This paper proposes an empirically grounded model for cultivating trustworthy leadership in Indian higher education by integrating cross-cultural, practice-based learning with institutionally embedded change projects for students and early-career faculty. Focusing on a multi-institutional programme in Northeast India, it examines how such an approach may be experienced as credible, relevant, and socially grounded in under-resourced higher education settings, and what design implications emerge for comparable contexts. The paper draws primarily on internationalised and intercultural curriculum design, informed by critical global citizenship education, to understand leadership learning as relational, context‑sensitive and attentive to power, inequality and participation (de Oliveira Andreotti, 2014; Deardorff, 2009; Leask, 2015).

The case examined is the Uma Global Leadership Development Programme in Assam, which combines modules on confidence, communication, negotiation, global business and entrepreneurship, sustainability and the United Nations, gender equality and women’s leadership, and broader 21st-century and globally oriented capabilities. This design reflects both development-context discussions of 21st-century skills and the programme’s own emphasis on gender, pedagogy, and global competence (Joynes, Rossignoli and Amonoo-Kuofi, 2019; Kakati-Shah, 2022; Kakati-Shah, 2024; Kakati-Shah, 2025). The programme is delivered through bilingual pedagogy, institutional partnerships, and a faculty multiplier model, all of which are relevant to how legitimacy, participation, and adaptation are built within diverse higher education environments (Leask, 2015; Kakati-Shah, 2024).

The paper presents a mixed methods analysis of participant survey data generated within this programme, drawing on responses from 461 participants across diverse institution types, including polytechnics, general degree colleges, teacher training institutes, postgraduate institutes, and universities. The analysis is presented as a scholarly interpretation of programme-generated data rather than as a summative institutional impact claim, and conclusions are therefore framed cautiously and in line with the evidence currently available. This positioning responds to wider discussions in higher education about context, participation, and the relationship between educational design and institutional change (Leask, 2015).

The paper addresses three questions. First, how can leadership pedagogy be designed so that participants experience it as relevant and trustworthy in public higher education institutions serving diverse student populations? Second, what do participant responses suggest about the role of bilingual delivery, gender-sensitive content, and practice-based activities in supporting confidence, agency, and inclusion? Third, what programme design implications emerge for leadership initiatives seeking to balance individual capability-building with institutionally embedded adaptation?

The quantitative component uses descriptive statistics and group comparisons to analyse participants’ reported course experience, perceived skills development, leadership self-efficacy, intercultural openness, and gender equality attitudes. The qualitative component draws on open-ended responses to explore how participants describe changes in confidence, communication, aspiration, and perceptions of women’s leadership opportunities. Findings suggest strong reported gains in confidence, communication, and broader professional skills, alongside positive responses to intercultural exposure and gender equality content. These areas align with the wider literature on intercultural competence and transferable skills in educational and development settings (Deardorff, 2009; Joynes, Rossignoli and Amonoo-Kuofi, 2019). Faculty participants also appear to value the programme’s practical tools and report intentions to adapt elements within their own teaching and mentoring. At the same time, qualitative responses point to continuing structural constraints, including unequal opportunities, gendered expectations, and the importance of language and institutional context in shaping participation, especially in relation to women’s leadership and culturally responsive pedagogy (Kakati-Shah, 2022; Kakati-Shah, 2024).

Rather than claiming broad institutional transformation, the paper argues that this regional case offers cautious, transferable insights for leadership development in comparable higher education settings. In particular, it highlights the value of bilingual and culturally responsive delivery, practice-based learning, and faculty multiplier approaches for building legitimacy and participation within diverse institutions. In this sense, the paper contributes to ongoing discussions about how internationalised and intercultural curriculum design can be adapted meaningfully in context, rather than transferred as decontextualised models (de Oliveira Andreotti, 2014; Leask, 2015). The paper concludes by reflecting on what this case can, and cannot, tell us about cultivating trustworthy leadership in higher education, and identifies implications for future research on leadership pedagogy, institutional adaptation, and trust-building in the Global South.

Business schools continue to revise curricula and teaching approaches in response to technological change, shifting employer expectations, and increasing pressure to demonstrate graduate readiness. Despite these efforts, a familiar concern persists. MBA students often leave programs with a strong grasp of management theories but limited ability to apply them in complex, real organizational settings. Scholars have repeatedly highlighted this gap between knowing about management and knowing how to manage (Ghoshal, 2005; Benjamin and O’Reilly, 2011).

This study examines observational learning as a way to narrow this gap in MBA education. Observational learning refers to learning that occurs when individuals watch others perform tasks, make decisions, and interact, and then reflect on those observations (Bandura, 1977). While observational learning has been widely studied in fields such as healthcare and teacher education, it remains relatively underexplored in management education (Mayes and Fowler, 2006; Wood, 2020). From an institutional research perspective, this is important because much student learning occurs outside formal instruction, yet is rarely designed, assessed, or recognized explicitly.

The study was conducted in an MBA program at an AACSB accredited business school. In response to feedback from employers and students about limited real-world exposure, the institution redesigned a core organizational behavior course. The revised course combined classroom-based theory with a structured observation component that allowed students to observe practicing managers in real work settings. Students were encouraged to connect what they observed with concepts introduced earlier in the classroom.

A qualitative research design was used to capture changes in students’ understanding of management. Data were collected through written reflection sheets completed before and after the observation phase, along with focus group discussions conducted after the observation experience. Before observation, students reflected on their understanding of key management concepts based on classroom learning alone. After observation, they revisited the same concepts in light of what they had seen managers do in practice. This design made it possible to examine how observational learning reshaped students’ thinking over time.

Analysis of the pre-observation reflections showed that students initially understood management in relatively narrow and functional terms. Common themes included communication, conflict management, performance management, planning, and general managerial responsibilities. These reflections closely mirrored textbook definitions and lecture content, suggesting that students relied heavily on abstract models at this stage.

Post-observation reflections revealed a noticeable shift. New themes emerged, including the multifaceted nature of managerial work, attention to clients and stakeholders, continuous improvement, and strategic orientation. Even when students discussed familiar themes such as communication or conflict management, their descriptions became more contextual and nuanced. Focus group discussions helped explain these changes. Students reported that observing managers deal with ambiguity, time pressure, and competing demands helped them understand why management rarely unfolds in a linear or predictable manner. Observation allowed them to see how theoretical ideas were adapted, prioritized, or sometimes set aside in practice.

This study offers several insights. First, it draws attention to observational learning as a powerful yet often invisible component of higher education learning environments. Second, it shows that learning outcomes are shaped not only by curriculum content but also by who students observe and how observation opportunities are structured. From an institutional perspective, the findings suggest that programs can strengthen theory-practice connections without relying solely on simulations or resource-intensive experiential projects.

This research contributes to institutional research by highlighting how learning processes extend beyond formal teaching activities. It offers practical implications for curriculum design, faculty development, and program evaluation, particularly in professional programs where direct work experience is limited. More broadly, the study encourages institutions to recognize observational learning as a legitimate and valuable pedagogical strategy that can be intentionally designed and supported.

This cross-national study investigates the development of disciplinary literacy within multilingual Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) contexts across secondary and higher education in Türkiye and Albania.

Drawing on CEFR-informed descriptor analysis and disciplinary discourse frameworks, this study elucidates how subject-specific literacies are conceptualised, implemented, and experienced in different institutional and linguistic settings to promote language/subject education. It fills a gap in existing CLIL research by systematically comparing CEFR-aligned disciplinary literacy practices across national and educational levels, an area that remains underexplored.
This research also compared monolingual CLIL classrooms in Türkiye with bilingual CLIL contexts in Albanian secondary schools (Italian and German sections), as well as higher education programmes in both countries, including mathematics, history, biology, and English for health sciences and engineering. Peer learning was adopted as a central pedagogical strategy to foster collaborative meaning-making and disciplinary language development.
Drawing on the 4Cs Framework (Content, Communication, Cognition, and Culture), this study employed a mixed-methods design integrating curriculum and syllabus analysis, classroom observations, and semi-structured focus group interviews with teachers and students. Thematic analysis revealed that peer learning significantly enhanced students’ engagement, confidence, and ability to participate in disciplinary discourse. Students reported increased confidence in participating in subject-specific discussions, while also highlighting challenges, such as navigating complex disciplinary language and balancing content and language demands across different CLIL contexts.
Findings indicated that CEFR-aligned approaches to disciplinary literacy were more systematically embedded at the secondary level, whereas implementation in higher education required sustained institutional commitment, collaborative planning between content and language specialists, and deliberate scaffolding strategies. The comparative dimension highlights both shared challenges and context-specific practices, demonstrating the transferability potential of CEFR-informed CLIL models across multilingual educational systems.
By situating CLIL within a framework of cross-national academic collaboration, this study provides actionable insights for enhancing student experience, disciplinary literacy development, and multilingual pedagogies. It also provides a scalable model for integrating CEFR-informed CLIL practices across diverse educational systems. Data extracts will be shared to contextualize this research and to elucidate how we can apply theories to practical applications.

Acknowledgement:

This study received support from CA21114-CLIL Network for Languages in Education: towards bi- and multilingual disciplinary literacies (CLILNetLE) supported by European Cooperation in Science and Technology.