The coursework is offered on a part-time basis and comprises 24 credit points, or eight courses. Six on-line courses are offered, with breaks between them and a holiday over Christmas. Students are required to participate in one School Improvement Institute (SII) as a residential course and a School-based Inquiry Project (SIP), equivalent in credit to one course. Those who complete the SIP concurrent to coursework can finish within 18 months.
The course is specifically designed for educators who are employed on a full-time basis. The on-line format allows participants to complete coursework at times and locations convenient to them, whilst providing opportunities for asynchronistic feedback from instructors and peers.
The IELC provides training in key competencies and a knowledge base necessary for effective cross-cultural educational leadership in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The IELC does not lead specifically to a principal’s license because licensing requirements vary across jurisdictions.
The IELC degree is granted by The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). The EdUHK, as Hong Kong’s largest pre- and in-service teacher training purveyor, offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the field of education.
Further, the Asia-Pacific Centre of Leadership and Change (APCLC) provides extensive in-service training to principals in local Hong Kong schools and to leaders in international schools. The APCLCs director, Allan Walker, has been involved in leadership training throughout the Asia-Pacific region. For further details, please consult the APCLC website
EdUHK is one of eight tertiary sector providers in Hong Kong funded by the University Grants Commission and as such participates in the UGCs quality assurance review. This process involves a regular programme review conducted by international scholars. The government has invested the EdUHK with self-accrediting status to grant degrees at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. EdUHK degrees and programmes are placed on an equal footing to other universities in Hong Kong. [N.B. Self-accrediting status is conventional in many jurisdictions, particularly in systems established within the British Commonwealth such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.]
The IELC is authorised by the International Baccalaureate and Cambridge Assessment International Education. It also has a credit-transfer agreement with the Ontario Principals Council and International School Leadership Ltd, a further indicator of the programme quality.
The IELC draws on the APCLCs faculty, international research fellows and global connections (see http://www.eduhk.hk/apclc/People.html) to contribute instructors of international stature.
The IELC addresses current themes and theories in leadership and change, but contextualises them to the Asia-Pacific and stresses cross-cultural application. Instructors guide students in applying relevant theoretical frameworks and assessments to their professional context through a problem-based learning approach.
The IELC aims to target practicing and aspiring school leaders, including principals, middle leaders, teacher leaders, curriculum leaders, programme coordinators, NGO managers, and teachers involved in implementing new programmes or curricula. Those who are interested in better understanding leadership and change as part of their professional development may apply to join for the IELC.
