For universities to compete in the global marketplace, excellence in research and teaching are standard principles. Increasingly, operational efficiency is added to that list. Along with the global trend toward convergence around these standards, it is now commonplace to expect faculty members who lead a campus, department or program, additionally to be excellent in leadership, strategy and management. The skills of research and teaching do not necessarily align well with those needed for leadership and management. The need is pressing for hybrid individuals with both academic and administrative expertise.
Challenges in academic management are pervasive in tertiary education worldwide. Particularly in Asia, often historic management practices – university-wide and at all levels of operations – are likely to differ in organisational culture from management principles adopted through university reform. Differences between governance and management, and the role of faculty (both as individuals and as a body) place new demands on the organisation. Is there a gap between policy and implementation? In the rapid shift to new governance and academic management models, to what extent has the historic foundation of university administration remained in place while only adopting the nomenclature and surface appearance of reform? How can we evaluate the translation of reform policy on the macro and micro levels of government policy, institutional reform, departmental practices, and student learning outcomes? In the Asian context, are there country differences in approach to training and support for academic management? This expert panel of practitioners will engage in a lively discussion around these timely questions.
