On 1 December 2025, ECHE held the International Symposium and the LEAD Academic Network Annual Meeting at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), gathering academic leaders and researchers from Africa, Europe and China to reflect on how artificial intelligence and digitalization are reshaping higher education leadership worldwide.
The symposium opened with a warm welcome from Prof. Marieta du Plessis, Acting Head of the Department of Industrial Psychology, who highlighted South Africa’s diversity and UWC’s longstanding commitment to inclusive higher education. Prof. Michelle Esau, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, underscored the strategic importance of international partnerships and digital transformation for universities in a post-COVID world.
Presenting the achievements of ECHE and the LEAD Academic Network in 2025, Prof. Chang Zhu highlighted several milestones: a special issue on “Higher Education Governance and Leadership in the Digital Era” in Education Sciences, the organization of academic training programs and conferences with partner universities, and the launch of a MOOC on Digital Academic Leadership accompanied by live global webinars. Together, these initiatives extend LEAD’s reach beyond any single region, offering academic leaders worldwide open access to cutting-edge research, professional development and peer learning on AI and digital governance, and strengthening its role as a global platform for mutual learning in multicultural settings.
The morning keynote session used concrete cases to unpack how AI is shaping academic leadership and university governance. Speakers examined how institutions can move from fragmented, ad-hoc AI experimentation towards more coherent and responsible strategies; how entrepreneurship education needs to evolve in response to AI-driven economies; and how student support and wellness services must adapt to digital realities. A key takeaway was that successful AI integration requires more than tools, it depends on clear institutional values, robust governance frameworks and sustained investment in staff capacity.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted towards learners and leadership development. Presentations introduced the idea of “digital resilience” for both students and staff, explored behavior-based approaches to selecting and supporting school and university leaders, and compared traditional, blended and micro-learning models for leadership training. Discussions stressed that effective digital academic leadership is not just technical, it is deeply human, grounded in empathy, accountability and a commitment to reducing inequalities in access, support and outcomes.
The day closed with a forward-looking panel on digitalization, AI and academic leadership. Participants reflected on the realities of “mobile-first” student cultures in Africa and beyond, uneven digital skills and the risks of over-reliance on AI tools. They also shared practical strategies that resonate strongly with LEAD’s mission: including building supportive institutional ecosystems, embedding ethical and critical AI literacy in curricula, and understanding digital inclusion as a question of meaningful participation rather than mere connectivity.
The concluding reflection drew on the Ubuntu-inspired phrase, “I am because we are”, which captured the spirit of the LEAD Academic Network community. It served as both a reminder and a commitment: to look backwards together, critically examining how universities have navigated digital change so far, and to move forward collectively, co-creating more human-centered, globally connected and socially responsible approaches to AI and academic leadership.
To learn more about activities in 2025, please watch our overview video here: https://youtu.be/W32H5R6blro
