Talking leadership

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

Auckland v-c wants to use Māori knowledge and research on misinformation to help tackle UN goals

Lahore University of Management Sciences head Arshad Ahmad says country has much to offer in the battle against climate change – if the world can get over its misconceptions

Former University College Cork president Michael Murphy reflects on pandemic, Ukraine and Brussels experience as he prepares to step down from top of representative body

The rector of Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute takes charge of the world-leading medical school after the disruptions of a pandemic and an ethics scandal

Imperial president reflects on his institution’s role in UK growth and the importance of collaboration within Horizon Europe 

President of ‘leftist hotbed’ Wesleyan University reflects on run-ins with students and controversial efforts to increase intellectual diversity

In National Apprenticeship Week, we talk to the vice-chancellor who kicked off a stellar career with an apprenticeship 

The principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow discusses the economics of higher education 

Marking his first year directing the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Liam Smeeth on dealing with Covid-19 and a racism review  

University of New England president explains his fearless approach to freedom of speech on campus, including the trans debate

The head of the University of Manchester discusses a lifetime of science outreach, supporting regional development and the humanities

With falling enrolments in traditional MBAs – and increased pressure to tackle diversity and sustainability agendas – business schools must change to stay relevant, says Haas dean

Melbourne boss explains why knowledge is service, and why unbridled casualisation would displease his dad

The outgoing vice-chancellor reflects on his five years at Cambridge and the future of higher education 

The outgoing v-c of the University of Oxford talks about her fears of a brain drain and the highs and lows of her tenure