International Education Leadership Programme

The programme ran from October 2024 to June 2025 and comprised four in-person workshops, two international conversations and a three-day Study Visit to Utrecht University. Participants also joined small Action Learning Sets for the duration of the programme and were supported to engage with peers and resources through a collaborative Teams space. 

In-person workshops 

Workshop themes and areas of focus were co-developed with participants and all in-person sessions provided space for group work and discussion around the workshop theme. They all included leadership insights from an external guest speaker. 

Workshop 1: Leading in our contexts 

• Leadership insights from Alison Johns, Chief Executive, Advance HE, and IELP alumnus 2023/24, Prof Simon Banks, Vice Dean Education in the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, KCL. 

Workshop 2: Future challenges and opportunities for our institutions 

• Leadership insights panel: Professor Adam Fagan, KCL Vice President Education & Student Experience, Professor Emma McCoy, LSE Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor Education, and Professor Ahmed Rashid, LSHTM Pro-Director Education. 

Workshop 3: Leading change in complex environments

• Leadership insights from Professor Larry Kramer, LSE President and Vice Chancellor and Professor Deborah Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Framework), London South Bank University. 

Workshop 4: Speculative futures, present actions 

• Leadership insights from Derfel Owen, LSHTM Registrar & Director of Education Services, John-george Nicholson, LSHTM Head of Strategic Education Office, and Professor Frank Coton, Senior Vice Principal & Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of Glasgow. 

Action Learning Sets  

Action Learning Sets were formed in the first workshop and supported to meet through the year. These offered a space for collaborative problem-solving and served to foster personal and professional development through reflection and peer support. The Programme Leads made a structured template available to encourage a coaching approach and to enable constructive insights and perspectives on leadership challenges (Leonard & Marquardt, 2010; Volz-Peacock et al., 2016).   

International conversations 

Participants engaged in two conversations with international partners: An online presentation and discussion with a group of ten educational leaders at Peking University (PKU), on Education Futures and the Role of AI in the Curriculum, and

1. An online presentation and discussion with a group of ten educational leaders at Peking University (PKU), on Education Futures and the Role of AI in the Curriculum, and  

2. An in-person presentation and discussion led by Professor Kerri-Lee Krause, Chief Commissioner at Australia’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards, on Learner-centred Leadership in Higher Education. 

Study visit 

In April 2025, Utrecht University (UU) hosted a Study Visit for the IELP participants. The group engaged in dialogue with a range of colleagues from different areas of the University and shared perspectives on educational leadership and institutional approaches to education enhancement.  

Presentations included: 

• The Utrecht Centre for Academic Teaching and Utrecht’s Education Model, Prof. mr. dr. Bald de Vries, Academic Director & Nienke van Keulen, Coordinator of Teacher Development

• Recognition and Reward of Education-Focused Careers, Prof. dr. Manon Kluijtmans, Vice Rector

• Impact of Educational Leadership, Dr Carolijn Ouwehand, Educational Consultant and Lead for the UU Educational Leadership Programme

• Continuing Education at UU, Prof. dr. Wieger Bakker, Professor of Society Oriented Higher Education

• Utrecht Summer School, Drs. Bettina Nelemans, Summer School Director

• AI: Literacy and Assessment, Dr Laura Koenders, Education Development Officer

The programme ran from October 2023 to July 2024 and comprised three online workshops and a three-day International Education Leadership Symposium. Participants were also encouraged to engage in independent and collaborative learning through the programme’s Moodle forum and resources, hosted by Monash University, and through the 'actioning' of individual Leadership Projects. 

The three workshops for participants from all four institutions were designed to address the following core topics: 

• Workshop 1: Leading change through influence Workshop (9th November 2023)  

  Masterclass speakers:  

  Professor Shitij Kapur (President & Vice Chancellor, King’s College London) 

  Professor Kelly Coate (Vice Chancellor, Richmond American International University in London)

• Workshop 2: Building relationships, developing self and others (13th February 2024)  

  Masterclass speaker:  

  Professor Dilly Fung (Professor Emerita London School of Economics and Political Science)

• Workshop 3: Leading in the learning and teaching landscape (9th May 2024) 

  Masterclass speakers:  

  Professor dr Manon Kluijtmans (Utrecht Universiteit) 

  Professor Pascale Quester (Vice Chancellor, Swinburne University) 

Each online workshop incorporated three main components: a leadership masterclass from guest speakers with leadership experience and expertise in the topic area, a discovery session to encourage exploration and application of the topic area to individuals’ practice through conversation, and a leadership project segment in which colleagues with similar interests and education initiatives could participate in cross-institutional knowledge exchange and potential collaborative activity.  

To take full advantage of the close geographical proximity of the LSE and KCL campuses, participating colleagues from these institutions were also invited to join four in-person conversations over the course of the academic year. These conversations focused on topics complementary to the regular core programme schedule, including Leading in the London HE Sector, Leading through Uncertainty, Leading Sustainable Educational Change, and Leading Inclusive Education. These conversations were also open to all colleagues from University of Warwick available to attend.

Programme Symposium 

The final Symposium brought the participants together in the UK on 10-12th July 2024 for a three-day residential to enhance their leadership capabilities and explore new educational leadership paradigms. The event focused on developing participants’ understanding of their leadership strengths, sharing their own leadership insights, engaging with new perspectives from expert speakers, fostering potential collaborations, and reflecting on personal growth. 

Symposium guest speakers included: 

• Professor Jonathan Grant’s keynote on the evolving social mission of higher education. Drawing from his book, The New Power University, Grant (Founder of The Policy Institute at King’s College London & Director of Different Angles) underscored the necessity for universities to adopt a renewed purpose that prioritizes social responsibility, equality of access, and community organizing.

• Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin (Vice President (International, Engagement & Service); Professor of Security, Leadership & Development King’s College London), who gave a keynote emphasizing themes of inclusion and social responsibility in international higher education, reinforcing the programme's focus on these crucial aspects of educational leadership.

• Debbie McVitty (Editor of the higher education news briefing, WonkHE) spoke about the politics and policy implications of the UK General Election, drawing comparisons with the Australian Accord and posing some of the HE strategy challenges facing governments and the opportunities for universities to shape their governments’ HE policy agendas.

• Dr Tom Kennie (co-author of Leadership Transitions: Arriving, Surviving and Thriving at the Top) offered insightful discussions on the implications of national and institutional policies for both domestic and international students, as well as political and policy ramifications in various contexts, which helped frame reflections on the contextual aspects of educational leadership.

• Anne Wilson (Head of Careers, University of Warwick) closed the final session on the final day by supporting the program participants to understand their individual leadership strengths and how to leverage these in their work and in their career planning.