ABSTRACT
PurposeTo offer an insight into post-COVID-19 Industry 5.0 environment, educational responses that are being made by Higher Education institutions (HEIs), and leadership qualities that appear to be effective in this environment. Also, to develop a conceptual model of causal relationships between the identified constructs in producing educational curricular outcomes.Design/methodology/approachInterpretative review was conducted identifying, analyzing and synthesizing the relevant literature on the relationships between post-COVID-19 Industry 5.0 environment, HEI's leadership characteristics, their decision-making bases and curricular design outcomes.FindingsThe literature showed that in unpredictable post-COVID-19 Industry 5.0 environment, thriving HEIs are found to have leaders who are perceptive, visionary and agile with effective communication and navigation skills;embracing change culture;and able to learn from concrete experiences. Responding to the pandemic and Industry 5.0's disruptive technology, these leaders are accelerating university–industry engagement and developing more flexible, student-centered, work-based curricula. Synthesis of the literature resulted in developing a conceptual model that shows that environmental turbulence is likely to influence curriculum design through leaders' decision bases, and that leaders' characteristics and industry engagement may interact with leaders' decision bases to strengthen this influence.Originality/valueA different lens was offered of the type of leadership that is seen to be effective in the turbulent and HE post-COVID-19 Industry 5.0 environment, and a novel conceptual model of relationships was developed which has potential impacts for HE leadership theory and practice.