ENIRDELM 2010 – Szeged, Hungary. September 16th-18th
Conference Invitation

Over the past three years the discussion at ENIRDELM conferences has focussed on fundamental  education leadership issues such as: the leaders’ moral responsibility for sustainable development and the world (Uppsala - 2007), exploring the link between learning leading and leading learning (Bergen - 2008) and a new type of professionalism required in a turbulent and complex world (Antwerp - 2009).

This year, the 2010 conference, to be held in Szeged, Hungary, aims to broaden our deliberation on these themes and in particular to give an in-depth exploration of the impact of leadership on learning in its broadest sense. Therefore the theme of this year’s conference - Does leadership matter?;  Implications for Leadership Development and the School as a Learning Organisation  - intends to focus on the connection between learning and school leadership, including the impact of leadership on both qualitative and measureable learning outcomes.  Possible questions to be addressed under the headings: ‘School Leaders’ and ‘The impact school leaders have on learning’ include:

School leaders

1. Who are the school leaders? How are they selected? Is there a ‘best way’ to select leaders? How attractive is the career as leader and does this idea influence selection? Who can become a good leader - is it a good teacher or someone who has proven themselves successful in another sector?  
2. What competences should leaders have? How do we respond to the EU initiative which specifies key competences necessary for an effective school leader? Do perceptions of the school and of learning influence the range of competences necessary for effective leadership?
3. What form of Leadership Development Programme best assists actual leaders and leaders-to-be so that they may perform their role effectively and successfully?

The impact school leaders have on learning

1. Can we assume that Leaders have a significant impact on the process and the outcomes of learning in the school? Is there an evidence base?
2. Are learning organisations and leadership relevant in today’s rapidly changing world? What role, if any, do leaders play in this?
3. How do internal and external issues, intra- and extra-organisational support systems influence the work of leadership? How do qualification systems transform the process of learning?

We seek systemic and contextualised answers to these and other questions with a specific focus on educational leadership practice.  

ENIRDELM 2009, in Antwerpen Belgium (link to website)

Mission
Bringing researchers, school leaders and policy makers together. Key note speeches, paper presentations and workshops will be alternated by “field visits” and a cultural programme that will allow the participants to experience the multicultural and hospitable character of the city.

If you are interested in presenting your research/experiences regarding this year’s topic and relevant issues such as
- culture
- professionalism
- new public management
- evidence based school development in a learning society
- schools and networking in changing contexts?

See flyer

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ENIRDELM2008, in Bergen Norway

Last conference - the seventeenth annual meeting - was held in Bergen, Norway, September 25th-28th 2008. The theme for the conference was;

Leading to Learn together and Learning to Lead together

The theme for the 2008 ENIRDELM Conference linked two key issues which were at the centre of international education discourse: Educational Leadership and Lifelong Learning. The reality of an expanding and shifting knowledge-base for educational leaders and also the ever-changing education context in which they seek to achieve their goals, makes inescapable a commitment to lifelong professional learning by all those involved in education and educational leadership.

The conference theme for 2008 offered a backdrop for discussion and debate on -

• The role of educational leadership in enabling personal, professional and organisational learning?
• What are ‘best ways’ of learning to lead in a collaborative way?

It also offered an opportunity for presenters and participants to explore the interdependence of these two processes and the significance of ‘relationships’ and the affective dimension of leading and learning to both.

During the conference we explored fundamental questions which the facilitation of these processes poses for policymakers, researchers, leaders in education including school leaders and classroom practitioners:

• What are the key enabling / inhibiting factors for ‘learning leadership’ and ‘leading learning’ at institutional and at national level?
• What are the main tensions? 
• Who are the key players?
• Does organisational / school culture play a role?
• How significant are organisational relationship / power issues?
• What is best practice with regard to the management and co-ordination of enabling resources and structures?
• Do networks / partnerships have a role?
• Are there implications for educational development and teacher continuing professional development?

This conference intended to put more weight on workshops than in recent years. The idea was to create an environment for discussion, so that people would get feedback on ideas, practice, research projects, educational policy, leadership experience, school leadership training programmes, etc.
The workshop groups had each a two 90 minutes sessions. The leader of the workshop saw to that an introduction to the theme of the workshop was given. It was limited to 15 minutes at the most. A written presentation was submitted to the participants electronically beforehand. This workshop procedure facilitated creativity and partipation and will be integrated in the next conference.

ENIRDELM CONFERENCE sept 2010

in Szeged Hungary

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