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The ECHE–LEAD Academic Network Digital Academic Leadership (DAL) Webinar Series will continue on 29 May 2026 with a new session entitled “The Responsible Digital Academic Leader.” The webinar will be delivered by Marieta du Plessis from Stellenbosch University. Scheduled from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (CET), the webinar forms part of the ongoing DAL Webinar Series jointly organised by the LEAD Academic Network and the EU-China Higher Education Research Center at Vrije Universiteit B

On 26 April 2026, the LEAD Academic Network continued its engagement in the second day of the International Academic Symposium on student leadership in the digital intelligence era, held at Wuhan University of Engineering Science. The programme further advanced discussions on academic leadership, digital transformation, and higher education innovation. The day opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Chu Zuwang, President of Wuhan University of Engineering Science, who highligh

On 25 April 2026, the International Academic Symposium on “The Challenges and Reshaping of College Students’ Leadership in the Digital Intelligence Era”, together with the LEAD Academic Network Conference, was held at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). The LEAD Academic Network played a central role in shaping the academic dialogue and international collaboration throughout the event. The symposium brought together nearly 100 participants, including senior scholars, ear

The ECHE–LEAD Academic Network Digital Academic Leadership (DAL) Webinar Series will continue on 24 April 2026 with a webinar entitled “Digital Academic Leadership Transformation.” The session will be delivered by Yasar Kondakci from Middle East Technical University. Scheduled from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (CET), the webinar will be jointly organised by the LEAD Academic Network, the EU-China Higher Education Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and the World Education Rese

You are warmly invited to join the upcoming session of the Digital Academic Leadership (DAL) Webinar Series , titled “Digital Academic Leadership: Vision and Strategies” , to be held online on Friday, 27 March 2026 (13:00–14:00 CET) . This webinar is organized by the LEAD Academic Network, EU–China Higher Education Research Center (ECHE) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in collaboration with the the World Education Research Association (WERA) . We are pleased to welcom

The organising partners are pleased to announce the International Symposium on Higher Education Leadership, Innovation and Capacity Development , which will take place in the Republic of Mauritius from 27 to 29 July 2026 . Organisers & Supporting Partner This symposium is jointly initiated by the EU–China Higher Education Research Center (ECHE) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the LEAD Academic Network, UNESCO Research Center at Zhejiang University, the UNESCO Chair in E

The third webinar of the Digital Academic Leadership Webinar Series addressed the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education in the age of artificial intelligence and digital innovation. The session welcomed Prof. Dr. Raheel Nawaz , an internationally recognized scholar in applied artificial intelligence and digital education. In his lecture titled “Future of Higher Education and Digital Academic Leadership,” Prof. Nawaz explored how rapid technological advances—particu

Following the successful launch of the Digital Academic Leadership (DAL) Webinar Series, the upcoming session will further explore how higher education institutions are navigating rapid digital transformation and shaping the future of academic leadership in an AI-driven era. The webinar will take place on Friday, 27 February 2026, from 13:00 to 14:00 (CET) and will be delivered online. 📌 Webinar Details Title: Future of Higher Education and Digital Academic Leadership Spea

The second webinar in the Digital Academic Leadership Webinar Series , organized by the LEAD Academic Network，the EU–China Higher Education Research Center (ECHE) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) within the framework of the World Education Research Association (WERA) International Research Network on Digital Academic Leadership, focused on the critical role of awareness and mindset in enabling effective digital leadership in higher education. The session featured Prof. Dr.

Following the successful launch of the Digital Academic Leadership (DAL) Webinar Series , the second webinar of the series will further explore how universities and academic professionals are responding to digital transformation through evolving leadership awareness, mindsets, and institutional readiness. As part of the Digital Academic Leadership (DAL) Training Programme , this session will take place on Friday, 30 January 2026, from 13:00 to 14:00 (CET) and will be deliver

The Digital Academic Leadership Webinar Series is an international initiative organized by the LEAD Academic Network，EU–China Higher Education Research Center (ECHE) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) within the framework of the World Education Research Association (WERA) International Research Network on Digital Academic Leadership. The series brings together global scholars, academic leaders, and practitioners to explore and reflect on the challenges and opportunities of d

Challenges and Reshaping of College Students’ Leadership in the Digital Intelligence Era The LEAD Academic Network, in collaboration with China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan University of Engineering Science and the EU–China Higher Education Research Center (ECHE) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, , is pleased to announce the International Symposium on “Challenges and Reshaping of College Students’ Leadership in the Digital Intelligence Era,” to be held from 24 to 26

On 3 December 2025, the LEAD Academic Network held a network meeting at Stellenbosch University, bringing together scholars and researchers from eight universities across Europe, Africa and China. Prof. Dr M.L. Botha and Prof. Peter Rule opened the session with an introduction to the history of Stellenbosch University, followed by a brief overview of the Faculty of Education and the Centre for Higher and Adult Education. Afterwards, Prof. Chang Zhu presented the work of the L

On 1 December 2025, the LEAD Academic Network held its Annual Meeting and International Symposium 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

On 27 November 2025, the LEAD Academic Network welcomed Prof. Xu Xiaozhou , UNESCO Chairholder in Entrepreneurship Education and Distinguished Yangtze River Scholar Professor of Zhejiang University, for a guest lecture titled “Towards Global Entrepreneurship Education: Experience and Perspectives from China.” The lecture provided a comprehensive overview of key theoretical discussions and global developments in entrepreneurship education. Prof. Xu presented five major domain

As part of the Digital Academic Leadership (DAL) Training Programme, the DAL Webinar Series will officially begin on 28 November 2025 with its first session titled: “Digital Academic Leadership in Higher Education:Understanding DAL Through a Systematic Review” 📌 Speaker: Dr. Cheng Zhao , Vrije Universiteit Brussel 🕐 Time: 13:00 – 14:00 (CET) 📍 Online Webinar 📎 Registration: Poster available below This session will provide an in-depth overview of how digital transform

The EU-China Guangzhou Forum on International Cooperation in Higher Education 2025, hosted by Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University (GPNU) and supported by the LEAD Academic Network, was successfully held on October 20–21, 2025 at the GPNU’s Baiyun Campus. A delegation from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), led by Vice-Rector Prof. Karin Vanderkerken, attended the forum, highlighting the partnership between VUB, GPNU, and the LEAD Academic Network. The delegation includ

📍 University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town, South Africa 1–2 December 2025 The LEAD Academic Network , in collaboration with...

Facilitated by the LEAD Academic Network, visiting scholars from China’s National Academy of Education Administration (NAEA) at the...

The LEAD Academic Network held a one-day symposium on “AI-Empowered Higher Education and Scientific Research Collaboration” at the...