Dr Tariq Umar, from the School of Architecture and Environment at UWE Bristol, received the prestigious Southeast Asia-UK Gender Challenge Grant for strengthening leadership with gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity in higher education institutions in Southeast Asia project. The funding is part of the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme jointly introduced by Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Institute for Higher Education Development (RIHED) and the British Council.
Dr Umar’s project aims to develop Psychological Resilience in Women Leaders and to strengthen the support systems in Malaysian and Indonesian Universities. He is leading the project working collaboratively with colleagues from Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia; Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia and Women Leadership Foundation in Malaysia.
Early in October 2024, Dr Umar was invited to by the SEAMEO RIHED and the British Council to share his experience and work on Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (GEDI) with 40 government and HEI (Higher Education Institution) leaders from 11 South East Asian countries. The event was held on 24 and 25 October 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Dr Umar stated that “despite their growing presence in academia, women in HEIs often face systemic barriers that impede their career progression. These barriers include imposter syndrome, self-doubt, difficulties in achieving work-life balance, and the lack of psychological resilience due to inadequate institutional support systems. One of the most pervasive challenges for women in leadership is imposter syndrome – a psychological phenomenon where individuals doubt their capabilities and feel undeserving of their achievements. Women in academia and leadership often internalize societal biases, which may lead to feelings of inadequacy despite their qualifications and accomplishments”.
The goal of this project is therefore to:
- promote inclusive leadership by addressing gender disparities in HEIs.
- strengthen institutional policies to support women in achieving leadership roles.
- create a culture of diversity and inclusivity that values the contributions of women from various ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds.
To achieve these goals, the project activities include administration of surveys and questionnaires to target population, focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders, development of infographic materials and booklet, dialogues with policy makers and board members and awareness campaigns. The project activities will continue for six months.
The project is expected to result into meaningful impact and bring a variety of benefits to UM, UGM and other participating institutions both from Malaysia and Indonesia. The project team hope that the project will increase representation of women in academic leadership roles due to mentorship and policy reforms. From the finding of the project, UM and UGM will adopt more inclusive practices, leading to improved job satisfaction and career progression for women and marginalized groups. By fostering a sense of belonging and equal opportunity, the project team expect that individuals from diverse ethnicities, and abilities will be empowered to contribute to the academic community in a more effective manner. finally, the project will influence long-term changes in institutional policies, leading to sustained improvements in gender equity and inclusivity in HEIs.
In case you have any questions, need more information and want to collaborate in the areas of GEDI, please contact the project lead, Dr Umar (tariq.umar@uwe.ac.uk).