Leadership and Institutionalisation of Teaching Excellence

Without leadership from the top of higher education institutions, genuine efforts for rewarding and stimulating the teaching careers and impact of academics and professional staff members leading CTLs will remain limited in terms of lasting impact.From the LITE project rationale

Project aims

Universities across Europe are under growing pressure to improve and reward teaching, yet leadership approaches, support structures and institutional practices remain uneven and often disconnected. Two internal focus group meetings among the project partners, together with wider discussions with members of umbrella associations, identified an absence of effective and affordable European leadership training programmes for senior and aspiring higher education leaders responsible for rewarding and stimulating teaching excellence. This gap has also been confirmed by previous Erasmus+ projects, including LOTUS, EFFECT and E-NOTE.

At institutional level, the partnership identified a concrete need for more systematic knowledge on how to create Centres for Teaching and Learning, how to use them for the benefit of teaching and professional support staff, and how to ensure their impact is felt across the university. Charles University is establishing CTLs from scratch; Copenhagen and Bologna need evidence-based transnational insights on how to reform and refine the centres they already have.

Four strands, one sequence

Activities

All activities

Led by Charles University

Mapping and Assessment of Institutional Practices

The first comparative European mapping of how universities use leadership, Centres for Teaching and Learning and wider institutional strategies to stimulate and reward teaching excellence, based on a survey targeting over 300 universities.

Led by University of Bologna

Development of Support Frameworks and Training

The LITE Competence Framework for Teaching Excellence Leadership, four open-access curricula, four blended training programmes and the LITE Blended Learning Environment.

Led by University of Copenhagen

Leadership and Institutional Development

Peer mentoring for senior leaders, a CTL institutional development scheme, the LITE Start-up Kit and a micro-credential in teaching excellence leadership.

Led by Global Governance Institute

Impact, Dissemination and Sustainability

Dissemination strategy, the LITE Online Portal and Self-Assessment Tool, a storytelling campaign, policy briefs, a final Brussels conference, and the establishment of ENLITE.

Blended training programmes

Training courses

Each partner leads one course, built on the LITE Competence Framework and open to leaders and multipliers across Europe.

Charles University

Strategic Leadership and Institutionalisation

This curriculum addresses how university leaders can maximise the impact of CTLs by integrating them into wider governance structures, fostering synergies between leadership and CTLs, and ensuring teaching excellence is recognised and rewarded at all levels. Developed by Charles University.

University of Copenhagen

Impactful CTLs: Tools and Approaches

This curriculum focuses on equipping CTL staff and teaching faculty with strategies for designing impactful training, using artificial intelligence for teaching enhancement, fostering inclusive pedagogy, and supporting career development for teaching staff. Developed by the University of Copenhagen.

University of Bologna

Creating Effective CTLs

This curriculum provides practical guidance for establishing, reforming and enhancing Centres for Teaching and Learning, covering organisational design, stakeholder engagement, governance models, and ensuring CTLs are fully integrated into university leadership structures.

Global Governance Institute

Strategic Leadership for Teaching Excellence

This curriculum trains current and future leaders on embedding teaching excellence into institutional strategies, aligning it with career progression and reward structures, and supporting teaching-focused leadership pathways. Developed by the Global Governance Institute.

Open access outputs

Results

All results

LITE Research Methodology

This internal document defines the research matrix, data sources, desk research criteria, survey scope and analytical methods. It is jointly developed at the initial methodology workshop and ensures that all partners work from a shared research framework.

Mapping In preparation

LITE Survey and Research Instruments

This package includes the final survey questionnaire, interview guidelines and desk research templates.

Mapping Completed

LITE Comprehensive Mapping Report

This flagship result synthesises findings from the survey, desk research and partner contributions into a comparative analysis of leadership and CTL institutionalisation across Europe.

Mapping In preparation

LITE Best Practice Report

This companion report highlights concrete institutional case studies showcasing successful models of leadership and CTL cooperation in advancing teaching excellence.

Mapping In preparation

ENLITEEuropean Network for Leadership and Institutionalisation of Teaching Excellence

Sustainability

The project's ambition goes beyond producing useful trainings and tools for universities. Its goal is to change how European universities understand and advance teaching, strategic leadership and the institutionalisation of teaching excellence.

The LITE Strategic Cooperation Plan establishes ENLITE, a permanent European Network for Leadership and Institutionalisation of Teaching Excellence, hosted by the Global Governance Institute in Brussels. ENLITE coordinates policy dialogue and future joint funding proposals, and maintains the LITE Portal and Self-Assessment Tool as open-access resources beyond the funding period.

Four institutions