This resource can be used for professional development purposes of teaching staff. If you have any questions about the materials, don’t hesitate to contact the CHARM-EU professional development team.
Leadership in inter-institutional higher education
Collaboration with other higher education institutions is a critical strategic area for universities and professional organizations (Cooper & Mitsunaga, 2010), and have increased substantially in recent years due to globalization, economic, political, social, and technological developments (Karvounaraki et al., 2018). These activities can include joint study programmes, research partnerships, academic internships, reciprocal external quality reviews, transnational funding opportunities, co-operative educational innovations (Tetrevova & Vlckova, 2020), academic student mobility, joint program development and delivery, and professional development (Knight & Liu, 2019). Building on the growing importance and complexity of these collaborative activities, CHARM-EU developed a leadership programme. This programme is focused specifically on inter-institutional partnerships, drawing inspiration from the proven success of educational leadership programmes at Utrecht University (Grunefeld, van Tartwijk, Jongen, & Wubbels, 2015).
The Winter School aims to equip leaders in higher education with the tools and insights to foster innovation and collaboration within and across institutions. Over five days, participants of several European University Alliances are offered workshops of diverse themes, including fostering innovation, understanding institutional structures, navigating intercultural communication, practicing with storytelling, and embracing European strategies for educational innovation. Participants engage in case studies, interactive discussions, and team assignments, applying theoretical knowledge their own contexts. The program includes networking and collaboration opportunities, ending with a session where participants share their innovation projects.
Learning objectives
After the course on leadership for inter-institutional collaborations, participants are able to:
- Apply theories and strategies that foster innovation within their institutions and inter-institutional collaborations, in the context of their individual challenge.
- Understand and work effectively within complex institutional frameworks, addressing barriers to inter-institutional collaboration.
- Demonstrate intercultural communication skills to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership roles.
- Leverage European strategies and resources in the development of sustainable, cross-institutional partnerships.
- Employ storytelling techniques to inspire, persuade, and effectively communicate their vision for innovation and inter-institutional collaboration.
- Design and articulate innovation initiatives, incorporating feedback and insights gained throughout the course.
Resource:
