The University of Ottawa Leadership Academy will be offering its leadership course in Portuguese, as part of a partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Portugal. This is the first time in the world that this ontologically based leadership training has been offered in this language.
From February to May 2025, 25 people from academia, public service, civil society and human rights organizations will benefit, in their own language, from the expertise developed by the Academy. The learners come from various Portuguese-speaking countries, including Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé e Príncipe.
“This partnership brings to life the vision at the heart of the Academy: to provide people working on projects for social and community transformation with a leadership education that can make a real difference,” says Margarida Garcia, co-director of the Academy and full professor in the Civil Law Section.
The “Inclusive and Transformative Leadership” course will be delivered by Margarida Garcia and Diana Mota, an art psychotherapist and independent researcher. They have translated the Academy's teaching materials into the language of Fernando Pessoa. A colossal task that took four years to complete.
The Academy's training departs from the traditional teaching model, in favour of an existential and experiential approach that encourages learning through discovery. Leadership is taught as a way of being and acting accessible to all, without depending on charisma or authority.
«Personally, I keep seeing the impact of its ontological / phenomenological approach to leadership education in my practice as a therapist, researcher, lecturer and trainer as well as in all other areas of my life. I’m engaged in several communities and human rights protection projects and deal with many people from different paths of life,» explains Diana Mota. «The course helps me question prejudices and deeply engrained ideas part of my upbringing.»
A partnership to support social justice and emancipation
The idea of a partnership between the Academy and the Canadian Embassy arose in March 2024, following Margarida Garcia's participation in a conference on women's leadership with the Association of Women Ambassadors, at the invitation of Canada's ambassador to Portugal, Élise Racicot.
«Through this initiative, 25 young leaders and change agents from seven Lusophone countries will enhance their ability to drive positive change in their organizations and communities!» says Jeffrey Heaton, Counsellor (Political) at the Canadian Embassy in Portugal.
“It's really thanks to the extraordinary team of people who make up the Leadership Academy ecosystem that we will now be able to support individuals from all over the Portuguese-speaking world, in the development of leadership projects geared towards public service, social justice, institutional innovation and the blossoming and emancipation of different groups and organizations,” emphasizes Margarida Garcia.
The result of collaboration between the Faculties of Law, Engineering and Social Sciences, the University of Ottawa Leadership Academy offers a range of ideas, practices and professional training on the science of leadership. For more information, visit the Academy's web page.