LDP-HEIs in SEA participants and organizing team from SEARCA and THF during the face-to-face session co-hosted by Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2024.
Faculty and administrators of higher education institutions (HEIs) completed the 2024 Leadership Development Program for HEIs in Southeast Asia (LDP-HEIs in SEA), organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and The HEAD Foundation (THF) from 14 March to 31 July 2024.
Now on its sixth run, the 2024 cohort is composed of 33 participants from 23 HEIs in six countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. They are university presidents, faculty deans, department heads, and other HEI leaders with administrative positions.
At the closing session on 31 July 2024, the participants presented highlights and updates on their Re-Entry Action Plans (REAP), a customized and contextualized plan tailored to their respective HEIs from their insights from the program.
The REAP development was guided by the LDP faculty composed of seasoned experts: Dr. N. Varaprasad, Founder and Partner at Singapore Education Consulting Group, and the program's Technical Coordinator; Dr. Calvin Chan, Assistant Provost (curricular and student matters), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS); and Dr. Rebekah Lim, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center of SUSS.
Since March, SEARCA and THF have delivered the five-month program in a hybrid format with five online sessions featuring keynote addresses from renowned HEI leaders and a face-to-face session in Bangkok, Thailand, on 2–6 May 2024. Each HEI also had the opportunity to engage with the LDP faculty in June for a series of online coaching to refine their REAPs.
"I commend the participants for completing their REAPS designed to uplift the current performance of their units or institution to meet future challenges driven by external environments, such as new work patterns, new technologies, and changing demographics," Dr. Varaprasad said in his overall program synthesis.
Participants presented their refined REAPs during the online closing program of the LDP- HEIs in SEA on 31 July 2024.
At the awarding ceremony, the success of the program was further highlighted as three HEIs were recognized as having the Top 3 REAPs: Bohol Island State University, Philippines; Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia; and Cebu Normal University, Philippines.
"Our study programs have difficulties collaborating between the national institution and the industry," said Dr. Daud Samsudewa from Universitas Diponegoro in Indonesia. "I'm very happy to have joined this program as I learned how to improve the initiation of industry collaboration to support our academic programs through the REAP," he added.
In his closing message, SEARCA's Deputy Director for Administration, Mr. Joselito Florendo, emphasized how the program has become a melting pot of ideas, experiences, and innovative solutions. "We have delved into the intricate and challenging roles of HEIs and their interdependency with key stakeholders at the national, cross-national, and regional levels. Thank you very much for your insights," Mr. Florendo told the participants.
Meanwhile, Mr. Vignesh Louis Naidu, Operations Director of THF, expressed his gratitude to the participants for their enthusiasm and commitment as HEI leaders. "We hope that LDP inspired you to think about the changes and adaptations that you have to make in your institutions so that your graduates are ready for the world of work that they are going to embrace and that they're ready for the changes that societies will bring," he said.
SEARCA, through its Training for Development Unit, and THF have been running the LDP-HEIs since 2019. Alumni of the program have reported success stories of their REAP implementation and how the program has been a crucial professional development journey to advance in their careers.