Keynote by Prof. Leišytė at the HERCulES Conference of Academia Europaea

From 21 to 23 May 2025, the HERCulES Conference of Academia Europaea, organized by the Wenner-Gren Foundations in Stockholm, brought together international experts to discuss 'Institutional Perspectives on Universities: The Role of Leadership, Administration, Stakeholders and Risks'.
Over three days, four key dimensions shaping the future of higher education were explored:
- Leadership – and the rise of strategic governance
- Administration – growing structures and centralization
- Stakeholders – the tension between autonomy and external influence
- Risks – increasing demands, relevance debates, and institutional pressure
In her keynote speech at the opening of the plenary session 'Stakeholders: Beyond the state', Prof. Leišytė explored the question of how external stakeholders impact teaching content and methodologies, research directions, and institutional autonomy – key considerations for grasping the role of external stakeholders in higher education governance.