Under the auspices of the ECHE, senior representatives from China’s National Academy of Education Administration (NAEA) and the European University Association (EUA) met on 27 August at Vrije Universiteit Brussel for a focused dialogue on the future of university leadership development.
Following the opening remarks, delegates compared recent developments in leadership training across Europe and China and examined persistent challenges confronting higher education institutions. Both parties underscored the ongoing tension between safeguarding institutional autonomy and meeting expanding governance demands.
The two delegations concurred that high-quality data are essential for effective leadership development. EUA shared tactics for structured peer-learning environment that value institutional diversity, while NAEA explained how they build leaders’ capacities through a blended mix of online and in-person formats.
The dialogue closed with consensus on several fronts: programmes must respect cultural and institutional diversity; clear expectations should be set for what leadership programs can and cannot deliver; and peer-learning, not one-way transmission of research, should anchor future designs.
Prof. Chang Zhu hailed the session as a concrete step toward a more connected global community of university leaders. ECHE will continue to foster scholarly and professional exchanges on university governance and academic leadership.
