DOHA, Qatar, October 28, 2013—The Qatar Foundation’s WISE Program for Education Leadership held its 4th annual leadership workshop in Doha, Qatar from October 26 – 28, 2013. The WISE Program for Education Leadership was launched at the Qatar Foundation’s inaugural World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in 2009 to enhance leadership skills and strengthen international networks for emerging university presidents and higher education leaders around the world. The WISE Program is administered by the Institute of International Education and the International Association of University Presidents.
Nineteen recently-appointed Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Presidents from seventeen developing countries, identified as exemplary emerging higher education leaders, were selected to take part in a rigorous three-day training workshop. The countries represented at this year’s program are: Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Program is facilitated by a variety of experts and includes experience-based training, panel discussions, one-on-one leadership consulting, and an opportunity for the exchange of experiences and best practices.
Since 2010, the WISE Education Leadership Program has worked with dozens of new university presidents from developing countries to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to exercise leadership in a wide variety of institutional, social, political, and economic contexts. This year’s program will incorporate an additional focus on innovation, and will support university leaders in identifying a specific “innovation” that can be implemented at their institution within a year.
This year, in addition to the training workshop, WISE program participants were invited to attend the annual WISE Summit, which will take place from October 29 – 31, in Doha, providing a unique opportunity to network with other distinguished university presidents from selected developing world regions, in addition to a wide range of experts from diverse education sectors. The three-day Summit will focus on collaborative debate and discussion on key challenges facing education around the world.
The key themes addressed during the WISE Program for Education Leadership include: best practices in institutional management; principles of leadership and variety of academic leadership styles; establishing realistic institutional and personal goals; coaching and team building; decision making and managing structural change; innovation as a leadership style; and managing academic personnel and resources. The WISE Program trainers and mentors explored these themes with the participants and worked together to identify goals and objectives that they hope to address in the coming year. The experience helped equip higher education leaders with the necessary tools and resources to have a lasting, positive impact on their respective university communities.
The three previous WISE Programs for Education Leadership have resulted in a peer network of education leaders that facilitates communication and interaction on shared challenges and potential solutions.
The nineteen selected participants for the 2013 WISE Program for Education Leadership are:
- Adnan Mohsin Abdulazeez, Duhok Polytechnic University, Iraq
- Amine Bensaid, President, Mundiapolis University, Morocco
- Jose Cyrano Ruiz Cabarrus, President, Universidad da Vinci de Guatemala
- Shawn Chen, President, Sias International University, China
- Salim Daccache, Rector, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Samdani Golam Fakir, Vice Chancellor, Green University, Bangladesh
- Samuel Gudu, Principal & Chief Executive, University College, Kenya
- Sadhna Devi Juwaheer, Director, Fashion and Design Institute, Mauritius
- Mohammad Mannan, Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh Open University, Bangladesh
- Franklyn Manu, Rector, Institute of Management & Public Administration, Ghana
- Naison Ngoma, Vice Chancellor, The Copperbelt University, Zambia
- Yakubu Ochefu, Vice Chancellor, Kwararafa University, Nigeria
- Muhammad Qaiser, Vice Chancellor, University of Karachi, Pakistan
- Rajata Rajatanavin, President, Mahidol University, Thailand
- Sheela Ram, Vice Chancellor/Managing Director, Botho University, India
- Kawa Rasul, Vice Chancellor, Erbil Polytechnic, University, Iraq
- Zohrah Sulaiman, Acting Vice Chancellor, Institut Teknologi Brunei
- Manuel Villar, Rector, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico
- Rungano Jonas Zvobgo, Vice Chancellor, Great Zimbabwe University, Zimbabwe
This year’s program will be led by a number of experts in the field of global higher education, and includes:
- Ashwin Assomull, Partner, The Parthenon Group
- Wilfred Brewer, President, Performance Solutions Group
- Elizabeth Davis-Russell, President, Tubman University
- Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO, Institute of International Education
- Shigeo Katsu, President, Nazarbayey University
About the WISE Program for Education Leadership
The WISE Program for Education Leadership emerged from the 2009 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) as a vehicle to provide first-rate preparatory training and a forum for the sharing of knowledge for educational leaders from throughout the world, especially those who have been newly appointed and are in developing countries. The participants are identified through the networks of WISE and are selected through an application process.
About the WISE Initiative
WISE is an initiative of Qatar Foundation, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser, with a mission to address the urgent challenges and powerful economic, demographic and technological pressures facing 21st-century education. The annual WISE Summit brings together eminent decision-makers and thought-leaders from multiple sectors to generate dialogue, seek innovative solutions, raise awareness of the importance of learning, and inspire actions which will make a real difference to the lives of people across the globe. WISE is also a year-round platform and forum for the sharing of experience and best practices. Qatar Foundation’s partners in WISE are: Association of Commonwealth Universities, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, International Association of University Presidents, Institute of International Education, RAND Corporation, and UNESCO.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,200 member institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations. IIE also conducts policy research and program evaluations, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad. The WISE Program is administered by the Institute of International Education and the International Association of University Presidents.
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