Events
The Institute holds a series of weekly keynote lectures in term time only, on a wide range of topics in education. See below for current events and previous topics and recordings.
Current events
You are warmly invited to the Spring Lecture Series of the University of Liverpool Institute of Education for 2026.
Given the success of our previous monthly series, we have decided to host weekly sessions. The upcoming series will provide a forum for all those interested in a wide range of topics related to education, from Early Years through to Higher Education and beyond.
This semester, we have been fortunate enough to have an equal mix of both international and more local speakers, who will lead on topics as diverse as 'examining parental voice in corporate governance using a poetic methodology' through to the 'knowledge-rich' curriculum in England: history, evolution, tensions, risks and consequences for teacher education and continuing professional development.
- Capacity Building Through a Mentoring Program for In-Service School Leaders: Dr Douglas Andrews (University of Witwatersrand), 11 2026, 4pm
- Real Lives of Teachers: Dr Emma Kell (Educational Coach), 18 2026, 4pm
- Reforming education systems for inclusion and equity: Emeritus Professor Mel Ainscow (University of Manchester), 25 2026, 4
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The Diversity Paradox: Diversity, performativity culture, and the reproduction of advantage in international education”: Dr Lucy Bailey (University of Bahrain), Wednesday 4 March 2026
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Issues and trends in citizenship education: Dr Ian Davies (University of York), 11 March 2026, 4
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School Belonging: What is it and why does it matter in these uncertain times: Emeritus Professor Kathryn Riley (UCL), Wednesday 18 March 2026, 4pm
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Reconfiguration of leadership, leaders and leading through governance: Dr Karen Healey (University of Manchester), Wednesday 15 April 2026, 4pm
- The ‘knowledge-rich’ curriculum in England: history, evolution, tensions, risks and cons: Emeritus Professor Brian Hudson (University of Sussex), 22 April 2026, 4
- Reconfiguration of leadership, leaders and leading: why we need new language for school improvement: Honorary Professor Dr Tony Breslin (Independent Consultant/ UCL), 6 May 2026, 4
- The impact of micro-credentials on the development of professional learning in Ukraine, Montenegro and Albania (https://cred4teach.eu/). Professor Isabel Huet (Universidade Aberta, Portugal), Wednesday 13 May 2026.
Previous events and recordings
Leading for Equity based on the book System Recall: Leading for Equity and Excellence in Education
Professor Alma Harris (Cardiff Met), February 2026
Supporting Teacher and Leader Wellbeing: Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education
Dr Sebrina Doyle-Fosco (Penn State), 28 January 2026
Sustaining Ukrainian Higher Education in wartime
Alla Krasulia, Sumy State University (Ukraine)
Alla Krusalia presented a lecture to explore how Ukrainian higher education institutions have built upon international cooperation, digitalisation, and research grants to sustain and transform academic life during wartime.
The promise and peril of interdisciplinarity in higher education: What we know about issues of academic engagement and what questions remain
Dr Karri Holley, University of Alabama
Dr Karri Holley discusses interdisciplinarity in U.S. higher education, focusing on academic engagement, strategic planning, and staff roles, using the University of Alabama as one example.
Exploring student and faculty gender perspectives at a medical school in Rwanda
Dr Kara Neil, King Faisal Hospital, Rwanda
Dr Kara Neil gives an overview of Rwanda and takes you through her project. The project aimed to: explore gender perspectives and experiences among UGA medical faculty and students, examine how these have evolved, compare differences across roles and genders, and identify strategies for promoting gender inclusion in Rwandan medical schools.
Coaching mentoring - a change agent to supporting women and global majority educators to progress into leadership within Higher Education
Dr Lizana Oberholzer, University of Wolverhampton
Dr. Lizana Oberholzer examines mentoring and coaching for women in higher education. She discusses how these approaches, when customised to meet individual needs and emotional states, can empower women and colleagues from underrepresented backgrounds to overcome challenges in education and advance in their careers.