UNICA leaderSHEp: testimonies from (female) leaders from the network

22 March 2024 | From UNICA - From our Members

Did you know that out of the 53 universities in the UNICA network, only 8 are led by women? As Women’s History Month comes to an end, we delve into the remarkable journeys of two of these eight extraordinary rectors who are breaking barriers and reshaping academia. Through candid testimonies, they offer profound insights into their inspirations, aspirations, and visions for the future.

From reflecting on the women who have ignited their passion for academia to envisioning lasting impacts on their organizations, these rectors share invaluable wisdom and guidance.

Astrid Söderbergh Widding | Rector, Stockholm University

1- Who is a woman who has inspired you in your career?  Why??

My mother. Born in 1933, she was the first ever in her family to study, and she became a full professor. Her attitude was always that nothing is impossible.

2- If you could leave one lasting impact on your organization, what would it be?

I have tried to contribute to a layered leadership culture with a climate of dialogue and openness.

3- What message would you like to share with young women aspiring to leadership roles in academia?

You can really make a difference – and it is fun!

4- How do you believe universities can better engage with their communities to promote inclusivity and diversity?

It is a continuous and active work, but I believe that CoARA and the work on scholarly careers that is being done today across Europe will be very helpful.

5- What accomplishment are you most proud of in your role as a female rector?

I have never thought of any of my work as female rector specifically.

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Orla Feely | President, University College Dublin

1- Who is a woman who has inspired you in your career?  Why?

I never had a woman lecturer or professor, either in my undergraduate engineering studies in University College Dublin or in my graduate classes in the University of California, Berkeley.  Then, during my PhD studies, Electrical Engineering in UC Berkeley hired their first woman faculty member, Professor Avideh Zakhor, and I collaborated with her on a research project.  She was only a few years older than me, and was not only extremely brilliant but also an inspiring mentor who cared deeply about student success.  As I came to the point of deciding whether to embark on a career in academia as the first woman faculty member in UCD Engineering, Professor Zakhor’s example showed me what might be possible.  Since then, I am a big believer in the fact that the best role model is often somebody just a step or two ahead of you on the road – not somebody off in the distance.

2- If you could leave one lasting impact on your organization, what would it be?

University College Dublin is a great university that has had an unparalleled impact on the development of modern Ireland, including the country’s economic and societal transformation of recent decades.  Our impact has now broadened out from Ireland to the world, as Ireland’s global university.  I want to see UCD continue our tradition of being a university that makes a clear positive difference, and to bring that forward into the heart of the 21^st century. Amid so many disruptive transformations and global challenges, I believe that great broad-based universities with the ambition and ability to land positive change are more important than ever, and I want UCD to be a leader among these.

3– What message would you like to share with young women aspiring to leadership roles in academia?

One of the great joys of academia for me was the opportunity throughout my career to take on interesting roles adjacent, but not central, to my main career track.  These roles expanded my mind, my network and my profile, and made me aware of new directions in which I might focus my career.  They played a significant part in my move into senior leadership.  My message, therefore, is that it is always important to be alert to opportunities to broaden your experience, to assess whether an opportunity could be right for you, and if so to take the plunge!

4- How do you believe universities can better engage with their communities to promote inclusivity and diversity?

I think we have to engage very actively with all our communities, and those who would not consider themselves part of a university community, to make sure that we are drawing on and drawing out all of the talent available to us in order to be the best university we can be.  We have to listen to those in these communities, understand any barriers to success that they perceive or experience, and put plans in place to remove these.  We also need to consider the many dimensions of diversity, not just one or two.

5- What accomplishment are you most proud of in your role as a female rector?

This is not my own accomplishment – I played only a minor supporting role – but it is a recent accomplishment of my university of which I am very proud.  In December 2023 we in University College Dublin launched Ireland’s first satellite, designed and built in UCD in a project that was highly student-centred.  This was the culmination of many years of work, and witnessing the excitement of the team and knowing all that they had achieved through the process was a source of great pride.  We are now working with partners on the development of a very ambitious space sector for Ireland, building on all this energy and talent.