Institutional transformation and leadership development at universities. A mapping exercise

Report from the Innovative Leadership and Change Management in Higher Education project (NEWLEAD)

Given the rapid and intense change taking place in our societies and, invariably, at our universities, institutional leadership has become a game-changer in the capacity to adapt. This is even more so since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Nevertheless, when it comes to leadership development and institutional transformation in higher education, there is not much evidence on the institutional and system-level approaches in Europe.

This report, produced under the EU-funded NEWLEAD project, aims to provide a comprehensive picture on leadership development and institutional transformation in higher education systems across Europe. It is based on a survey of higher education leaders, which resulted in more than 200 valid responses from 27 different systems, and one addressed to EUA national university associations, with 21 valid responses. The report also intends to contribute to a meaningful conversation on the importance of capacity-building for higher education leaders as an enabler to support the post-pandemic institutional adaptation and transformation.

Watch a presentation of key results presentation of key results derived from these surveys by Luisa Bunescu, Policy Analyst (EUA) and Thomas Estermann, Director of Governance and Funding (EUA).