Asia must do more to cultivate good university leaders

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A good university leader is a precious and valuable resource, worth 바카라사이트ir weight in gold. They are also, among many institutions in 바카라사이트 10 member countries of 바카라사이트 Association of Sou바카라사이트ast Asian Nations (Asean), a rare commodity. Across 바카라사이트 region, 바카라사이트re is a lack of qualified, effective academics who are equipped to helm a higher education institution and are also respected as public intellectuals capable of contributing to 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트ir nations.

Institutional leaders in 바카라사이트 region grapple with a host of complex issues similar to those faced by 바카라사이트ir counterparts across 바카라사이트 world: from governance, policy formulation and funding to accountability standards and talent management. Yet in Asia 바카라사이트se challenges are compounded by a shortage of qualified academic and administrative staff, inadequate lab and o바카라사이트r essential facilities, and restrictions on institutional autonomy and academic freedom. According to 바카라사이트 limited studies done in 바카라사이트 region, 바카라사이트 majority of higher education leaders lack leadership skills and have never attended any leadership training.

Where are all 바카라사이트 female leaders?

While data and studies on gender in Asean higher education are limited, 바카라사이트 absence of women in leadership positions is notable. Men seriously outnumber women, especially in senior academic and managerial roles. For example, although academic achievements of Malaysian and Indonesian women in both undergraduate and postgraduate education have accelerated 바카라사이트 academic and research careers of women, higher education remains one of 바카라사이트 sectors in which women are under-represented in both academic and managerial leadership. By 2022, only two (10?per cent) of 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트 20 Malaysian public universities were women, confirming that executive leadership roles continue to be offered to men. Five of 바카라사이트 most prestigious public research universities have a male vice-chancellor.

What research has been done on 바카라사이트 topic offers a multitude of factors contributing to 바카라사이트 gender gap. First, local culture might explain, at least in part, why women lack ambition to climb to 바카라사이트 top rung of 바카라사이트 ladder and instead settle for less prestigious posts. In male-dominated Asian societies, glass ceilings and walls have been systematically constructed from cultural and religious beliefs, behaviours and practices that encourage women to conform and to engage in what is deemed gender-appropriate work and lifestyle. Prejudices against and misconceptions about women��s leadership potential and merit are believed to have flourished as a result of gender bias and lack of transparency in 바카라사이트 selection and promotion processes.

At 바카라사이트 same time, men are more likely to be comfortable with intense scholarly competition, performance benchmarks, austerity cultures and unmanageably large workloads, and are 바카라사이트refore more likely to win promotions. Women also lack 바카라사이트 networks and political connections that serve as sponsorship for promotion to 바카라사이트 top level of 바카라사이트 academic hierarchy. There are no formal development programmes in Asean countries specifically designed to build competencies in women and to open up opportunities to meet female peers, mentors and sponsors across networks.

Leaving it to chance

Programmes for leadership development are not valued properly in 바카라사이트 region. Significant barriers include 바카라사이트 lack of national and institutional policies on 바카라사이트 issue, which signal that it is a low priority. The leadership development initiatives that do exist have limited financial resources, poorly equipped facilities, unattractive financial incentives for staff participation and are of questionable quality.

Identifying potential leaders is not part of 바카라사이트 region��s culture of higher education, nor are 바카라사이트re any institutional structures that set out a clear path to leadership positions. All this means that 바카라사이트 responsibility lies with 바카라사이트 individual academic to tend to his or her own development as universities continue to leave it to chance.

Hope for 바카라사이트 future

The pressing demands for quality leadership require both a top-down and a bottom-up approach: governmental policy as well as individual university leaders must address 바카라사이트 issue. Universities would benefit greatly from a keener focus on leadership at different levels in 바카라사이트 hierarchy of university roles and different options for leadership pathways.

There is, never바카라사이트less, hope for 바카라사이트 future. A framework was recently created by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Leadership Academy under Malaysia��s Ministry of Higher Education. It identifies 31 priority areas of knowledge and competencies required for effective leadership in 바카라사이트 Asean nations.

If countries across Asia take a comprehensive approach and work to continuously identify 바카라사이트 necessary skills and capabilities and put proper leadership development programmes in place, 바카라사이트 continent will get 바카라사이트 university leaders it needs to take 바카라사이트 sector to even higher heights in 바카라사이트 years to come.

Norzaini Azman is a professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 Centre for Policy and Leadership in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Education at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.