DrEducation, University World News and The MasterCard Foundation hosted a global online discussion (webinar) on the role of higher education in fostering transformative leadership. This global webinar moderated by Dr. Rahul Choudaha hosted experts and attracted over 1,100 registrations from around the world. How do we infuse transformative leadership into academic programmes and campus experiences? How do we measure and assess its impact on individuals, universities and societies? Are universities willing and ready to bring a positive and lasting change as the crucibles of fostering transformative leadership skills within students?

1. @UniWorldNews @MasterCardFdn @DrEducationBlog
Access Recording of the Webinar ( bit.ly/TLrecording )

2. Host
UWN provides high-quality
news and analysis on global
higher education.
UniversityWorldNews.com
Lead Partner
MCF focuses on advancing
education and financial
inclusion.
MasterCardFdn.org
Online Event Partner
DrEducation offers research,
insights, and consulting on
global higher education.
DrEducation.com

3. Scope of the discussion
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Transformative
Leadership
Higher
Education
Social
Change

4. What is transformative leadership?
 Transformative leadership is about making or influencing positive change
and addressing inequity
 Transformative leaders see a problem and ask themselves ‘what can I do?’
to solve it.’
 Top five competencies: effective communication, empathy, introspection,
clear vision and integrity
4Source: Women’s Transformative Leadership In Africa, The MasterCard Foundation

5. Goals of leadership
Transactional
Leadership
Transformational
Leadership
Transformative
Leadership
Agreement;
mutual goal
advancement
Organizational
change;
effectiveness
Deep & equitable
change; social
conditions
5Source: Shields, C. M. (2010) Transformative Leadership: Working for Equity in Diverse Contexts

6. Universities as crucibles of
transformative leadership
 Crucibles are the points at which
leaders were forced to question
who they were and what was
important to them (Bennis &
Thomas)
 Crucible experiences can be
thought of as a kind of
superconcentrated form of
leadership development
(Thomas)
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7. Poll#1
 Agree or Disagree:
“Universities are effective in developing future transformative leaders?”
 Agree 47%
 Strongly Agree 6%
 Disagree 31%
 Strongly Disagree 4%
 Other/Don't know/Can't say 12%
Responses are based on the live audience poll conducted during the webinar.
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8. Dame Barbara Stocking
President , Murray Edwards
College, University of Cambridge
Previously Chief Executive, Oxfam
GB
8
@MECCambridge
@Cambridge_Uni
 Campaigning alongside Constance from
Uganda on Climate Change action in 2010.
Transformational leaders have to believe
and do what they say.

9. Fred Swaniker
Founder
African Leadership Academy
African Leadership University
Mauritius
9
@FredSwaniker
@ALAcademy
@ALU_education

10. Patrick Awuah
Founder & President
Ashesi University
Ghana
10
@PatrickAwuahJr
@Ashesi

11. Lucia Lebasha
MasterCard Foundation Scholar
EARTH University
Founder, Save The Pastoralist
Initiative
Costa Rica
11
@LLebasha
@EARTH_Uni
@stpi_int

12. Poll#2
What is the biggest challenge for universities in developing future
transformative leaders? (beyond funding)
 Not an institutional priority 44%
 Inertia to change 25%
 Lack of curriculum models 20%
 Lack of awareness 9%
 Other/Don't know/Can't say 3%
Responses are based on the live audience poll conducted during the webinar.
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13. What are the key challenges
in developing future
transformative leaders?
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14. What are the most promising
practices of fostering
transformative leadership?
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15. What innovative partnerships
have been successful in
developing transformative
leaders?
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16. What are some of the
examples of curricula and
structured experiences?
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17. How do we measure and
assess the impact on
individuals, universities and
societies?
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18. What is the one piece of
advice you would give to a
university planning to infuse
transformative leadership in
its curriculum?
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19. Poll#3
What is the biggest opportunity for universities in developing future
transformative leaders?
 Reforming curriculum 42%
 Building innovative partnerships 35%
 Developing best practices 14%
 Sharing success stories 7%
 Other/Don't know/Can't say 2%
Responses are based on the live audience poll conducted during the webinar.
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20. Q&A:
#GlobalEd2
@UniWorldNews
@MasterCardFdn
@DrEducationBlog
Email: info@DrEducation.com

21. Additional questions from registrants
 Are their core features of transformative leadership or does it look very different in different cultural and political contexts?
 How can we move beyond the paradigm of the heroic, singular transformational leader to leadership as a collaborative practice?
 What metrics and tools are available to assess how an individual is transformed, and the broader impact they are having on society?
 Are there already curricula or structured experiences with transformative leadership programs?
 Are there international differences in the capacity for transformative leadership of HEIs, and what do you think are the reasons?
 Are university leaders still in control of setting their core mission?
 Campus experiences (co-curricular, extra-curricular) have been useful for developing our students' leadership skills. How can we make academic programs also
useful in that regard?
 Higher education is hierarchical and resistant to change. How can a leader implement change?
 Does the change start with the institution or with policy makers? Can change happen without policy changes?
 How can higher education accommodate students who come from an educational system that does not teach critical thinking, creativity, or risk-taking?
 How can we create a new breed of African Leaders from the Universities when leadership programs are not part of the African Universities curricula?
 How do you lead transformation when you have limited resources (financial and human resource)?
 In the era of 'post-truth' and 'alternative facts', what do universities need to do differently in order to have a stronger transformative influence beyond their own
immediate community?
 What is the best way to integrate the current gender dynamics, in Africa, to higher education discourses on transformative leadership?
 Do university administrators and academics have to model the change we would like to see in our students and societies?
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