Congratulations to Prof. Joanna Regulska, UC Davis and Prof. Dr. Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, Universiti Malaya on concluding their co-leadership of the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) program. To celebrate the program’s success under their leadership, they were awarded at the APRU Senior International Leaders’ Meeting at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Since 2019, APWiL has delivered robust strategic programming to promote gender equity and inclusive leadership across the Asia Pacific. They have worked tirelessly to establish the APWiL Mentoring Program, designed to provide mentoring and international and intercultural opportunities for the empowerment of aspiring women leaders within APRU.
“For me, APWiL represents a form of academic activism, something beyond my formal job description, that allowed me to create and grow a program truly capable of making a difference across institutions. As someone deeply committed to empowering women in all spheres, it was incredibly meaningful to see the spirit of what we set out to achieve reflected in the voices and experiences of the participants,” said Prof. Joanna Regulska, Vice Provost and Dean of Global Affairs, Distinguished Prof. of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, UC Davis and Co-chair of the APWiL Program since 2019.
Prof. Dr. Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) and Senior Prof. , Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya and Co-chair of the APWiL program since 2022, shared personal reflections of the program, including the training which supports women in balancing multiple roles—academic, professional, and personal—while promoting well-being and institutional inclusivity. Citing initiatives like YouMentor, developed by APWiL alums, the program demonstrates how it has inspired sustainable mentoring structures within institutions. She said, “To me, APWiL is special, it’s far more than a program. It champions the empowerment of women leaders, ensuring they are not only seen and heard, but fully equipped to shape the future of higher education and society.”
The program has spanned five cohorts since its launch in 2020, engaging 374 participants across 31 APRU-member universities and reaching 12 economies of the Pacific Rim. The program matches mentors and mentees in international mentorship pairs across the leading research universities of our dynamic and diverse region.
The spark for the APWiL Mentoring Program was ignited by the 2019 APRU Gender Gap Report, which measured progress toward gender equity in APRU universities since the 2013 APRU Gender Gap Report was initiated at a meeting held at Waseda University. The result of that second report set a bleak future for female academics, as it showed they were still significantly underrepresented across all academic levels and in university administration.
Infinite Impact of the Program
Reflecting on the APRU network’s strengthening commitment to narrowing the gender gap, the APWiL Mentoring Program began with mentee-mentor pairs from just 10 institutions and 30 participants, and, after the 5th Cohort, has reached a total of 374 participants representing 31 institutions.
“It is motivating to hear and learn from women who have been in your shoes before, and it’s empowering to know that your experience is shared and that the same challenges you are facing have been tackled by those who have come before you,” said 5th cohort mentee Taylor Willmott, Adjunct Senior Fellow at The University of Adelaide.
“I am currently going through a career transition and navigating the uncertainty that comes with this has been made that much more manageable with the support of my mentor,” she added.
Mentors, noted that the international nature of APWiL means academics can learn a lot from serving as mentors.
“I was surprised to see that across regions we share common problems despite the different cultural and institutional settings in which we operate,” said 4th cohort mentor Prof. Sanae Ito of Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Humanities.
From Screens to Summit: APWiL’s Historic Gathering in Auckland
The program is primarily virtual, featuring online orientations and workshops. But the APWiL In-Person Summit 2024, hosted by The University of Auckland as a curtain-raiser for the Annual Presidents Meeting, marked a historic in-person gathering of 77 participants and alums of the APWiL Mentoring Program. Roundtable discussion topics included work-life balance and avoiding burnout; balancing administrative and research duties; developing leadership skills and style; establishing and prioritizing goals; and building a network and establishing collaborations for research. This first in-person meeting reinforced university leaders’ commitment to systemic change through mentorship, allyship, and inclusive policies, while also laying down a clear mandate.
“The insights guided APRU steering committee meetings and the future strategy of APWiL, ensuring that the momentum for change is not only maintained but accelerated,” said Prof. Thomas Schneider, APRU’s Chief Executive.
Transforming Higher Education Through Institutional Change
The APWiL Mentoring Program has made a meaningful and lasting impact across the APRU network of universities. One powerful example comes from Prof. Akiyo Okuda, Vice-President for Student Affairs and the Athletic Association, and Hiyoshi Campus, Keio University and a two-time APWiL mentor, who shared, “The mentoring program had a profound influence on our institution. It inspired us to launch our own mentoring initiative shortly after APWiL began. As a result, we’ve built a vibrant and expansive network of women educators and researchers at Keio University. Professionals who now know each other, have forged strong connections, and can confidently turn to one another for support.”
“The steadily growing participation highlights the value our group members place on this program,” said Prof. Dr. Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, Universiti Malaya. “It’s not just the women leaders and colleagues playing their roles; we are also deeply grateful for the support of our male colleagues in encouraging women to aspire to leadership positions.”
Prof. Lim went on to explain that from her mentee, she learned to be more positive and open and to embrace new input.“[My mentee] Jessica herself was indigenous, so I connected her to my indigenous colleagues at Universiti Malaya, and they then started a year-long webinar series across the world, which shows that this program not only impacts individuals, but also the institutions,” Prof. Lim said.
Passing the Baton
The two incoming chairs are Prof. Dimitria G. Groutsis, Academic Director of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Program and Prof. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Sydney Business School, and Karla Elizabeth Urriola González, National Director of Equality, Inclusion, and Belonging at the Center of Recognition of Human Dignity at Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Prof. Groutsis stressed that the APWiL Mentoring Program is important to The University of Sydney, as the institution takes the career progression of women and other traditionally marginalised groups very seriously.
“Advocating for women’s leadership in higher education is crucial, as research mirrors the old saying ‘you can’t be what you can’t see,” Prof. Groutsis said.
“My hopes and vision for the future of the APWiL Mentoring Program are to find new ways to foster meaningful and material impact, building bridges within and across higher education and the broader community, both nationally and internationally, to consolidate gender and intersectional equality and diversity,” she added.
Karla Elizabeth Urriola González explained that her vision for APWIL is one of hope and impact. “I am envisioning a future where women can be strategic leaders and decision-makers at all levels,” González said. “This includes working with future generations to guide them into their leadership roles.”
The APWiL Mentoring Program was led by the University of California, Davis (2020-2025), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST, 2020-2022) and Universiti Malaya (2022-2025). The successful completion of the first five-year period is attributable to years of wholehearted commitment by the outgoing co-chairs Prof. Joanna Regulska, Prof. Dr. Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim and Dr. Sabrina Lin, as well as the APWiL program team Chelsey Hawes, Glynis Kincaid, Kimberly Bellows, Dawn Takaoglu, Adriana Rojas, David Quimbayo, Jackie Wong and Anya Wong. Key contributions came from the APWiL Core Group, the many universities that supported the program as well as all the individuals who participated in a workshop/panel and joined the APWiL Summit.
A special thank you to the 31 universities who, over the course of five cohorts, have demonstrated unwavering commitment to advancing inclusive leadership by supporting the participation of their faculty in the APWiL Mentoring Program. Your investment in this initiative has not only empowered individual leaders but also strengthened the fabric of your institutions and the broader APRU community.
See more details about the APWiL Program: A Legacy of Leadership in the following video: