Good leadership can make the difference between merely surviving and fully thriving in any setting. Educators in Japan and around the world have been facing numerous changes over the past two decades, but for many this is the time to crumple or break out. Long running trends are leading to both crises and opportunities; innovative leadership will separate the educational institutions and programs that thrive from those that eke out survival or, perhaps, even fall.
This panel brings together leaders in creating new, innovative programs in higher education; who either find creative ways to work within constraints or who move beyond those constraints to create something new. Peter McCagg and Kay Irie are leaders in two Japanese universities, Akita International and Gakushuin, Kristin Palmer is leading new developments for the University of Virginia in the United States, and Ljiljana Markovic is Dean of the Faculty of Philology and has helped forge many international partnerships with various universities.
It may be argued that education can be too cautious and slow to change, thus leaving it vulnerable to economic and demographic changes. Sometimes a lack of resources, fiscal and social capital, means that even a will to change cannot be put into action. This means that we need to look to educators who are currently facing challenges that we are all likely to face as the demographic pyramid, advances in ICT, and political trends common in the host country for this conference become common throughout developed economies. Likewise, in Japan we should learn from efforts in and across developing countries in making good use of ICT as another way forward.
No matter the challenge or opportunity, institutions must nurture developing leaders within and be open to them from without. How exactly can we do this?
The panel audience will be invited to ask questions and pose challenges that are relevant internationally.
