Strategic Leadership Training Programme for Pro Vice Chancellors and Deans 2025

The Sindh Higher Education Commission (Sindh HEC) successfully concluded its two-day Strategic Leadership Training Programme for Pro Vice Chancellors and Deans of public and private sector universities across Sindh. The event, held on April 10–11, 2025 at Hotel Pearl Continental Karachi, in collaboration with International Centre of Excellence (ICE) Pakistan and Buckinghamshire New University, UK, was designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of senior academic administrators and address the emerging challenges in the higher education sector.

The training was conducted by Professor Sarah Williams, Pro Vice-Chancellor for External Collaborations at Buckinghamshire New University, along with Dr. Gulfam K.K. Baghoor, founder of Skillstrator and a well-known expert in innovation and skills development. Valuable support was also extended by Mr. Aijaz Choudhary, Group CEO of ICE Pakistan, and Mr. Usman Akram, CEO of ICE Pakistan.

The opening session on April 10 was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. S.M. Tariq Rafi (TI), Chairperson Sindh HEC, who highlighted the need for continuous learning for those in academic leadership positions. He stated that such training programmes are vital to develop strategic vision and ensure that university leaders are well-prepared to lead with innovation, adaptability, and accountability. “For leaders in higher education, learning must never stop. This training will help shape institutions where teaching and learning thrive under visionary guidance,” he said.

On the first day, the training focused on Comprehensive Leadership, covering areas such as strategic visioning, financial governance, institutional change management, organisational culture, and innovation in academic leadership. The second day, April 11, was devoted to Personal Leadership Development, with sessions on global megatrends in higher education, scenario planning, leadership style assessment, and practical action planning through the 30/60/90-day implementation model.

At the closing ceremony, Mr. Moinuddin Siddiqui, Secretary Sindh HEC, delivered the concluding remarks and expressed his gratitude to the key facilitators and partners. He sincerely thanked Professor Sarah Williams for sharing her invaluable insights and expertise, Mr. Aijaz Choudhary for his unwavering commitment to academic leadership development, Mr. Gulfam Baghoor for his engaging sessions on skills innovation, and Mr. Usman Akram for the continuous support from ICE Pakistan in organizing the programme.

Mr. Moinuddin also took the opportunity to highlight some of Sindh HEC’s flagship initiatives aimed at uplifting higher education in the province. He mentioned the Sindh Research Support Programme (SRSP), the International Conference and Seminars Programme, Scholarships for MPhil and PhD students, the Laboratory Strengthening Programme, and the Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programme as key pillars of Sindh HEC for the academic and research development in Sindh.

He further shared that the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for universities, developed after two years of rigorous work, have now been formally approved by the Chief Minister Sindh. He emphasized that the introduction of these KPIs will bring measurable improvements in the quality of governance and academic delivery across higher education institutions in the province. He especially acknowledged the dedicated efforts of Dr. Abdul Wahid Usmani and Dr. Hina Kazmi, who served as integral members of the KPIs formulation committee.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Moinuddin expressed hope that the knowledge, perspectives, and strategies shared by Professor Sarah Williams and Mr. Gulfam Baghoor during the training would be practically implemented by participants in their respective institutions, ultimately contributing to the betterment of higher education in Sindh.

The event ended with a certificate distribution ceremony, celebrating the active participation and engagement of the university leaders who attended this meaningful and future-oriented training initiative.