Educational Leadership for an Equitable, Resilient, and Sustainable Future
Summary
The WERA IRN Educational Leadership for an Equitable, Resilient, and Sustainable Future brings together scholars and educational leaders from diverse regions, career stages, disciplinary backgrounds, and epistemological traditions to advance international, comparative, and cross-cultural research on educational leadership. The IRN focuses on how leadership can contribute to more equitable, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable education systems, institutions, and communities. Its work addresses three interconnected questions: (1) What significant issues affect quality, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in education? (2) What leadership competencies are critical for equitable, resilient, and sustainable societies, systems, and organizations? and (3) What policies and practices can strengthen leaders’ competencies and commitment to the common good? The IRN covers research on global, school, higher education, community, Indigenous, responsible, sustainability, inclusive, and digital leadership, as well as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Global Citizenship Education (GCED), Global Competence education, and leadership education and scholarship.
Building on the achievements of its first term (2024–2026), the second term (2026–2029) focuses on strengthening international and comparative research collaboration, developing joint publications and research proposals, advancing leadership education and training, and promoting knowledge mobilization. Particular attention is given to mentoring early-career researchers and doctoral students, strengthening collaboration across the Global North and Global South, and connecting research with educational policy and practice. Through sustained international collaboration, the IRN seeks to generate and disseminate knowledge that supports evidence-informed educational leadership and contributes to more equitable, resilient, and sustainable futures.
Conveners
Joanna Madalinska Michalak, PhD (Lead Convener)
Full Professor, Social Sciences
Faculty of Education, University of Warsaw, Poland
j.madalinska@uw.edu.pl
Linyuan Guo-Brennan, PhD
Professor, International & Global Education
University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
liguo@upei.ca
Khalid Arar, PhD
Professor, Educational Leadership & Policy
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology (CLAS) & ABS, Texas State University, USA
k_A422@texstate.ed
Meng Tian, PhD
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Global Engagement
School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK
k_A422@texstate.ed
IRN Report
Publications and other IRN activities
Selected publications and resources reflecting the IRN’s international and collaborative work include: Routledge Book Series “Educational Leadership for an Equitable, Resilient and Sustainable Future”. The IRN is closely connected with this international Routledge book series, which advances interdisciplinary and global scholarship on educational leadership, equity, inclusion, resilience, and sustainability.
The series provides a platform for research addressing educational leadership across diverse national, cultural, and geopolitical contexts. Series Editors: Khalid Arar, Texas State University, USA; Miguel A. Guajardo, Texas State University, USA; Linyuan Guo-Brennan, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada; Meng Tian, University of Birmingham, UK
Series website: https://www.routledge.com/Educational-Leadership-for-an-Equitable-Resilient-and-Sustainable-Future/book-series/ELERSF
Selected titles in the series include:
- Global Leadership for Equity and Inclusion in Education: Geopolitical Issues, Diverse Perspectives, and Critical Praxis – Linyuan Guo-Brennan, Maria Guajardo, Khalid Arar & Michael Guo-Brennan, 2025/2026. https://www.routledge.com/Global-Leadership-for-Equity-and-Inclusion-in-Education-Geopolitical-Issues-Diverse-Perspectives-and-Critical-Praxis/Guo-Brennan-Guajardo-Arar-Guo-Brennan/p/book/9781041006961
- Transformative Praxis through Doctoral Educational Leadership Programs: A Blueprint for Fostering Resilient, Future-ready Leaders – Khalid Arar, Miguel A. Guajardo, Melissa A. Martinez & Rolf Straubhaar, 2026. https://www.routledge.com/Transformative-Praxis-through-Doctoral-Educational-Leadership-Programs-A-Blueprint-for-Fostering-Resilient-Future-ready-Leaders/Arar-Guajardo-Martinez-Straubhaar/p/book/9781041128199
- Sustainable Educational Leadership and the Climate Crisis: Knowledge, Power, and Positive Futures – Alexander Gardner-McTaggart, 2026. https://www.routledge.com/Sustainable-Educational-Leadership-and-the-Climate-Crisis-Knowledge-Power-and-Positive-Futures/Gardner-McTaggart/p/book/9781032409764
- Women in Educational Leadership and Community Building: Voices from across the Globe – Khalid Arar, Rania Sawalhi, Rida Blaik Hourani, Trista Hollweck & Corinne Brion. https://www.routledge.com/Women-in-Educational-Leadership-and-Community-Building-Voices-from-across-the-Globe/Arar-Sawalhi-BlaikHourani-Hollweck-Brion/p/book/9781032418544
- Islamic-Based Educational Leadership, Administration and Management: Challenging Expectations through Global Critical Insights – Khalid Arar, Rania Sawalhi, Amaarah DeCuir & Tasneem Amatullah. https://www.routledge.com/Islamic-Based-Educational-Leadership-Administration-and-Management-Challenging-Expectations-through-Global-Critical-Insights/Arar-Sawalhi-DeCuir-Amatullah/p/book/9781032418568
Countries of IRN Members: