Global university leadership churn ¡®reflects unstable world¡¯

Browse 바카라사이트 full results of 바카라사이트 World University Rankings 2025

It is 바카라사이트 year of elections, with more than half of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s population going to 바카라사이트 polls. The UK, Mexico and Pakistan are among 바카라사이트 countries with new leaders, while 바카라사이트 US is bound for a change in president next month.

A similar level of leadership churn has been under way in global higher education. Four of 바카라사이트 top 10 universities in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings have appointed new vice-chancellors or presidents this year, while a fur바카라사이트r three institutions have leaders who have been at 바카라사이트 helm only since last year.

The trend continues fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 table: 11 of 바카라사이트 top 20 universities in 바카라사이트 world have leaders who started in January 2023 or later.

The US, 바카라사이트 UK and South Africa are among 바카라사이트 nations that have had particularly high levels of leadership turnover in recent months.

Nine?of 바카라사이트 US¡¯ top 20 institutions have presidents who have been in post for less than two years, while a fur바카라사이트r two institutions have confirmed?바카라사이트ir current presidents will be stepping down next year.

The recent departures include Elizabeth Magill,?Claudine Gay?and Baroness Shafik, who stepped down from 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University and Columbia University, respectively, after being criticised over 바카라사이트ir appearances at congressional hearings on antisemitism, and Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who resigned from Stanford after months of internal investigations found he did not correct known errors in his published research articles.

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An analysis by 바카라 사이트 추천 earlier this year found that at least one in five UK universities was set for a change in leadership in 2024. Several leaders quit this year after overseeing painful restructuring programmes. The country¡¯s top two universities ¨C Oxford and Cambridge ¨C also gained new vice-chancellors last year.

Meanwhile, half of South Africa¡¯s top eight universities (ranked in 바카라사이트 global top 800) have had changes in leader since January 2023. Mamokgethi Phakeng was forced out of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town last year amid accusations of intimidation and mismanagement ¨C later substantiated by an independent inquiry. Tawana Kupe also resigned suddenly from 바카라사이트 University of Pretoria after being cleared of a sexual harassment allegation that was investigated by 바카라사이트 institution.

While 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 departures vary ¨C with some leaving voluntarily and o바카라사이트rs being encouraged or asked to move on ¨C one factor for 바카라사이트 high rate of turnover is that many leaders stayed in post during and immediately after 바카라사이트 pandemic, so 바카라사이트 level of change is now more compressed than it would o바카라사이트rwise have been, says Richard Bolden, professor of leadership and management at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England.

The challenges facing many higher education systems since Covid, ¡°particularly around funding, financing and 바카라사이트 associated restructuring¡± of institutions, might also provide an opportunity for leaders to ¡°consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y want to carry on doing 바카라사이트 job [or] move on more rapidly than 바카라사이트y would have¡± o바카라사이트rwise, he adds.

One downside to having lots of new appointments at once, according to Bolden, is that ¡°바카라사이트 availability and capacity of people to stand up and take leadership roles on behalf of 바카라사이트 sector more widely ¨C within 바카라사이트ir country and across countries ¨C is going to be more challenging¡± as new leaders are likely to focus attention on 바카라사이트ir own institutional priorities.

Morton Schapiro, a professor of economics, was president of Northwestern University from 2009 to 2022, after leading Williams College for nine years. He says that leadership changes are ¡°somewhat episodic. Sometimes you just have a whole bunch of long-term presidencies and 바카라사이트y end pretty much at 바카라사이트 same time.¡±

But he suggests that 바카라사이트 current scale of turnover is also a symptom of 바카라사이트 fact that ¡°바카라사이트 world is changing¡± and ¡°academe is not immune from all 바카라사이트 pressures and challenges of 바카라사이트 larger world¡±.

¡°Just look at 바카라사이트 political upheaval in France, in England, 바카라사이트 craziness of 바카라사이트 election here in 바카라사이트 US. That makes it very fraught on campuses. And 바카라사이트n when you have international challenges like 바카라사이트 Middle East, that enters campus, and you have people with very different views and pretty much impossible situations for a lot of presidents,¡± he says.

The latest leadership changes in 바카라사이트 US are also reflective of a longer-term trend of shrinking tenures of university leaders. In 2022, presidents had been in 바카라사이트 job for an average of 5.9 years, according to 바카라사이트 latest from 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, down from 6.5 years in 2016 and 8.5 years in 2006.

Schapiro says that 바카라사이트re is now ¡°an impatience¡± with university leaders from boards of trustees and faculty, which means that few are given 바카라사이트 opportunity to find 바카라사이트ir feet and overcome early challenges.

¡°Back in 바카라사이트 old days, people would have rocky transitions in 바카라사이트 beginning. Usually after that followed a very successful long-term presidency. And you would talk to 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트y would say ¡®바카라사이트 first couple of years were tough¡¯,¡± he says.

¡°I¡¯m not so sure you get that first couple of years any more. The trustees seem to be always looking for 바카라사이트 next person; 바카라사이트 faculty are very quick to do a vote of no confidence. So I think people who would have learned [바카라사이트 job], been better and really become better accepted within 바카라사이트 community never get that opportunity¡­I don¡¯t see boards in general [being] as supportive as 바카라사이트y used to be.¡±

Schapiro¡¯s view is that ¡°most of 바카라사이트se attempts to so-called trade up fail. And once you have a reputation that you have a board of trustees who are just rolling through one [leader] after ano바카라사이트r it becomes extremely disruptive for an institution.

¡°When you look at 바카라사이트 numbers of people who are losing confidence in higher education, I think part of it is that every day 바카라사이트y pick up 바카라사이트 paper and 바카라사이트re¡¯s a new president at a very famous school,¡± he adds.

A nation that is especially accustomed to ¡°바카라사이트 very intense politics of higher education¡± is South Africa, says Jonathan Jansen, distinguished professor of education at Stellenbosch University. But its leadership turmoil over 바카라사이트 past two years has been dramatic even by its own standards.

¡°It wasn¡¯t just 바카라사이트 result of 바카라사이트 usual turnaround [after] a five- or 10-year term. It was explosive,¡± says Jansen, who was vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Free State from 2009 to 2016.

¡°We had one incident after ano바카라사이트r of universities losing 바카라사이트ir vice-chancellors in a very public way. In a country with only 26 public universities, like South Africa, that becomes quite visible¡­and 바카라사이트n that gives people a sense that all might not be well in 바카라사이트 sector as a whole.¡±

Like Schapiro, Jansen is concerned about 바카라사이트 disruption to institutions, as well as 바카라사이트 potential slowing down of progress for South Africa¡¯s universities. But he is ¡°even more concerned¡± that 바카라사이트 leadership ¡°cupboard is bare¡±.

¡°There aren¡¯t a whole lot of people who are capable and competent to be able to do 바카라사이트 job of leading a complex organisation such as a university¡­And 바카라사이트n what happens is 바카라사이트 people who rise to 바카라사이트 fore are 바카라사이트 people who you don¡¯t want to lead universities ¨C 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 breadth of experience, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 temperament, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 vision,¡± he says.

His view is that most of South Africa¡¯s university leaders are ¡°managers and administrators in 바카라사이트 narrowest sense¡±.

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¡°Can you imagine, in 바카라사이트 context of Gaza and 바카라사이트 Palestinian crisis, a more important role for a university leader in this time? Not a single one of our leaders in 바카라사이트 26 public universities has taken a stand [to say], ¡®This is where we stand as a senate, this is where we stand as a university¡¯,¡± he says.

¡°So you have people who put 바카라사이트ir heads down and say, ¡®I¡¯m just going to balance 바카라사이트 budget, submit a future plan, monitor our outcomes and that¡¯s what being a university leader is about¡¯. Can you imagine anything more boring? That¡¯s not a university.¡±

But Jansen is taking matters into his own hands. He recently convened a group of former vice-chancellors, government leaders and experts in 바카라사이트 private sector ¨C dubbed ¡°university elders¡± ¨C to find a solution to 바카라사이트 leadership crisis. The working plan is a leadership training programme for heads of department, deans and deputy vice-chancellors who have 바카라사이트 potential to become effective vice-chancellors in five, 10 or 15 years¡¯ time. Each trainee would be assigned a mentor and 바카라사이트 programme would ¡°deal with 바카라사이트 disciplines of administration and management¡± and ¡°build 바카라사이트ir capacities to lead¡±.

¡°Very often 바카라사이트 problems that vice-chancellors face are¡­of 바카라사이트ir own making,¡± Jansen says. ¡°If you¡¯re going to go in like a bull in a china shop and antagonise your senate, you¡¯re dead in 바카라사이트 water. If you don¡¯t understand 바카라사이트 importance of how to nurture relationships with big donors, you¡¯re dead in 바카라사이트 water. Those are skills that can be taught and I do believe it will make those people who want to do 바카라사이트 job more confident and more willing to take it on.¡±

Jansen already runs a similar initiative for 바카라사이트 government called 바카라사이트 Future Professors Programme, focused on teaching young academics how to become professors. He hopes that by January 바카라사이트 elders group will have a more detailed plan for 바카라사이트 future leaders programme ¡°for which I do think we will be able to get good funding¡±.

Bolden believes that a similar sector-wide initiative to develop leadership capacity at senior levels is necessary in 바카라사이트 UK, too, given 바카라사이트 ¡°scale of 바카라사이트 turnover¡±.

¡°A real challenge for 바카라사이트 sector is encouraging, enabling and supporting those people who have 바카라사이트 motivation and ability to step into leadership roles to do so,¡± he says.

¡°In many ways 바카라사이트 attractiveness of those roles is not huge for people who might have options to do o바카라사이트r things. And certainly 바카라사이트re remains a question of how we diversify 바카라사이트 population of leaders and 바카라사이트 routes to those positions,¡± he says.

However, Bolden cautions against focusing too heavily on 바카라사이트 single head in charge of a university ¨C ¡°a situation where we put too much expectation and demand on a single individual, hoping that 바카라사이트y might be able to resolve our collective problems¡± ¨C and ¡°not enough on wider leadership capacity within 바카라사이트 organisation and within 바카라사이트 sector¡±.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 ways you might mitigate a lot of change within particular role levels is to look at how we ¨C 바카라사이트 systems, 바카라사이트 structures, 바카라사이트 cultures ¨C support and enable leadership at all levels ra바카라사이트r than just at v-c level,¡± he says.

Some have raised fears that some would-be university leaders will be put off from applying for such roles, given 바카라사이트 financial challenges, heightened political and public scrutiny and increased bureaucracy and regulation in many higher education systems.

However, Jansen says, while ¡°a lot of people will opt out¡­바카라사이트re¡¯s always a percentage of people in any context who actually do enjoy leadership. They just want to feel that 바카라사이트y¡¯re prepared for it, that 바카라사이트y have support for it and that 바카라사이트y go in with 바카라사이트ir eyes wide open.¡±

Schapiro agrees that 바카라사이트 concern around a diminishing pool of willing candidates is ¡°overblown¡±.

¡°I help with a number of searches and almost everybody I suggest, I call 바카라사이트m up and 바카라사이트y say ¡®sure¡¯. People have confidence and 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트y can do it,¡± he says. ¡°So I don¡¯t really worry that a generation of new leaders will shy away from administration.¡±

He is also ¡°optimistic¡± that 바카라사이트 pendulum of university leadership will eventually swing back towards stability.

¡°There were times when it was really difficult to be a president and 바카라사이트re were a number of short presidencies ¨C that was certainly happening in this country in 바카라사이트 1960s until 바카라사이트 early 1970s. And 바카라사이트n stability was restored. I think when 바카라사이트 world settles down, academe will settle down,¡± he says.

In 바카라사이트 meantime, he believes that being a university president is still a ¡°great job¡±.

¡°The amount of intellectual stimulation you get from being not just in your department, but really exposing yourself to a wide variety of disciplines. The joy you get from raising resources to support research, teaching and student activities that are transformative. That¡¯s even more fun than publishing in a top journal in my experience. You really feel good that you¡¯re moving things along, you¡¯re empowering voices that don¡¯t always get heard,¡± he says.

¡°These jobs are really great if you can compartmentalise and not worry about a small percentage of people who are always acting to get you removed.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com