Introduction

Universities and colleges are increasingly large and complex institutions with responsibilities, accountabilities and ambitions. Higher education is now provided on a mass scale in many parts of the world. Universities and colleges are often among the largest employers in the towns and cities in which they are based, forming major hubs in the local transport networks and supporting local economies. They are engaged in knowledge exchange with their local – and global – communities and with industries and organisations of all kinds.

They present, therefore, a major leadership challenge which raises many questions. What is the nature of leadership for the twenty-first century? Should universities continue to rely predominantly on recruiting from within or should university leaders be drawn from wider professional fields and industries? How should such leaders be developed and supported? And what does the existing research tell us about all of these questions, and what further research needs to be done?