Leadership in Higher Education Development in Georgia and Azerbaijan

ongoing

The Georgian and Azerbaijani Higher Education (HE) sectors are facing significant change as they strive to develop dynamic higher education experiences that are valuable to students and provide impact for their economies and societies. The change needed in higher education institutions (HEI) in Georgia and Azerbaijan to deliver on these objectives is being slowed by a lack of leadership capacity. HEIs in Georgia and Azerbaijan need to build the capacity of their leaders for governance, strategic planning and management to deliver these reforms. The project addresses the need for development of university leaders in Georgia and Azerbaijan through the creation and piloting of a joint leadership development programme. The project will create the materials to support the programme; and identify and equip dedicated facilities where the development activities will take place. Learning will take place through networking meetings, workshops, coaching and mentoring, and the implementation of change projects and promote immediate improvements for institutions and the national HE sectors. The project will develop and execute staff training workshops for Georgian and Azerbaijani university staff responsible for delivering the programme. During the project, 12 trainers will be trained in the delivery of the programme and 50 HE leaders from Georgia & Azerbaijan will benefit from the leadership programme with a demonstrable impact on their capacity to operate the governance, strategic plans and management of HEIs. In the 5 years following the project, it is expected that 250 additional leaders will benefit from taking the leadership development programme and that at least 20 additional Georgian & Azerbaijani HEIs will have adopted it. All HEIs in Georgia & Azerbaijan and their leadership staff will benefit from a leadership symposium at the end of the project and thereafter annually. Together these actions will enhance the capacity for reform of HE across Georgia & Azerbaijan.