March 6, 2025
Dr. Djwantoro Hardjito, whose academic career spans over three decades, said he loved teaching and never expected to enter the world of academic administration. But inspired by his own mentors, he took up the top role at Petra Christian University (PCU) in Indonesia. For the past seven years as a rector of PCU, he has helped the university take great strides in academic excellence and institutional development.
Dr. Fr. Jesu Ben Anton Rose is a political scientist by training and a former vice principal of St. Aloysius College (Autonomous) in Jabalpur, India. He became principal of St. Aloysius in April 2024. Into the first six months at the helm, the new principal is full of ideas and aspirations for his institution.
Dr. Hardjito and Fr. Ben are at different points of their leadership journeys but their paths crossed at the United Board Heads of Institution Leadership Strategy Summit held at Singapore Management University in July 2024. The Summit, the first of its kind, brought together 27 leaders in higher education from six countries to explore new ideas, forge connections and foster collaborations.
Higher expectations
While he is at the pinnacle of his career taking PCU from strength to strength, Dr. Hardjito remains acutely aware of the challenges facing Indonesian higher education, such as intense competition from foreign universities and a decline in student enrolment. He also recognized that those were not only PCU’s problems and sharing them and exploring solutions with his counterparts at other universities was the way to go. He knew the Summit would open doors for him to deepen the institutional development work he had begun at PCU.
Fr. Ben looked forward to engaging with other leaders at the Summit for inspiration and networking opportunities. His plan to elevate St. Aloysius College to a full-fledged university is not a pipe dream, but rather a strategic one with roadmap and timeline. Fr. Ben has started laying the structural foundation necessary for the transformation. His goals are clear and he has the future to carry out his plans. He was looking forward to being bombarded with whatever insights the other leaders and educational professionals at the Summit might provide.
Leaders made more sensitive to leadership
Occupying the top leadership positions often leaves one little time for reflecting on one’s role. However, the participants at the Summit were taken through in-depth discussions on leading people and on leading the organization.
Dr. Hardjito views leadership as “influencing others, especially all the members of the team, to strive together for the mission.” He said, “Leadership is about encouraging and facilitating the team members to achieve their fullest potential” While understanding his colleagues and staff, he also reaches out through a process of inclusion and equity.
For Fr. Ben, leadership involves focusing on the institution and its stakeholders in order to bring about an inclusive and effective growth. He was glad to find at the Summit enriching discussions of how to manage and groom talent and learn about adaptive leadership strategies. Both Dr. Hardjito and Fr. Ben acknowledged that leaders were frequently overwhelmed by the competing demands from different stakeholders, and hence the need for strong people-centered Christian leaders to navigate increasingly complex organizations and environments has become all the more important.
Both university heads saw empathy as an essential attribute of such leaders. Dr. Hardjito believed that as a leader it was his responsibility to allow members of his team to reflect and share not only their ideas but also their feelings. Giving audience to others’ feelings and emotions is Dr. Hardjito’s style of leadership.
Fr. Ben defines empathy as “dealing with someone with the sole purpose of reformation rather than criticizing or putting them down.” Even though he is in a position of power, he would go beyond discipline, rules and regulations and look for avenues to help faculty and students mature as young adults and future leaders. He characterized his management style as open and he believed in nurturing younger faculty to discover their inner potentials and work as a team of collaborators to move the institution forward.
In practice, however, both heads admitted that balancing this empathetic approach with the need for accountability could be tricky. Leaders are therefore required to establish clear boundaries while remaining approachable and supportive.
Turning a new corner
The Summit has made Dr. Hardjito realize he’s not alone in his leadership challenges, and that he has a cohort of colleagues to compare notes with. He saw that one of the needs of PCU was to expand its international base and bring in more institutional collaborations. Now he is reassured that the network he has forged with kindred spirits at the Summit would answer PCU’s needs. Fr. Ben also agreed that the trust and friendship he built with his peers at the Summit would give him new avenues for networking and fellowship with immediate and long-term benefits to St. Aloysius.
When asked about their dreams for their institutions, both Dr. Hardjito and Fr. Ben expressed optimism and excitement. Fr. Ben dreams of a more visible, highly accredited institution in steady pursuit of its mission, while Dr. Hardjito hopes that PCU will continue to nurture students with integrity and character, and also expand its mission to the more under-development regions of Indonesia.
The experiences of Dr. Hardjito and Fr. Ben at the Summit underscores the transformative power of collaboration and shared vision in higher education leadership. Both leaders, despite being at different stages in their careers, have demonstrated a commitment to fostering inclusive and empathetic leadership styles that prioritize the growth and development of their institutions and stakeholders. The Summit has not only equipped them with new strategies and insights but also reinforced the importance of building strong networks with fellow leaders.
As they return to their respective institutions, Dr. Hardjito and Fr. Ben are poised to implement the lessons learned, driving their universities toward greater academic excellence and innovation. Their experiences highlight that while challenges in higher education are universal, the solutions are often found through collective wisdom and mutual support, paving the way for a brighter future for their institutions and the communities they serve.