Innovation in Higher Education: Building Capacity for Inclusive Leadership
2023
Today, systemic injustices of all kinds compel us to individually and collectively consider how we might contribute to transforming our global society into a more equitable one.
How can educational institutions leverage the liberal arts and multidisciplinary approaches to promote values and practices of inclusion? What strategies can we employ to spur and sustain critical discourse across the disciplines and perspectives? How do we translate capacities attained through higher education into creative problem-solving to address some of the most pressing and divisive global problems of our time?
To discuss these questions and share emergent models for inclusive leadership, Vassar will convene a forum with leaders in education from institutions in Rwanda, India, and Scotland:
- University of Global Health Equity, Butaro, Rwanda
- IIT Bombay Center for Liberal Arts, Mumbai, India
- University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
Panels and Lectures
Videos in this playlist:
- Leadership in Higher Education: the Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts discusses efforts to develop inclusive leadership through the liberal arts with our global partners.
- Fireside Chat with Tony James: Tony James, former Vice Chairman of Blackstone, spoke with Vassar’s President Bradley about the value of liberal arts education for success in all sectors.
- Faculty and Student Reflections on the Liberal Arts: faculty and students from collaborative institutions discuss models for inclusive leadership.
Special Guest: Hamilton “Tony” E. James
Tony James is the Chairman of Jefferson River Capital. In 2018, he became Blackstone’s Executive Vice Chairman and, in 2002, he became the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer. During his tenure at Blackstone, he was a member of the Board of Directors, a member of the Management Committee, and sat on the firm’s investment committees.
Prior to his time at Blackstone, James was Chairman of Global Investment Banking and Private Equity at Credit Suisse First Boston and a member of the Executive Board. Before the acquisition of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette by Credit Suisse First Boston in 2000, James was the Chairman of DLJ’s Banking Group, responsible for all the firm’s investment banking and merchant-banking activities.
James is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Costco Wholesale Corporation and has served on a number of other corporate and nonprofit boards and committees.
In 2018, he co-authored the second edition of Rescuing Retirement, a book proposing a solution to America’s looming retirement crisis. He has also published articles in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, the Harvard Business Review, and other major publications.
James graduated magna cum laude with a BA from Harvard College in 1973 and was a John Harvard Scholar. He earned an MBA with high distinction from the Harvard Business School and graduated as a Baker Scholar in 1975.
Presenters
Dr. Abebe Bekele
Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE)
Dr. Elizabeth H. Bradley
President of Vassar College
Linda Kim (Han)
Student, Vassar Class of 2023
Dr. Peter Mathieson
Principal and Vice-Chancellor of University of Edinburgh
Dr. Anurag Mehra
Core Faculty Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Dr. Denis Regnier
Assistant Professor and Head of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Global Health Equity
Dr. Sabine Rolle
Personal Chair of Student Learning, University of Edinburgh
Parag Saxena
Private Equity Executive, representing IIT Bombay
Dr. Michele Tugade
Professor of Psychological Science, Vassar College
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