Program Overview

Dr John Yu Fellowship

The Dr John Yu Fellowship is an executive education program designed to accelerate the careers of culturally diverse leaders. This unique program harnesses the strengths, perspectives, and capabilities shaped by the lived experiences of its participants to shape their authentic leadership style and leverage their influence.

Overview

The program is a response to the growing need for targeted leadership development for high-potential leaders from multicultural backgrounds. According to 2018 research by The University of Sydney and the Australian Human Rights Commission, 24% of the Australian population has neither European nor Indigenous background, yet only 5% of senior leaders in business, government, and higher education identify in this category.

Key Benefits

• Harness your lived experience to shape your personal leadership style.
• Challenge traditional thinking and explore best practices in diversity and inclusion.
• Unlock the opportunities of culturally diverse leadership.

Organisations sponsoring attendance will benefit from investing in truly diverse and inclusive leadership, offering their high-achieving multicultural leaders access to a highly transformational, contemporary, and contextualised leadership development experience.

The Fellowship Experience

Over three days, participants will come together with a cohort of culturally diverse leaders from business, government, and the not-for-profit sector to explore all facets of leadership. They will learn transformative leadership skills, discuss burning issues, challenges, and opportunities, share experiences, and understand how cultural diversity can influence and shape their leadership journey.

Content

Led by Australia's former Race Discrimination Commissioner and noted academic, Professor Tim Soutphommasane, participants will work with a diverse and dynamic group of leaders to:

• Explore cross-cultural team leadership.
• Discuss and share personal experiences on how culture shapes the leadership journey.
• Develop strategies for building influence and setting the agenda.
• Discover techniques and tools for negotiating and responding to diversity challenges in the public arena.
• Learn how to manage challenging conversations.
• Harness reflective and innovative learning modes to embed learning and mindset shifts.
• Build an influential network of diverse leaders from all spheres of the business world.

About Dr John Yu

The fellowship is named after prominent paediatrician Dr John Yu AC. An alumnus of the University of Sydney, Dr Yu was born in Nanking in China and came to Australia when he was three years old. He has spent his working life dedicated to improving health outcomes for children. One significant achievement - among many - was his leadership in the planning and building of the Children's Hospital at Westmead in NSW, a world's best practice facility that combined art, design, and the best medical care for children.

His commitment to the community extends beyond health and into the arts, community, and education sectors too. From 2000 to 2005, he served as Chancellor of UNSW and has served on the Board of Trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW as well as the Chair of the Australia-China Council. In 1996, Dr Yu received the Australian of the Year award.

Who is this Course For?

This fellowship is designed for high-achieving and high-potential leaders with:

• At least 15 years of work experience.
• A culturally diverse background and/or an interest in growing cultural diversity in Australia's leadership.

Previous participants have come from a wide range of organisations and sectors, including:

• Banking, Insurance, and Finance
• Consulting
• Federal Government
• Legal
• Media
• Mining and Construction
• Not for Profit
• NSW Government

Course Delivery Style

The program will run at the Sydney CBD Campus, including workshops, panel discussions, keynote speakers, networking events, and a celebratory Gala Dinner.

Application Process

Enrolment in this course is via application. Places are limited, and early application is encouraged. The application process involves several steps, including submitting an application, reviewing and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, and receiving an email confirming the application. Once the application has been assessed, the applicant will receive an email advising them of the outcome. If successful, the email will include a personalised link to finalise enrolment.