Prof Bruce Macfarlane, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Human Development and Co-Director of the Centre for Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies, has successfully secured a HK$6 million-plus (equivalent) UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research grant. The project, titled "Diversifying Leadership in Elite Universities: The Development of an Empirically Grounded Recruitment Framework for the Global Higher Education Sector," will explore the biographical life histories and career trajectories of leaders in elite universities worldwide, investigating the broader implications for diversifying leadership at this level.

The research will involve a team of four higher education experts from the UK, Australia, and Hong Kong, working together as Co-Principal Investigators. They aim to establish the criteria for selecting Vice-Chancellors (VCs)/Presidents and develop a recruitment framework to support the diversification of university leadership in elite institutions globally. The project will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research, to analyse a range of biographical data, candidate pack analysis for VC, President, or Rector posts, and interviews. This 30-month ESRC-funded project is set to commence in early 2025.

"Diverse leaders contribute a broad spectrum of perspectives and offer unique insights based on their experiences. In an ever-changing world, diverse leadership is important to assimilate transformations in technology, respond to global agendas of sustainability and equality, and maintain the confidence of society and governing body," Prof Macfarlane said. "I hope this research project will be an important step in exploring strategies in creating a diverse leadership team of talents with the same vision but different life experiences."

The ESRC is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. It is the UK's largest organisation funding research on economic and social issues, supporting independent, high quality research which influences business, the public sector and the charity and voluntary sector.