NEWLEAD

Innovative Leadership and Change Management in Higher Education

Today, higher education institutions are tasked with multiple and challenging roles. They accommodate evolving student expectations, address changing labour market needs and sustainability pressures, and face unexpected challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic. In this demanding context, the NEWLEAD project aims to build the capacity of university leaders in steering change and in addressing new priorities on the institutional transformation agenda.

NEWLEAD is led by the University Ramon Llull (URL) in Barcelona, in partnership with a diverse consortium including EUA.

NEWLEAD is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, as a Strategic Partnership for Higher Education. The project will run until September 2023.

For further information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For updates on the NEWLEAD project, follow the project website. You can also find us on Twitter at #unileaders_eu.

 

logosbeneficaireserasmusright enThe European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Keywords

  • Background

    NEWLEAD builds on a series of previous projects and initiatives in governance, capacity building and institutional transformation, which the project partners conducted or participated in.

    Between 2015 and 2018, EUA led the EU-funded USTREAM project, which focused on efficiency (including through strategic governance), effectiveness and value for money at universities, while exploring the role of institutional leadership. Research conducted within the USTREAM project showed that to promote change, leaders must have access to the capabilities and tools needed to achieve success. This process of empowerment becomes essential for capacity building at both institutional and individual levels, being a pre-requisite for effective and successful change management at universities.

    Moreover, previous products released by EUA include toolkits for university leaders and managers on governance models, human resources and financial management, which were designed to support structural reform processes and to enhance the quality and relevance of higher education systems.

  • Objectives and approach

    The main project objectives are:

    • equip universities and their leaders to address policy priorities and challenges;
    • enable leaders and senior managers to successfully steer complex institutional transformation agendas.

    To achieve this, a peer-learning approach will be used throughout the project. This will facilitate an exchange of experience and practices among the participants, while bridging the gap between global, national and institutional needs. NEWLEAD results will also be derived from a mapping of institutional- and system-level approaches to leadership development and university transformation, which is planned for the first stage of the project implementation. Moreover, a novel methodological framework will be developed to address, in a holistic way, leadership capacity building and change management topics in higher education.

    The NEWLEAD project will address institutional leadership development through the lenses of several transversal topics, such as (but not limited to):

    • female leadership in higher education
    • equity, diversity and social inclusion
    • sustainability
    • collaboration and engagement with ecosystems
    • evolving labour market needs
    • efficiency and effectiveness
    • service to society
    • resilience
    • effective governance

  • Activities

    Phase 1: Mapping institutional and system approaches to leadership support/development and capacity building

    1st semester 2021

    Phase 2: Peer learning and exchange among partners and beyond

    2nd semester 2021-1st semester 2022

    Phase 3: Developing a framework to support institutions’ strategic and holistic approach to designing leadership development

     2nd semester 2022 – 1nd semester 2023

    Main results:

    • Methodological report on core principles, priorities and processes of change and crisis management in higher education 

     

     

     

    Main results:

    • Innovative guidance materials exploring the topic of capacity building for institutional leadership, as well as thematic priorities
    • Focus groups for institutional leaders and senior managers

    Main results:

    • Institutional transformation and leadership case studies
    • Report on leadership and institutional transformation to benefit institutions in their efforts to build capacity of their leaders and senior managers

     

    University leaders, such as rectors, vice-rectors and deans, as well as senior managers, including heads of administration and finance and human resources, will be interested in the NEWLEAD project activities and outcomes. Participation in the focus groups and various other activities will be possible through open calls, which will be featured on this project webpage.

  • Project partners

    Ramon Llull University (coordinator)

    European University Association (EUA)

    Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP)

    ESCP Business School

    University of Iceland

    Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR)

    Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE)

     

     

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  • Associate partners

    Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU)

    Irish Universities Association (IUA)

    Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI)

    Polish Rectors Foundation

     

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  • Related initiatives

    At EUA, capacity building for university leadership with the purpose of institutional transformation is also addressed via two other ongoing initiatives, namely:

    • In the field of learning and teaching in higher education, the EU-funded LOTUS project runs a Leadership Development Programme for institutional leaders
    • In the field of digitalisation, EUA is organising three thematic peer groups in 2021, offering an opportunity for European higher education institutions to exchange with colleagues about their strategic approaches to digitally enhanced learning and teaching.

Resources

View more

Events

  • Shaping the future of leadership development for university leaders in Europe

    25 Oct 2023 Events Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR), Brussels
    The presentation is now available. The Erasmus+ supported NEWLEAD project, focused on Innovative Leadership and Change Management in Higher Education, has been dedicated to enhancing the capacity of university leaders across Europe to effectively navigate change. The project has addressed instituti... Read more

  • HUMANE 2023 Annual Conference in partnership with EUA

    14 - 16 Jun 2023 Events ESCI-UPF, School of International Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
    As part of the Erasmus+ supported NEWLEAD project on innovative leadership and change management, the European University Association is partnering with HUMANE (Heads of University Management and Administration Network in Europe) for its Annual Conference. This event will explore how academic leader... Read more

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