Co-created global leadership programme aims to transform society
The newly launched global training programme, Leadership for Transformative Change, gathers 22 leaders from all over the world who are working to contribute to transformative social development in their countries. The programme is offered by Uppsala University in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The ongoing cohort, which started in September 2023, features top management leaders from for example India, Egypt, Tanzania, Sweden and Ukraine. They represent organizations from a variety of sectors. Participants join the programme as pairs, and all have specific “change projects” they work on. The change projects aim to transform some aspect of their organization or local community, which in turn is expected to have societal impact.
Increased awareness of leadership qualities and shortcomings
Training takes place mainly online, but participants also have in-person meetings, one of which was recently held in Sweden. Dr Amal Ali, a public health specialist from Somaliland is a participant of the first cohort of the programme and shares her reflections from the meeting in Sweden:
"We have had interesting and thought-provoking discussions about leadership and how to foster change in systems and society as a whole”, says Dr Ali. She is convinced that she will be provided with tools and skills to use throughout her career as a health professional in her local context.
“It will increase my awareness of my own leadership qualities and shortcomings. In order to hone my leadership style, I will also delve deeply into novel ideas like gender transformative leadership and design thinking”, she says.
Content designed in collaboration with the participants
A unique aspect of the training is that the content is designed in collaboration with the participants. “We have designed an educational framework that encourages collaboration and fosters teamwork among individuals dedicated to driving change” says Natalie Jellinek, Educational developer at Karolinska Institutet.
An example is the use of mentors and “change facilitators”. Each participant, individually and in pairs, receive guidance from scholars and high-level tutors to support personal development and increase leadership skills. They also receive support in the chosen change project.
The selection process is now ongoing for the second round of three. 20 leaders from around the world will be offered a spot in the programme which will start in April 2024 and run part-time for 12 months.
More about Leadership for Transformative Change
Leadership for Transformative Change aims to provide leaders motivated for systems innovation and transformative change with knowledge, tools and a network for a sustainable future. The programme is offered part-time (20%) in English over a period of 12 months. Many of the programme modules are delivered online, but all participants also come together for two real-life meetings, one of them in Sweden.
The programme is offered by Uppsala University in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The programme is initiated and funded by the Swedish Institute, Vinnova and Sida.
Read more about the training programme on Uppsala University's website.