The leadership Foundation’s partnership and network programmes aim to bring together senior UK and International delegates in facilitated and interactive workshops. Participants share, deliberate and discuss their experiences of the issues and challenges in higher education within the context of each country. It is evident that these regular interactions in a facilitated environment enhance mutual understanding and increase the probability of building sustainable, long-term collaborative partnerships.
Benefits:
• Initiate sustainable international partnerships
• Gain a shared understanding of the senior management and leadership, issues and processes of the respective countries
• Enhanced cultural awareness
• Opportunities to engage with international counterparts at a deeper level and to share best practice
• Become a member of a network of participants who can work with and support each other to achieve their objectives for internationalisation
Previous Partnership and Network Programmes
For more information about partnership and network programmes please contact David Lock, Director of International and UK Projects, Professor Robin Middlehurst, Director, Strategy, Research and International or Nicola Longley, International Projects Officer
Background The Leadership Foundation’s India/UK Leadership Development Network Programme formed working partnerships between higher education leaders in the UK and India. The programme facilitated the exchange of senior staff between partner institutions to develop close and lasting ties in teaching and research. These partnerships were designed to develop and disseminate good practice in higher education management and leadership, in Indian and UK HEIs.
Programme UK universities were matched with broadly equivalent Indian universities. All participants attended joint workshops in India and the UK to gain an insight into the two systems of higher education and their respective leadership challenges, and to learn more about the participating institutions.
Following the workshops, participants spent time with their partner university to gain further practical understanding and insight into each university’s management structures and processes.
Outcomes A number of partnerships were formed as a result of the programme. For example, the University of Essex has established a reciprocal partnership with Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. The two institutions have built sustainable international partnerships in the areas of life science, linguistics, film and theatre studies, world literature, science policy, philosophy, human rights, and most recently in computer science. Activities have included external funding applications, workshops and conferences both in India and the UK, joint publications, and both faculty and student mobility. The two universities are now working together to extend the relationship to establish a multilateral network.
Professor Martin Henson, dean of international development at the University of Essex, said,
“The UK/India Leadership Development Network Programme succeeded admirably and delivered far more than it promised. It provided a forum for developing an in-depth understanding of two very different higher education sectors facing distinct challenges, and mechanisms for studying specific leadership and governance issues through in-country engagement. These activities then offered opportunities for establishing sustainable institutional relationships between participating universities.”
Applications for entry onto the 2010/ 2011 programme are now closed
If you would like to be kept informed about future India/UK programmes please email your details to Nicola.longley@lfhe.ac.uk
Background The Sino-UK Leadership Development Programme had two main aims for participating universities: to enable UK institutions to partner with a Chinese peer, and to provide a unique management development opportunity for a senior management team member in each institution.
Programme The programme partnered a senior leader from a UK university (usually at pro-vice-chancellor level) with an individual at a similar level in a Chinese institution. Each UK and Chinese participant visited their partner’s campus for a study period of between a week and ten days - all participants attended joint workshops in the UK and in China to share their experiences.
Outcomes All UK participants choose a topic relating to university management or leadership to study from a Chinese and UK perspective as part of their visit and produced a report to be shared with the sector (please see each programme's page for a list of reports available). Some of the topics included the development of internationalisation strategies, making links with business, the management of research, and quality assurance in other cultures. Lasting partnerships have been formed as a result of the programme.
Please click for further details about the history and operation of this programme