Quarterly Presidential Update – February 2025
Dear Esteemed IAUP Members,
I want to begin this quarterly newsletter thanking each of you for your commitment to IAUP and for being active participants in this d
istinguished and transformative global network of university leaders (presidents, rectors, chancellors). Above all, your continued engagement is what makes IAUP a vibrant and impactful organization. I am profoundly honored to serve as your IAUP president for the next three years. I would like to take this time to recognize Dr. Fernando Leon Garcia for his visionary leadership of IAUP during the last 3 years and to thank him for assuming the Chair of the IAUP board for the remainder of my term. I would also like to thank Kakha Sengali for his stellar term as IAUP president followed by serving as Chair of the Board.
As part of our efforts to strengthen communication and collaboration, I am pleased to introduce this first quarterly presidential update, ensuring that you stay informed about IAUP’s key initiatives, upcoming events, and opportunities for engagement. This is the first of many updates, and I look forward to sharing our progress with you throughout my IAUP presidential tenure.
Exciting Developments in the Months Ahead
As we embark on this IAUP term together, here are some key initiatives and events to look forward to:
A Refreshed IAUP Website – We are in the process of updating our website to enhance navigability, provide easier access to resources, and better serve our members. Your feedback is welcome as we finalize these improvements! Feel free to review the current website and let us know what you would recommend. We will then share your feedback with our team and the consultant who is refreshing the website.
Volume Two of the IAUP Presidential Leadership Book-Spotlight Presidential Leadership– Building on the success of last year’s book highlighting female university presidents (https://www.iaup.org/spotlighting-female-leadership-strategies-stories-perspectives/), we are proud to announce the upcoming second volume. This edition will feature insights from 15 university presidents within IAUP, offering diverse perspectives on effective leadership in higher education. The themes from last year’s volume will be compared to the themes that emerge from this year’s chapters.
American Council on Education Podcasts– Last summer the American Council on Education featured three of the female presidents featured in last year’s volume. Each podcast was accessed by hundreds of listeners which increased IAUP’s visibility and scope of influence. We look forward to the possibility of having ACE feature 3 of this year’s featured presidents in Volume II. Stay tuned!
Webinars on PresidentialLeadership & C-Suite Development – Stay tuned for a series of engaging webinars focused on presidential leadership and how we can support future leaders in their journey to executive roles in higher education. More details will be shared soon! If you want to be a part of these webinars, please contact Devorah Lieberman at Devorah.Lieberman@gmail.com.
Host an IAUP Event– IAUP offers a unique platform for institutions around the world to host various programs and events that advance higher education globally. By hosting an IAUP event, your institution gains prestigious recognition and exposure within the international academic community. This is an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your campus, highlight your academic programs, share cultural experiences, and foster international collaboration. If you are interested in hosting IAUP regional conferences, student activities, academic seminars etc. Please feel free to contact at office@iaup.org.
IAUP Regional Meetings & Leadership Programs
- 📍 June 11-13, 2025: IAUP Semi-Annual Meeting at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa – This in-person gathering will provide a platform for collaboration, MOU exchanges, knowledge sharing, and networking. Registration will be available soon on our IAUP website.
- 📍 October 13-15 2025: IAUP 60th Anniversary & Semi-Annual Meeting at Cyber Seoul University, South Korea – A special event as we celebrate IAUP’s 60th anniversary with our colleagues in South Korea. More details to come.
- 📍 November 2025: The Leadership Institute, hosted by NIMS University, India – A leadership development initiative aimed at fostering the next generation of university leaders. More details to come!
Your Input Matters
IAUP is a collective effort, and we want to ensure that it remains a valuable resource for all current and future members. I invite you to share your thoughts on how we can continue to enhance our website, introduce new initiatives, and add value to our members. Please feel free to email me with your ideas and suggestions], and kindly CC Devorah Lieberman (Devorah.Lieberman@gmail.com) so we can collaboratively address your insights.
We are excited to move this prestigious organization forward and look to each of you to help us achieve even greater impact and success. Thank you for your dedication to IAUP—I look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead!
Best regards,
Dr. Shawn Chen
President, IAUP
Chairman, Sias University
