Talking leadership

Donna Whitehead warns university leaders must be candid with staff as sector’s financial crisis endures

The retirement of arguably the UK’s most politically adept university leader leaves big boots to fill. The Glasgow principal talks to Jack Grove about 40 years of sectoral evolution, his thoughts on Scottish university funding and his concerns about the now-paused changes to the 2029 REF

UK universities have no need to oversell their benefits to individuals or societies, but they do need to demonstrate an ability to foster both free speech and civil disagreement – while carefully navigating their ‘slightly nerve-racking’ reliance on overseas students, UCL’s provost tells Chris Havergal

Outgoing rector of University of Oslo says culture of openness changed into one dominated by national priorities during his eight years in charge of Norway’s top-ranked institution

As he begins his stint as Universities UK president, Malcolm Press tells Helen Packer that the sector’s demands of government need to be realistic about the constrained state of public finances and that the sector will have to address its own problems through efficiencies and collaboration 

Good lobbying skills coupled with ‘academic backbone’ the key to success in both sectors, according to leader of Colombia’s University of la Costa

Government yet to articulate its vision for the sector after a year in power as political threats – rather than long-term thinking – shape its agenda, says outgoing UUK president

Being odd one out from a celebrated merger makes it ‘easier to differentiate’, while conferring the ‘mantle of seniority’, says vice-chancellor

Institution falling back on reserve cash to pursue growth through major transformation, including a new teaching model, overseas expansion and controversial staff redundancies

Leading private university pivots to graduate and international students as entire sector threatened by low birth rate

Cambridge’s 347th vice-chancellor may have spent the whole of her previous career at Princeton, but she has no plans to tear up local or national traditions as she seeks to turn the UK government’s big hopes for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor into reality, she tells Jack Grove  

Innovation cluster, new medical school and cautious growth of non-local student numbers high on the agenda of president of leading Hong Kong research university

With existential challenges mounting in both his adoptive homes, outgoing University of Surrey vice-chancellor says cuts cannot be the only focus as he prepares to head back Down Under

Stagnating government funding means tuition fee rises may be inevitable, says Japanese university leader

Outgoing president of the University of Toronto discusses Canada’s international student restrictions, impact of second Trump term and prospect of more ‘bad surprises’ awaiting his successor

The marine biologist and new University of Melbourne vice-chancellor is intent on using insights from beneath the waves to keep her institution afloat through the brewing storms

Neeli Bendapudi on being an outsider and a trailblazer, students as customers and nurturing the world’s largest alumni network 

Jane Norman eyes more focused approach for university after decades of rapid growth, with new financial paradigm forcing ‘hard conversations’

‘I want to understand as best we can quantitatively, what are the things that lead to our students leaving?’ says University of Colorado Boulder leader

‘People lose a lot of their energy and resources to fear and speculation versus focusing on what’s actually happening,’ says newly inaugurated Boston University leader

The chancellor of Abu Dhabi University on different types of intelligence, freedom of speech and universities in the East versus West 

The president of Technical University of Munich explains his recipe for breaking down silos while retaining deep disciplinary strength

New LSE vice-chancellor discusses ‘Wild West’ US, dealing with campus protests and the personal turmoil that led him to make the switch to London

Irene Tracey says policymakers and universities need to work together to tackle funding crisis

Monash vice-chancellor discusses universities' progress on preventing gender-based abuse and the 'flattening effect' on internationalisation 

Dartmouth College president discusses seeking criticism, prioritising mental health and getting more women into engineering

Indian Institute of Science director discusses opening a new medical school and receiving the country’s largest philanthropic university gift

Sheffield vice-chancellor discusses including innovation in promotions criteria and carving a distinct identity for the university

The Florida Tech president on creating a 'living, breathing' strategic plan, the explosion of the space industry and why diversity matters

Outgoing Erasmus University Rotterdam president discusses the underappreciated value of the social sciences, managing student protests and the differences between Dutch and German higher education

The president of McMaster University discusses the importance of nuclear power, dealing with a sexual misconduct scandal and limits on student recruitment

Departing Manchester vice-chancellor discusses sector finances, pay gaps and letting go after 14 years

The president of San José State University on harnessing location to build partnerships, the importance of representation and why she isn’t a ‘traditional academic’

University of Technology Sydney head on achieving impact on policy and sustainability by building partnerships, fossil fuel divestment and boosting Indigenous enrolment

The president of Lingnan University on requiring students to use ChatGPT and using data to manage grumbles from staff

The head of Nanyang Technological University leverages the institution’s youthful vigour to put AI at the heart of learning and uses his research background to inform his leadership and help recruit potential Nobel prizewinners

The head of Hong Kong Baptist University shares his solution to the rapidly changing jobs market

As overhaul presses staff and students to broaden horizons, president discusses handling faculty pushback, maintaining a vital Samsung partnership and dealing with disgruntled alumni

The interim president of Michigan State University shares her approach to healing the campus community after a deadly shooting and sexual misconduct crises

Ebrahim Adia’s journey through modern universities indicates their power to transform lives, but they face growing financial pressure

The president of Aalto University talks about leading a nationwide flexible learning effort, and why he’s been standing up for an ‘international Finland’

Royal Holloway head discusses decentralising university leadership and tapping into the creative industry in Surrey

The American University in Cairo’s first Arab leader on helping people reskill, serving the community and taking on the ‘necessary evil’ of administration

Michel Mawad fights to keep the lights on at Lebanese American University and its teaching hospitals, and to keep staff while supporting students amid economic and political crisis. But he’s not giving up

The University of Exeter’s vice-chancellor talks about partnering with businesses, including the controversial decision to keep working with Shell on sustainability

UC Davis’ chancellor, Gary May, has plenty of background in attracting minority students, but finds California’s decades-old ban on race-based admissions a formidable foe

Canterbury’s vice-chancellor contrasts her adopted island homeland with her native South Africa and reflects on the opportunities spawned by even the worst horrors

Daniel Diermeier reflects on traversing the increasingly polarised US political landscape and on disagreeing with staff and students pressing for the university to take sides

Folasade Ogunsola discusses her country’s battle with brain drain and universities’ search for ‘creative’ ways to combat funding shortfalls

Lund University vice-chancellor discusses the challenges of working with business, creating an innovation valley in the Baltic region and managing one’s friends

Monterrey Institute of Technology’s president says it is setting aside £46 million for international hires to compete with the global standard of living

University of Southern Queensland head makes case for teaching students in remote towns regionally to keep them and their skills in the community

University of Limerick president talks about putting in place university-wide structural changes to inspire cross-pollination between disciplines

Outgoing EdUHK head reflects on a decade-long stint leading Hong Kong’s teacher training university

The UK’s first Palestinian vice-chancellor discusses proving the value of creative degrees in a hostile climate, how to internationalise rural towns and what growing up with nine siblings can teach you about academic life

The rector of ORT Uruguay, cradle to the country’s first ‘unicorns’, talks about fostering an entrepreneurship mindset in a risk-averse society

The Nottingham Trent vice-chancellor discusses using data to support students, avoiding strike action and why diversity conversations are too focused on Oxbridge

Singapore Management University president Lily Kong says the country’s institutions ‘must carve their own path’

Hong Kong has ‘a special convening power’ that could attract partners from China and the Middle East, CUHK’s v-c tells Tiya Thomas-Alexander

Alan Shepard tells Rosa Ellis how Western University united all of its community behind a comprehensive impact strategy