispanic woman at desk in thought

Questions for the next stage of university leadership

What do I want my legacy as a woman leader to be? These questions can provide a road map for reflection on and planning an academic career, writes Katia Paz Goldfarb

Katia Paz Goldfarb

Montclair State University

Women in leadership concept

Three principles for leadership in academia

Reflecting on her personal journey, Catherine Moran shares the key guidelines that have shaped her leadership as a woman in higher education in times of change

Catherine Moran

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Black female academic at desk

Leaving a legacy as a Black female leader in higher education

Women of colour can leave a legacy that endures far beyond their tenures, writes Menah Pratt. Here, she shares her experience with racism and sexism and describes actions that leave a mark on institutions and students and defy under-representation

Menah Pratt

Virginia Tech

A woman stands in front of a boardroom table, delivering a speech to colleagues

Women’s leadership is vital in the evolving landscape of higher education

The higher education sector is facing unprecedented changes since the pandemic, with technology evolving at a faster rate than ever. Becky Takeda-Tinker and Jenna Tarleton show that women can play a pivotal role in leading the way through this new normal

Becky Takeda-Tinker, Jenna Tarleton

Colorado State University Global

Female leader speaking to her team

Improve women’s accessibility to leadership by following these steps

Weaving equity practices into talent and succession planning and creating roles that work alongside personal commitments are just two of the ways you can enhance the diversity of your leadership

Kim Brooks, Grace Jefferies-Aldridge

Dalhousie University

A male and female figure stand atop piles of coins, with the male figure's pile higher

Why have higher education’s female leaders had to wait so long for equal pay?

The higher education sector’s gender pay gap stands at 14.8 per cent, three percentage points higher than the UK as a whole. Janet Jones asks why and what we can do about it

Janet Jones

University of Westminster

In a boardroom, a group of women discuss the charts on the screen

Let’s celebrate the qualities women bring to higher education leadership

Şerife Eyüpoğlu reflects on her experiences in higher education and the benefits women’s leadership styles can offer

Şerife Eyüpoğlu

Near East University

Climate protest in the street

Empowering women leaders in fighting climate change: a call to action

Achieving gender balance goes beyond mere representation, writes Tahseen Jafry. Tackling the climate crisis necessitates a profound shift among the next generation of leaders towards gender-sensitive decision-making processes

Tahseen Jafry

Glasgow Caledonian University

An illustration of a woman held back by red bindings

The challenges facing female leaders in higher education – and how to address them

Women still face many hurdles on the road to leadership in higher education. Qiuling Chao outlines how we can overcome them

Qiuling Chao

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A small figure kicks over the first in a line of towering stone dominoes

How small universities can make big digital changes

Even tiny institutions can punch above their weight when implementing changes. Chris Porter shares the lessons learned from overhauling library digital services at Birmingham Newman University

Chris Porter

Birmingham Newman University

Two women giving a presentation to their colleagues

Administrators can and must act to nurture LGBTQ leaders

Advocacy by straight administrators and expansion of mentoring could increase the number of LGBTQ leaders in higher education, writes Kevin Leonard

Kevin Leonard

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Black allyship in academia

Backing Black scholars: here’s how universities can do better

Yaz Osho offers nine ways that HEIs can start chipping away at the structural disadvantages and institutional practices that negatively impact Black scholars

Yaz Osho

University of Westminster

red arrow through a wall of wooden blocks

How to advance equity-informed leadership in universities

Increasing diversity at universities requires more than raising aspirations and enrolment among Indigenous and other under-represented students. Braden Hill offers seven ways leaders can address barriers to equity

Braden Hill

Edith Cowan University

Hands holding seedling surrounded by sustainability icons

A holistic blueprint for sustainability

Instead of compartmentalising decisions about infrastructure or resource allocation, universities need a whole-system approach to sustainability that shifts attitudes and behaviour, writes Lily Kong

Lily Kong

Singapore Management University

International partnerships for universities

Seven tips on finding and establishing international partnerships

An international partnership is like a marriage – once the courting is over, long-term compatibility is crucial, says Debra Hinds

Debra Hinds

Arden University

Black male student happy looking at laptop

How university leaders can use an ‘innovation for’ mindset to drive enrolment

For US colleges and universities, the key to turning around falling enrolment is to directly respond to concerns about affordability, accessibility and return on investment, writes Nivine Megahed

Nivine Megahed

National Louis University

Rainbow flag outside Cambridge University for LGBT History Month

How LGBTQ leaders navigate a predominantly non-LGBTQ world

Looking at LGBTQ leadership style as a reaction to the power structures that dominate our culture is essential to finding a common thread through a diverse community, writes Karen Whitney

Karen Whitney

Clarion University

Rainbow light bulb in a row of white bulbs

Leadership and the intersectionality of being queer and living with HIV

Coming out as gay was a first step, but it was being open about living with HIV that showed Raymond Crossman how his whole self shaped his role as president. Here, he talks about intersectionality and leadership

Raymond Crossman

Adler University

People in arrow formation, leadership concept

What is responsible leadership in tertiary education?

This leadership model emphasises participation and community over individual heroics and champions broad measures of success, writes Harry Gill

Harry Gill

Zayed University

Asian woman holding laptop illustrating leadership

Leadership styles in higher education that work in the ‘new normal’

University leaders require a broad set of skills – from using data to creating long-term strategy – as well as the ability to adapt to changing times

Gou Rui, Liu Chao

Macau University of Science and Technology

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: what makes a good higher education leader?

A leadership expert and university president discuss how the requirements of the job have changed and what type of leader the current moment calls for

Jon McNaughtan, Joy Johnson

Simon Fraser University

People-first leadership in university and higher education

The importance of being a people-first leader – and tips on how to do it

There are many small ways you can show appreciation for your employees and make them feel valued on a daily basis, says Sabrina Casas

Sabrina Casas

Colorado State University Global

Leading with empathy is more important than ever in HE

How to be an empathetic leader during times of change

No one style is the panacea for all leadership challenges but, as Rachel Gibson explains, empathy is a crucial ingredient for leadership success

Rachel Gibson

The University of Adelaide

Catching up with academic colleagues is part of keeping it REAL

Authentic leadership: the four pillars of keeping it ‘REAL’

Corinna van den Heuvel explains how developing a strong personal leadership philosophy is key to authenticity as a leader

Corinna van den Heuvel

The University of Adelaide

Combining business and educational acumen is required for HE leaders

Modern higher education leaders must blend business and educational knowledge

Clearly articulated values, structures that support accountability and metrics that align with strategic goals are the new leadership competencies, says Angela Hernquist

Angela Hernquist

Colorado State University Global

No one in academia can agree on what research leadership looks like

No one agrees on what research leadership is, let alone how to do it well

The academy has no common idea of what research leadership really is, why it’s important or what good practice looks like. That needs to change, says Matthew Flinders

Matthew Flinders

University of Sheffield, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Image depicting institutional branches scattered around the globe

What determines the success of an international branch campus?

What do successful international branch campuses have in common? Nigel Healey outlines the key characteristics that institutions wishing to extend their presence overseas should take heed of

Nigel Healey

University of Limerick

A human paper chain representing how university leaders must come together to tackle inequity

How leaders can and must work together to address inequity

Leading by example and striking the right balance between competition and collaboration are crucial points for those hoping to lead HE to a more equitable future

Charles Egbu

Leeds Trinity University