IDI Staff Participate in Panel for Pakistani University Women Leaders

September 11, 2022 - Mina Shin

On Aug. 31, three Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion staff members – Dr. Deborah J. Johnson director of the Diversity Research Network; Dr. Patricia L. Stewart director of education and development programs; and Dr. Mina Shin DEI learning development specialist – participated in the College of Education and Visiting International Professional Program’s Pakistan Women Leadership in Higher Education panel discussion.

Along with Dr. Terah Venzant Chambers, associate dean for DEI at the College of Education, the panel met a distinguished group of 25 Pakistani university women leaders from diverse academic and leadership backgrounds recruited nationally and selected in a competitive process. Sponsored by the United States Embassy, Islamabad and organized by MSU College of Education and Pakistan National Academy of Higher Education, the group will be participating in their 18-month hybrid program of professional development to take their leadership to the next level. The program kicked off by visiting the Michigan State University campus for two weeks.

The panel shared experiences and wisdom working in the diversity, equity and inclusion space; how DEI efforts at an institutional level can bring positive organizational changes and help transform the culture and institution, what leadership skills and qualities are needed to make that happen and how to deal with resistance for change. The one-hour panel engaged participants in sincere and honest conversation about the global challenges women leadership faces.

Pakistani participants were interested in specific programs IDI provides, such as Implicit Bias Certification. The panel and participants agreed that to bring a big institutional change and cultural shift, they must make small incremental changes every day. In the process, transparency, collaboration and relationship building are critical for successful leadership.