The Humanities for Leadership Program at St Andrew’s College
St Andrew’s College at the University of Sydney has launched a unique initiative blending ethical reflection with liberal education. The Humanities for Leadership program offers undergraduates an opportunity to engage with deep questions through philosophy, literature, and the arts[1]. Rather than training students in managerial technique, the course encourages thoughtful leadership grounded in moral complexity and imaginative insight[1][2].
The 25 June 2025 Workshop: Structure and Themes
On 25 June 2025, St Andrew’s hosted an all-day workshop as part of the program’s 2025 offering. Students and invited scholars explored foundational texts and ideas that inform moral and civic leadership[2]. Structured around small group discussions and seminar-style sessions, the workshop prompted participants to consider the challenges of leading amidst uncertainty, competing values, and ambiguity[3]. Sessions focused on dilemmas of identity, knowledge, and truth – guided by the principle that good leadership begins with the capacity for serious thought and self-examination[3].
Simon Haines’ Session and Broader Significance
Simon Haines led a session titled Paradoxes, dilemmas and incommensurabilities: things that thought can’t think, but leaders have to think about. Through classic examples – such as Keats’s “negative capability,” Pascal’s Wager, and the Ship of Theseus – Haines invited students to confront tensions that resist resolution[4]. These moments, he argued, are central to the practice of leadership, where moral and intellectual challenges often outpace rational solution. Drawing from his deep background in literature and philosophy, Haines’s session modelled the kind of liberal education the program seeks to inspire. His contribution illustrated the enduring relevance of the humanities to public life, and the value of thoughtfulness as a civic virtue[4].
References
[1] Humanities for Leadership | St Andrew’s College – “Program Overview,” 2025
[2] Humanities for Leadership | St Andrew’s College – “Curriculum & Faculty,” 2025
[3] Humanities for Leadership | St Andrew’s College – “Workshop Highlights,” 25 June 2025
[4] Humanities for Leadership | St Andrew’s College – “Session Descriptions,” 2025