In today’s world, no individual, organization or sector has the resources or power to address global issues alone. From climate change to severe social and economic disparities, progress requires a shift from relying on single, heroic leaders for answers to recognizing and fostering leadership in which people at all levels work across sectors and boundaries to find common solutions.
RCLA works with leading global institutions at the forefront of efforts to foster civic engagement, create forums for groundbreaking dialogue, establish cross-sector collaborations, and empower citizens to become agents for change.
New York University is known for being “in and of” the city, it now also has a unique position “in and of the world.” NYU leads all universities in students studying abroad; more than 40 percent of undergraduates now study abroad, and each year the number increases. In addition, it has ten international study sites in some of the world’s greatest cities – from Tel Aviv to Madrid, Shanghai to Buenos Aires. RCLA also serves as a leadership partner for the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute at the university’s new portal campus in a city that has swiftly become an international hub for art and culture.
Because our work is based on close partnerships, our research and programs respect and reflect the specific context and culture in which leaders work.
We also ask ambitious questions about accountability, civic engagement and public service leadership in times of political volatility and economic uncertainty that give our findings far-reaching application. We are particularly interested in the leadership practices that enable ordinary people working together to create deep and lasting solutions to tough social issues and the leadership strategies that can be replicated successfully in new contexts.
Women’s World Banking (WWB) and RCLA are conducting a three-year participatory evaluation of the newly founded Center for Microfinance Leadership, a program run by WWB in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation. Started in response to rapid growth and changes in the microfinance industry, from a decrease in the number of women staff members at microfinance providers to increasing commercialization, the Center aims to bring the best of leadership development and gender diversity initiatives to the microfinance sector through training, coaching, learning exchanges and support for organizational change.
Since 2001, the Institute of International Education West Coast Center's Leadership Development for Mobilizing Reproductive Health Program has helped develop and sustain leaders working on the front lines of family planning and health issues in countries such as Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines. RCLA is collaborating with the IIE West Coast Center and the Packard Foundation to conduct a participatory evaluation that examines and documents the impact of the leadership program on improving health outcomes for vulnerable people.
RCLA and the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute are working with eminent scholars and practitioners from across the Middle East and US on ways to nurture leadership for the common good. From youth and women’s empowerment, to engendering corporate citizenship, the focus is on leadership that transcends sectors, transforms ordinary citizens into agents of change, and opens up new public spaces for deliberation and engagement.
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The AVINA Foundation and RCLA conducted a comparative research initiative to identify, examine and support the dynamics of successful multi-sector collaboration in Brazil and Colombia.
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RCLA is providing CI training and technical assistance to educators at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia in Spain. Participants will focus on capitalizing on collaborations between the university, a vibrant nongovernmental (NGO) sector and public schools to develop educational and experiential practices that can contribute to the creation of a sense of global citizenship in students.
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This very successful event series was designed to raise awareness and foster discussion about current problems and challenges affecting democratic governance and sustainable development in Latin America. Top scholars explored the nature of the relationship between the state and civil society and its impact on various developmental outcomes.
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