Africa’s Top University Leaders: What they’re Thinking, How They’re Leading

“Thoughts and Experiences of African University Leaders,” a new series of interviews with vice-chancellors and others leaders with deep knowledge of higher education in Sub-Sahara Africa begins in the current issue of University World News, an online international newspaper and website, dedicated to providing a global window on higher education. 

Articles in the series, to be published monthly from February 2012 to April 2013, are supported in part by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

The first report in the series “Leadership: A Balancing Act” is an interview with Cheryl de la Rey, the first woman—and first black person—to hold the position of vice-chancellor of South Africa’s University of Pretoria.   

The series, intended to catalyze a dialogue around university leadership in Africa and to expand the number and diversity of contributors, will publish responses from other leaders and scholars to the special reports.  The special edition page will grow as new interviews and responses are added to it, and once completed it will remain a permanent page on the University World News website.

“Thoughts and Experiences of African University Leaders” will serve in part as a learning resource for current leaders and leaders-in-training.  The interviews are conducted in such a way as to capture personalities, backgrounds and distinctive management styles of successful leaders.  Each interview probes to find the fundamental and often character-shaping challenges leaders have faced and how their actions have positively impacted their respective institutions and helped to make higher education systems, in general, more effective.