Developing Effective Student Leadership in Higher Learning Institutions for Creating Sustainable Futures in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The article is based on a study that sought to identify the strategies aimed at developing effectiveness in student leadership among higher learning institutions for sustainability measures. Student leadership has become one of the fundamental elements of higher education institutes’ governance matrix and the involvement of students in the management and governance of these institutions is key. As a way of human capital development towards inclusive and transformative leadership, leadership different strategies have been used globally to produce excellent leaders hence the aim of this study is to determine the strategies that have been used in the case of Zimbabwe aimed at fostering leadership as a way of promoting sustainability. The study recommends enforcement of leadership framework and the assessment of the success of the framework in moulding student leaders a positive note, student leadership development has contributed to significant changes in the understanding of what leadership entails among students by basically helping them in knowing what it all means to be a leader and as well led to development of institutions.  Some institutions are still lagging behind in fostering inclusive sound and inclusive student leadership due to a lack of funds to organise workshops on leadership The adoption of a student leadership framework includes certain policies such as the Student Representative Council (SRC) which governs or regulates student leadership at campus will lead to the fulfilment of the needs of students and as well the good governance of higher education institutions.