About the International Alliance of Leading Education Institutes (IALEI)

The genesis for the International Alliance of Leading Education Institutes (IALEI) is rooted in the shared optimism that the pooling of common experiences and achievements amongst a community of educators can bring about advances in education internationally. 

Each of the member institutions has its own strengths and achievements and receives international recognition for its teaching programmes and research. Through their investment in ongoing research, they are making – and will continue to make- significant contributions to education in their own countries and internationally. Through the Alliance, ten institutions bring to the table their individual accomplishments and strengths,  and together  they can be a catalyst for change in the area of education. Thus the Alliance endeavours to:

  • offer something unique by speaking with a single collective voice and with some degree of authority on educational matters, especially teacher education – thus significantly raising the profile of education in the arenas of public consciousness and government policy
  • bring synergy to the group in order to collaborate on issues of major concern in education
  • be a think tank to debate and generate ideas, anticipate trends and future scenarios, and communicate through statements and declarations on critical issues in education that will have an impact on policy decisions in their respective countries as well as in the rest of the world
  • develop statements and declarations of interest to international funding institutions and organisations and policy makers.

Activities

  • IALEI holds an annual business meeting to identify, discuss and address key issues, identify relevant audiences and develop appropriate communication plans.
  • On an annual basis a joint research team is established, chaired by a researcher from the host institution, to develop the agreed research topic for that year.
  • At an annual international conference the think thank presents its policy recommendations based on the joint research team’s comparative studies.
  • The Alliance communicates the outcomes of its collective work to external audiences through brochures, newsletters, magazines, book publications and its website.

Structure

  • The chair of the Alliance rotates on an annual basis, with effect from the annual business meeting. Current Chair is Professor Shi Zhongying, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University.
  • A Permanent Secretariat is located at the Department of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark, for the duration of four years starting from January 2010.

IALEI brochure 2012

Get a quick overview of the Alliance’s purpose, goals, members and joint research projects from the beginning until now. Download the brochure