Strategic leadership in universities stimulates visionary thinking and effective execution, ensuring their excellence in the fast-evolving educational landscape. A two day strategic leadership workshop was conducted in for the members of the senior management team of the University of Peradeniya (UoP) on July 18th and 19th, 2024 in Peradeniya with the following overall aims.

 i.) Prepare the senior leadership team to drive organizational change, performance, and growth.

ii) Align and build organizational programmes, systems, and teams to develop a sustainable strategic advantage in the higher education sector. 

iii) Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver superior outcomes and optimize opportunities to create value by significantly contributing to the citizenship development and professionalism.

iv) Inspire and empower employees and expand the leadership impact to gain a competitive advantage managing the digital disruption and emerging challenges in the world of work.

There were over forty participants that included the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Deans of Faculties, Directors of Postgraduate Institutes, and the Directors of University Centres and Units of UoP etc. The programme of the workshop had a duration of twenty hours approximately, and consisted of six plenary sessions sharing practical insights by eminent resource persons   including former Vice Chancellors of Peradeniya, Colombo, and Ruhuna Univerties and other renowned experts and Industry Leaders. In addition, the programme consisted of an inaugural session that set the agenda for the extensive deliberations during the workshop, and three interactive sessions. Deliberation of participants focused on the futuristic growth and development of the University of Peradeniya. 

The enthusiastic involvement of the participants throughout the programme was an indication of the usefulness and interest of them on the leadership programme. Participants were quite satisfied of the outcome of the programme. Many have commented on the importance of the topics selected, the topicality of the contents shared by the renowned and expert resource persons throughout the programme, and the usefulness of the interactions and deliberations.  The programme was designed and organized by Chandana Jayawardena PhD, the Director of the HRDU.