Aspiring Vice Chancellor Development Programme for Black & Asian Heritage Senior Professionals

Overview

Background

Across the UK, there is a significantly high number of ethnically diverse students studying within higher education establishments. In 2021, 27% of the university population were from an ethnic minority background with an overall population total of 54.9 % of Asian people, 48.6% Black, 72.1% Chinese and 40.8% Mixed Race compared to 33.3.

Despite the representation of ethnic minority students within the university settings (and many who hold the highest level of qualifications), less than 1% of the university graduates enter academia and hold senior positions at professorial, deanery, executive or Vice Chancellor levels.

About the Vice Chancellor Programme

This programme will produce our first cohort of Black and Asian trained leaders ready for Vice Chancellor roles across our UK Universities. The Programme is designed to address the lack of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff at the highest decision-making positions in UK higher education. The goal is to provide the foundational skills to lead using mentorship and coaching which will prepare participants for VC roles.

The programme will engage participants by empowering them with the tools they need to become senior leaders of the future. The interactive teaching and learning will provide opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers. They will have opportunities not only to observe practice at the executive level, but they will learn by doing. The insights, skills, and competencies will be developed over time so that participants are given the space required to navigate the academic and business world effectively.

Who the course is aimed at:

If you are an experienced employee within a Higher Education Institution working at Senior Executive level and want to position yourself as the highest-level decision maker in academic and administration matters in a higher education institution, then this programme is for you.

This programme is for experienced Senior Executives such as Finance Directors, Deans, Pro-Vice Chancellors or Professors who are keen to take the next step.

Programme Outline

• Entrepreneurial and strategic leadership principles
• Negotiating and navigating the academic and business landscape
• Inclusive workplace culture.
• The current EDI challenges from academic and professional lenses
• Strategies and policies in HE institutions
• HEI in the current climate commercial, quality, academic portfolio
• Financial management and regulatory compliance including different income streams and managing a diverse portfolio.
• The Big People Questions - academic and professional support service structures
• Governance arrangements within HEIs
• Networking and Influencing (political, supportive)
• Communicating for influence
• Supporting and Scaling Engagement
• Change Management within HEIs
• A live brief / senior leadership project to be delivered at own institution on any of the programme content.

There will be a central theme and focus of self, identity, preservation, and resilience throughout the programme.

Programme Costs

The cost of the programme is £3,100. The participants will also be expected to cover their own transport and hotel costs.

Programme Team profiles

Sharon Germaine-Cox

Programme Partner

University of Greater Manchester

Fozia Uddin

Programme Partner

University of Greater Manchester

Charles Kwaku-Odoi DL

Programme Partner

CAHN

Professor Faye Ruddock DL

Programme Partner

CAHN

Professor Christian Harrison

Programme Partner

University of Greater Manchester

Stephen Nyjama

Partnerships Officer

CAHN

Inaugural Cohort

Celebrating the Successful Completion of the Inaugural Aspiring Vice Chancellors Development Programme for Black and Asian Heritage Professionals

We are proud to announce the successful completion of the inaugural Aspiring Vice Chancellors Development Programme for Black and Asian Heritage Senior Professionals, which concluded on 27 June 2025. This transformative nine-month initiative, led by the University of Greater Manchester in partnership with the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), was designed to empower and advance senior leaders from Black and Asian backgrounds—groups historically underrepresented at the highest levels of UK Higher Education.

The programme provided intensive coaching, mentoring, and strategic development to equip participants for the rigours and responsibilities of vice chancellorship. Already, the impact is evident: one participant has been appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, signalling the programme’s potential to catalyse real change.

We recognise and celebrate the exceptional inaugural cohort: Professor Lisa-Dionne Morris, Dr Aylwin Yafele, Professor Nigel Williams, Dr Mukul Madahar, Professor Emmanuel Adukwu, and Professor Gershan Davis. Their courage, leadership, and commitment have set the benchmark for future cohorts and marked a historic moment in the sector.

Our sincere gratitude goes to the programme’s facilitators—Professor Christian Harrison, Sharon Germaine-Cox, Professor Faye Ruddock, Fozia Uddin, and Charles Kwaku-Odoi—whose leadership and dedication were instrumental in its success.

We also extend heartfelt thanks to the vice chancellors, mentors, coaches, guest speakers, and resource contributors who generously shared their time, expertise, and inspiration throughout the programme. Their names are listed below

Vice Chancellors: Professor Charles Egbu, Professor Shân Wareing, Dr Ben Calvert, Professor Sasha Roseneil

Contact us

For any queries or to make an application to this programme please contact us on applyVCDP@bolton.ac.uk