HELM, in conjunction with the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies at the University of Johannesburg hosts the fourth in the ENGAGE series. Oliver Seale’s in-depth study into the nature of deanship entitled Deanship in the Global South: Bridging Troubled Waters is about the deans’ lived reality. It follows deans as they try to navigate this important position and balance the ambiguous demands of both the academe and the executive. Their inadequate preparation and lack of support for deanship points to the need for a more strategic, integrated approach to leadership development and career management in this critical bridging role between the academe and administration.
ENGAGE #4 unpacks the nexus between academic leadership and executive management for deans in the university with particular attention on the following:
- How is deanship conceptualised, understood and lived in the 21st century university?
- Why do deans matter in universities and what matters for deans nowadays?
- How are we currently addressing the leadership and management development needs of deans during and after their tenure?