The Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), together with Universiti Malaya (UM), launched SheLeads, a national leadership development program aimed at creating a sustainable talent pool of women leaders among academics and administrators to strengthen an inclusive leadership succession plan in Malaysian higher education institutions.
The launching ceremony of SheLeads was officiated by the YBhg. Datuk Professor Dr. Azlinda Azman, Director-General of Higher Education, who stated that SheLeads is specifically designed to support university leadership planning.
“Leadership development cannot happen by chance. It must be carefully planned. Universities cannot wait until a vacancy arises before looking for a replacement. The leadership pipeline needs to be developed systematically and continuously,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya, Dato’ Seri Profesor Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Abu Osman, said SheLeads 2026 reflects UM’s commitment as a strategic partner in strengthening the country's leadership ecosystem through systematic and focused talent development.
“UM fully supports strategic initiatives like SheLeads in strengthening the pipeline of women leaders in HEIs, as well as ensuring that high-potential talents are continuously developed to contribute towards more sustainable and high-impact institutional leadership,” he said.
Through a comprehensive leadership development approach encompassing leadership training, mentoring, knowledge sharing, and the provision of spaces to build professional networks and mutually supportive communities, SheLeads is envisioned to be a catalyst platform for a new generation of visionary, courageous, and transformative women leaders.
According to AKEPT Director, Prof. Dr. Harshita Aini Haroon, SheLeads 2026 is expected to strengthen the pipeline of women leaders in higher education institutions and contribute to the development of institutions that are more inclusive, resilient, and future-oriented. This initiative is not merely a training program; rather, it is a strategic platform for women's leadership talent development that supports a progressive, innovative, and excellent higher education ecosystem.
SheLeads is also in line with the nation’s development agenda to empower women, which is also seen as an agenda of governance, institutional excellence, and overall national progress.
Although women have made significant progress in the higher education sector globally, gender imbalance still persists in top leadership positions. In the context of higher education, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 analysis shows that only 55 out of the world's top 200 universities are led by women. In Malaysia, only two public universities are led by female Vice-Chancellors, while in the polytechnic and community college sector, women hold only 22 out of 96 director positions nationwide. SheLeads aims address this challenge.
The SheLeads 2026 cohort gathers a total of 44 participants consisting of the academic and non-academic management and professional groups from 20 public universities. With support from the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM) and the Asian Women’s Leadership University College (AWLUC).
The program is implemented over 9 months across three main phases. A series of 4 leadership webinars featuring prominent female figures from academia, industry, and the public sector from March to May 2026, followed by an intensive physical leadership development program at AKEPT from 22 to 25 June 2026, as well as mentoring sessions from August to October 2026, which are also supported through engagement sessions with senior executive-level leaders from the industry sector. This first cohort is expected to graduate in November 2026.