Enhancing Strategic Leadership and Management of Higher Institutions of Learning in Post Covid-19 Era

About the training:

Higher education in the world as well as in Kenya faces unprecedented challenges, especially during this period of Covid-19. African universities currently function in very difficult circumstances since there are various problems facing the continent. These problems are: global pandemic (the novel coronavirus), social, economic, political and globalization in nature. In the recent past, governments (national governments) enjoyed monopoly of higher education in their countries with some head of governments being the Chancellor of Universities. For example, in Kenya before the year 2003, the head of the state was the chancellor of all public universities. Currently, most of the universities and other higher learning institutions are autonomous with little or no direct control by the national government. As a result, universities and higher learning institutions have developed robust leadership structures leading to creation of new positions such as Vice Chancellors, Deputy Vice Chancellors, Deans and Chair of Departments. These positions have new responsibilities. Each position has its own challenges. For example, chair of departments are often appointed from departmental faculty without considering whether they possess leadership skills, financial management skills, IT skills among other necessary skills required to efficiently and effectively manage and lead a department. In addition, the institutions or Kenyan government offer no training for such skills. On the flip side, appropriate leadership and management methods expected from chair of departments in institutions of higher learning have further been complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic.  The usual face-to-face or physical management of the faculty, students and resources is nearly rendered obsolete since classes as well as meetings are being conducted virtually. Thus all university leaders and especially Chair of Departments need fresh training on the skills of managing and leading their dockets in the era of this pandemic and post Covid-19 era.  This training is designed to address some of these challenges as faced by Chair of Departments in Kenyan Institutions of Higher Learning.

Expected learning outcomes:

By the end of the training course the participants are expected to be able to:

• Apply appropriate strategic management and leadership style during and after a pandemic.
• Determine programme contents that require delocalization and localization and review them accordingly.
• Apply leadership methods that enhance sustainability of the academic units.
• Improve on the internationalization of the students’ train process and motivate faculty to have strong research culture.
• Develop Project Action Plans (PAPs) and implement their projects according to their PAPs.

Target group:

• Chair of Departments in Higher Institutions of Learning.

Training dates:

1. Workshop I; 15th March – 17th March 2022 
   

2. Virtual Workshop: 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th July 2022

3. Workshop II: 15th November – 17th November 2022

Training committee

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