Leadership development for leaders in India’s higher education
The Centre for Leadership in Education and Academic Development (LEAD) provides structured, evidence-based, and experiential leadership development for leaders in India’s higher education institutions, complemented by research and policy engagement.
Established at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, LEAD extends its programmes and initiatives across all four BITS campuses - Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad, and Dubai.
1,600+
Higher-education teachers to
be trained every year
be trained every year
4
BITS campuses — Pilani, Goa,
Hyderabad & Dubai
Hyderabad & Dubai
40+
Short-term programmes
delivered each year
delivered each year
74
Senior academic leaders
across the first two cohorts
across the first two cohorts
The Need
The quality of an institution rests on the quality of its academic leadership
India’s higher-education system is among the largest in the world. Leading universities worldwide run dedicated leadership academies - comparable structured pathways remain scarce in Indian institutions. LEAD Centre exists to close this gap.
Leadership is learnable - but seldom taught
Heads of department, deans, directors and principals are typically chosen for academic distinction or seniority, yet are prepared for the distinct work of leading people, driving change and shaping institutional culture.
NEP 2020 raises the bar
The National Education Policy 2020 places institutional leadership, autonomy and continuous faculty development at the heart of reform - demanding capabilities that must be deliberately built.
The AI era sharpens the need
Academic leaders must guide a fundamental rethinking of teaching, curriculum and assessment while sustaining research quality and academic integrity in the AI era.
Proof of concept, delivered
Two semester-long LEAD cohorts — 31 and 43 senior academicians — have validated an experiential, case-based, peer-learning approach anchored in real institutional practice.
Three Pillars
A true Centre of Excellence, not a training unit alone
Three interconnected pillars phase in over time: leadership development anchors the launch, research is active from year one, and policy engagement builds as the Centre’s network matures.
01
Leadership Development
High-quality short-term and long-term leadership programmes for higher-education faculty — experiential, activity-based and case-driven, delivered in cohort-based peer-learning formats.
02
Research on Higher Education
National surveys, India-relevant case studies, an annual flagship report, policy papers and peer-reviewed publications — with a standing focus on AI-era pedagogy and teaching excellence.
03
Policy & Institutional Transformation
Advisory inputs, institutional-transformation support and convenings that translate research and practice into institutional and system-level change.
Programme Portfolio
Two formats, one standard of depth
Cohort-based, peer-learning formats of about 40 participants each — choose the depth appropriate to your role and stage of career.
Short-term
3-Day LEAD Programme
A focused 24-hour programme for working higher-education faculty — with a particular welcome for early-career teachers — delivered across the four BITS campuses.
- 16 sessions of 90 minutes on a connect–learn–do–reflect rhythm
- Experiential, activity-based and case-driven
- Dedicated focus on pedagogical innovation and AI in higher education
- Residential at Pilani; non-residential at Goa and Hyderabad
₹ 15,000
per participant · direct application or institutional sponsorship
Long-term
Semester LEAD Programme
Six months of deep, mentored leadership development for senior faculty (typically 15+ years of experience) moving into or holding institutional leadership roles.
- Largely online, with two on-campus spells totalling about five days
- Mentored action-learning project applied in your own institution
- Modules on leading self, people & teams, change, and institutional development
- Nominated and sponsored by your institution
₹ 1,00,000
per participant · two cohorts each year
Federated Delivery
Designed once, delivered nationwide
The LEAD Centre at BITS Hyderabad is the programme’s design authority and research engine. The four BITS campuses deliver it at scale to their regional higher-education communities.
Pilani
Residential
Programmes
10 / yr
Participants
~400
Goa
Non-residential
Programmes
10 / yr
Participants
~400
Hyderabad
Non-residential
Programmes
15 / yr
Participants
~600
Dubai
As scheduled
Programmes
5 / yr
Participants
~200
Session faculty at every campus are trained by the LEAD Centre and teach from a detailed, session-by-session facilitator’s manual — safeguarding academic quality while refreshing content through continuing research.
The Journey
From proof of concept to national scale
Two successful cohorts established the model. The Senate-approved Centre now takes it nationwide.
Aug 2025 – Feb 2026
First LEAD cohort
31 senior academicians — professors and deans from universities across India — complete the six-month programme.
Mar 2026
Second cohort begins
43 participants join the second semester-long programme, currently ongoing.
8 Jul 2026
Centre approved by the BITS Senate
The LEAD Centre is approved as a self-sustaining Centre of Excellence at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus.
23 Aug 2026
Announcement of the Centre
Public announcement, followed by curriculum design and constitution of the Advisory Board.
25 Sep 2026
Long-term semester programme commences
The next semester-long cohort begins, run directly by the Centre.
11 Oct 2026
Short-term programmes commence
Three-day programmes roll out across the four BITS campuses — training about 1,600 teachers a year.
Applications
Apply to a LEAD programme
Tell us a little about yourself and the programme you have in mind. The Centre reviews every application and will write to you with dates, sponsorship guidance and next steps.
- Cohorts are capped at about 40 participants
- Institutional sponsorship is welcome but not required for short-term programmes
- Your details are used only to process this application
Preview copy — the form validates but does not send anything.
Applications
Lead the change in your institution
Join a cross-institutional community of practice among higher-education leaders. Applications open with the announcement of the Centre.
Write to the Centre LEAD Centre
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad
Programmes
Short-term from 11 October 2026 · Semester programme from 25 September 2026
Guided by
A seven-member Advisory Board chaired by the Vice-Chancellor
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