Xavier University - Governance and Leadership Institute (XU-GLI) is a social development unit of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan that was created to help build the capacities of the public sector. Since its inception in 2007, XU-GLI has been helping the national government and the local units of Northern Mindanao in capacity-building initiatives and program empowerment. XU-GLI envisions itself to be the premier leadership institute in Mindanao by 2020.

XU-GLI offers training courses on Effective Local Legislation; Organizational Strategic Management and Governance; Effective Campaign Management; Local Legislative Staff Competency Enhancement; Local Government Unit Administrators’ Training; Barangay Good Governance; Performance Management using Balanced Scorecard Framework; and Municipal Leadership and Governance Program.

XU-GLI is a partner institution of the Department of Interior and Local Government - Region X (DILG-X) in the training of LGUs on Water Governance. In Northern Mindanao, the Institute is the partner academic institution of the Department of Health - Region 10 (DOH-X) and Zuellig Family Foundation in the training of the local chief executives and municipal health officers under the Municipal Leadership and Governance Program.