Daan Weggemans discusses his experiences with the Educational Leadership Training Programme
At FGGA, we believe it is important that programme directors continue to improve their knowledge and skills. Daan Weggemans, Programme Director for the BSc Security Studies recently completed the Educational Leadership Training Programme. We asked him about the importance of continuing to obtain new knowledge and what he learned during the training programme.
Why did you decide to enrol in the programme?
When I became Programme Director of Security Studies in 2019, I wanted to learn more about how to be good manager within a complex organisation such as the University. Educational and programme directors from Delft, Rotterdam, and Leiden take part in the Educational Leadership programme. And despite the different backgrounds and styles, you soon realise that everyone is trying to find answers for many of the same questions and dilemmas regarding education and leadership. How do you motivate people and get them involved with innovation tracks? What are important things to keep in mind when developing a curriculum? How do you deal with setbacks and resistance from within the organisation? During an extensive programme of more than a year, we have been able to address these issues and have been given room to develop our own vision on education and leadership.
Can you tell us more about the importance of developing educational leadership?
Educational and programme directors have an important responsibility, both towards students as well as colleagues. Their day-to-day work is all about connecting, anticipating, innovating, and solving all kinds of ad-hoc problems. And often, people, me included, initially tend to do this based on their intuition. Developing educational leadership helps to make decisions more purposefully. Which creates room for long-term visions, something we should all be working towards. This can be a new programme, a new course, a new assessment method, etc.
Research and education are the foundations of the modern university. This also includes a sustainable investment in the knowledge and expertise of its managers. I am pleased to have been given this opportunity and to be able to contribute to an inspiring place for students and employees of Leiden University as a result.
What have you learned that you would like to put into practice?
My motivation, also as manager, is the sustainable innovation of research and education. In particular when it comes to connecting our work to the broader society. How can we, as a university, contribute to society, and vice versa, with our research and education? You cannot do this alone. During the training programme, there was a lot of attention for project management. I also hope to continue working with our team on our role in society. That also includes sharing ownership and inspiring people. That is something that gives me a lot of energy.