LEAD workshop on Academic Leadership took place on 10-11 November 2017 in Wuhan

On 10 and 11 November 2017, the 4th series of LEAD workshops successfully took place at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, China.

Over 50 academic leaders and members from Chinese and European universities have joined the workshops to discuss key issues concerning university governance and academic leadership. The participating universities included VUB, University of Tampere (UTA), Middle East Technical University (METU), Zagreb University, HUST, Yunnan Normal University, National Academy of Education Administration, etc.

Vice President of HUST Prof. Chen Jianguo welcomed participants, explained China’s double first class initiative for Higher Education and introduced HUST international engagement. Under the framework of China’s double first class initiative, in order to strengthen their internationalisation processes and enhance their capacity in international collaboration, Chinese universities such as HUST are setting new priorities for university governance and for university leaders.

Director of Institute of European Studies of VUB, Mr. Anthony Antoine gave an opening  speech and highlighted some of the main challenges that universities are facing in the global context, for example being equipped and ready to respond to societal and students needs in terms of interdisciplinary in research and education, innovative teaching methods, and entrepreneurship.

The LEAD Wuhan workshops were presented as a  unique opportunity to bring forward the debate on universities’ global challenges and as a unique platform to enhance mutual understanding between European and Chinese Higher Education institutions.

Throughout two days, the LEAD workshop sessions addressed key topics such as measures and solutions for addressing new challenges of universities and societies; the significance and cultural perspectives of academic leadership; management and academic leadership practices in EU- China higher education collaboration. Participants in the workshops conducted SWOT analysis of their HE institutions in the context of internationalisation and exchanged their universities practices on academic governance in a new global context.   

In-depth group discussions led to a fruitful exchange on differences and similarities in understanding and responding to common challenges, such as international universities’ rankings and the increasing competition with world universities; university visions and strategic planning; quality assurance mechanisms; leadership culture and academic culture(s) and their impact on university transformations.

The LEAD Wuhan workshops were part of the LEAD 4th series workshops. The second part of the  LEAD 4th series events took place from 13-15 November 2017 at Tongji University in Shanghai.

 

LEAD Wuhan: news by HUST can be read here.