Between April 16th – 18th 2024, a delegation of the University of Bucharest attended the University Leadership Program sustained by the University of Harvard, event which was hosted at the “Babeş-Bolyai” University of Cluj-Napoca.
Organized by the Romanian-American Foundation (RAF), the training and professional development program aimed to assess the academic leadership style of attendants, to propose solutions to institutional problems specific to Romanian higher education and the analysis of several case studies of American universities.
University Leadership Program, now at its second edition, is an enterprise which, together with Babson College’s Success in entrepreneurship ecosystem development module organized in November 2023 by RAF, completes the preoccupations of the participants on behalf of the University of Bucharest for a constructive dialogue with colleagues from other universities in the country and from abroad, and from the United States of America, as an exchange of good practices, applications, exercises and educational contexts simulations.
Thus, within this program, 40 participants from several universities in Romania were involved, creating a professional network of university managers who can efficiently apply the appropriated aspects. The main subjects approached included: forms of university leadership and their characteristics, negotiations mechanism, management of change in higher education, academic decisions in the process of curricular reforms.
The delegation of the University of Bucharest included professor Magdalena Iordache-Platis, PhD, vice-rector for Quality Management, Social Resposnibility and Relationship with Social Partners, professor Răzvan Mihail Papuc, PhD, vice-rector for Infrastructure, Administration and Heritage, professor Lucian Ciolan, PhD, vice-rector for Development Programs, Lifelong Learning and Educational Infrastructure, associated professor Sorin Costreie, PhD, UB coordinator for the CIVIS Alliance and University Networks, as well as deans from four faculties: professor Oana Fotache Dubălaru, PhD, the Faculty of Letters, professor Otniel-Ioan Bunaciu, PhD, Faculty of Baptist Theology, professor Viorel Vizureanu, PhD, Faculty of Philosophy, and associate professor Romina Surugiu, PhD, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences. Thus, UB representatives had the chance to discuss, in a unifying manner and an attractive and efficient coordination established by the organizers, about the current problems and challenges of universities that are crossing the national frame, receiving international recognition.
Within the 3 days of the program, the UB delegation attended workshops on themes related to university leadership. Among the organized sessions we can mention: Effective Strategy Development, Negotiation Skills Crash Course or Leading Institutional Change and Renewal.
Following the experience acquired at Success in entrepreneurship ecosystem development and University Leadership Program, the participants will promote effective and efficient change management within the represented structures, teamwork and learning through useful case-studies for the academic community.