The United Board Fellows Program is designed to answer the needs of leadership development for mid-career faculty and administrators from Asian colleges and universities. Through this program, the United Board develops dynamic leaders committed to the advancement of whole person education and building strong and resilient academic institutions. Since 2002, over 320 Fellows from 80 institutions in 12 countries and regions of Asia have been selected for this program, and many have played important leadership roles in their home institutions and beyond.
This one-year experience features a unique higher education leadership development experience, with three main components - an intensive week-long summer institute; a one-to-four-month placement, or a two-week study trip in Asia; and a final seminar. Fellows have opportunities to learn about:
- styles of leadership, organizational structure, and educational management;
- alternative pedagogical styles to enrich their own teaching;
- developments in their academic fields; and
- self-care, ethics, and spiritual nurturance.
For more information, contact ubfellows@unitedboard.org.
2025-2026 United Board Fellows Program: The United Board is now calling for nominations for the 2025-2026 cohort. Please note that the application should be submitted only after the nomination has been submitted and an invitation to apply has been issued by the United Board.
Please note the deadlines: The deadline for nominations is Sunday, January 5, 2025. The deadline for applications is Saturday, February 15, 2025.
2025-2026 United Board Fellows Application Materials
2025-2026 Program Announcement
2025-2026 Program Guidelines
2025-2026 Program Instructions for Nomination Procedure
2025-2026 Program Application Essays
Fellows Sharing
The programme was, in one word, fantastic! The Leadership Institute provided me with valuable learning materials and an ideal platform for me to share and seek answers to challenges posed by my new roles. I was supported by the wonderful sharing, teaching and tutoring of the invited speakers and my peer fellows, which provided sort of safety net to me in such a time of need. Most importantly, the Institute helped me to reflect on my work and myself to rediscover what I can do and need to do in the next phase of my life.
Dr. Jun Pan
Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
The idea of leadership training in professional development is powerful and can be of great service in raising the consciousness of academic administrators at my institution towards a more service-orientated mindset that aims to progress toward values rather than achieve personal or strictly profit-oriented advancement for the university. I was intrigued by this accessible and inclusive concept of whole person education, and I see opportunities to further develop it in the cultural environment of Korea/Yonsei University.
Dr. Laavanyan Michael Ratnapalan
Yonsei University, South Korea
The Fellowship program has been very fruitful for me. I have expanded my internationalization efforts for my home institution. I have forged several memoranda of agreement and understanding for transcultural exchange. I was able to raise funds for our technological advancement from our alumni.
Dr. Alibogha Salex Espinosa
Central Philippine University, Philippines
This program also taught me a spiritual aspect of the whole person education, which is vital to growing in my career path and supporting our society. In many Asian universities, students are afraid of even asking questions to their teacher in classes due to some fearful environment. The United Board Fellows Program triggered me to think outside the box, bring all different actors, and help shift the paradigm.
Dr. Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin
Asian University for Women, Bangladesh
The most significant impact is whenever I returned from the UB program, I always shared some leadership concepts and gave exercises in such a way to the classes I taught. I aspire as well to have publication about leadership in Indonesia. This program also brought me into several new pathways of research on leadership, such as topics of female leadership and local leadership related to my research interests on culture and media studies.
Dr. Amelberga Vita Noor Prima Astuti
Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia
The UB program has provided me with a platform for extensive learning and networking. My experiences and discussions during the program have greatly enriched my understanding of higher education. I am grateful for the opportunity.
Dr. Feng Fan
Nanjing University, China
The study trip provided me with exposure to a different educational and cultural environment. This exposure gave me an opportunity to benchmark my school against other architecture schools I visited. Overall, this experience taught me the importance of ambitious leadership and effective management in achieving excellence in education and research.
Dr. Prima Viriyavadhana
Assumption University, Thailand
The United Board Fellows program gives the fellows an opportunity to experience new cultures, practices and helps them customize those learning in home institutions. This program also helps institutions to collaborate and learn from each other.
Dr. Amalanathan Saminathan
CHRIST (Deemed to be University), India
The program has completely transformed the way I think, process and act in my professional and personal life. It was a real whole person education that I acquired through this experience.
Dr. Sridevi Venkatachalam
Lady Doak College, India
The Fellows Program offered me unforgettable lessons to ponder over where I have been, where I am, and where I am headed as a Christian leader. This one-year leadership training changed my perspective of leadership.
Dr. Yoonsun Lee
Seoul Women’s University, South Korea
The Fellows Program has widened my knowledge, enlightened me about strategic visions, and offered me new experience of leading an institution. It has been proved so fruitful to me and prepared me to take up the role as president of a university.
Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan
University of Social Sciences and Humanities,
Vietnam National University, Vietnam
Something I learned at the Summer Institute has actually become one of my guiding principles. As school leaders, we do not always have control over the results, but we do have control over the conditions that will bring about success in our institutions.
Dr. Annabelle Balor
University of St. La Salle, Philippines
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