Foundations of Leadership – Part 1

The Higher Education Leadership & Management Programme (HELM) is the organisational development, management education and leadership arm of Universities South Africa (USAf), the collaborative body consisting of all South African public universities.

HELM offers a variety of organisational and training services and courses to the higher education sector, Including a Foundations of Leadership Programme (FoL) in two versions — for Academic Leadership and for University Managers.

The objectives of the Foundations of Leadership Programme are to:

• Develop an informed perspective on leadership & strategic planning in Universities;
• Promote creative problem-solving through a participative pedagogy, self-reflection & group interaction;
• Acquire new perspectives & skills which would contribute towards effective operations at your University;
• Formally & informally engage with other participants, exchange ideas, and share experiences which support personal & institutional development.

The programme is delivered online and consists of two 2.5 Day Modules (total 5 days) — driven by expert inputs, personal and group exercises & customised case studies.

Foundations of Leadership Module 1 covers higher education policy & regulatory frameworks, transformation, leadership & management.

Foundations of Leadership Module 2 covers strategic planning, change management & people management.

This Foundations of Leadership Programme (FoL) is funded by the Department of Higher Education & Training through the University Development Capacity Grant and is therefore offered at no cost to the public university sector. However, participants need to attend and complete the entire 2 X 2.5 day programme (5 days in total).

You may only select and register for one of the Part 1 dates provided in the links above.

FoL 1 for Academics:

• 28–30 October 2026
• 18–20 November 2026
• 17–19 February 2027

FoL 1 for University Managers:

• 11–13 November 2026
• 25–27 November 2026
• 3–5 February 2027

Please click the relevant button in the right-hand panel to download the authorisation form for Academics or University Managers. The form must be signed by your line manager. Please note that Part 1 must be completed before proceeding to Part 2. Registration links for Part 2 will be provided in due course.