Leadership

New boss rules out further forced redundancies as cash-strapped university aims to break even next year

‘Academic inbreeding’ results in lower research productivity but greater growth in student numbers, Italian study finds

Key parliamentary ally seeks explanation over apparent discrepancies in reporting of consultancy spend

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

Number of female university leaders reaches record high, with Switzerland seeing biggest growth

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

University latest passion project for ex-politician who specialises in ‘institutions that are worth keeping’

‘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

Homecoming of sorts for Chinese-Australian vice-chancellor

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

University leaders under ‘extraordinary pressure’ amid funding crisis, says departing University of Southern Queensland chief

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

With many of the world’s top universities sporting new heads, and tenures shrinking, experts call for initiatives to develop future leaders

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

Leadership troubles at two Parisian mega-universities reflect ongoing debates around governance and academic culture, says Jean-Yves Mérindol

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

Science and gender equity advocate to become first female leader of Australia’s top research institution

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

Institution that dispensed the highest vice-chancellor remuneration in sector’s history looking at course and job cuts

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

Create a shared vision, set ambitious targets and celebrate loudly, advises Zoe Rodwell for keeping a sustainability strategy on track

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

V-c’s offer to meet with encampment to review defence and security research called both an ‘empty deal’ and a ‘capitulation’

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

Young people are leaving the country in droves yet no political party is committed to reforming higher education, says Asghar Zaidi

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

At moment of political threat, Tessier-Lavigne replacement brings continued white male lineage with reputation for scientific innovation and listening to diverse voices

Karen Cox to step down next month as university grapples with projected £30 million deficit

Facing second year of faculty no-confidence vote, cardiothoracic surgeon agrees to leave as soon as successor is found

Increase in female leaders driven by Europe as US stagnates

Academic leaders should stay out of politics to encourage debate and promote expertise, says Daniel Diermeier

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

The departure of Claudine Gay from Harvard was said to be politically motivated but most other leaders have also fallen on their swords when their scholarship is questioned

Some narcissistic v-cs have lost sight of their real job – to be the custodian of their university’s heritage and to safeguard its future, says Kieran Walshe

In John Gilbey’s seasonal tale, the sharks are circling the vice-chancellor of the University of Rural England. But the fishing village to which he flees is not as innocent as he depicted it in his doctoral thesis. And its power-brokers are every bit as terrifying as those on the Regional Economic Regeneration Committee

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

It defies history and logic to lay decades of failure by administrators, trustees and legislators at tenured professors’ door, says Harvey Graff

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

The Gaza situation is no exception to the rule that truth-seeking requires the marrying of free expression with inclusion and respect, says Duncan Ivison

Complete careers rethink needed to allow ‘upshifts and downshifts’ during the course of a working life, female leaders tell conference

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

Nancy Ip discusses how universities can boost their output of patents and support faculty entrepreneurs

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

As their flagship campus draws national alarm, professors protest Gordon Gee’s move to slash positions and programmes

Academia and the armed forces may seem worlds apart, but officer training has valuable lessons for university managers, says former Indian army veteran-turned-professor Vikas Rai Bhatnagar

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

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

Asean governments and institutions have to focus on developing academic leaders to advance the region’s sector, says Norzaini Azman