THE LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION, ADVANCEMENT AND DIVERSITY (LEAD) RESEARCH INSTITUTE

About the Institute

The Leadership in Education, Advancement and Diversity (LEAD) Research Institute is an international scholastic institute at Wenzhou-Kean University in China. The LEAD Research Institute aspires to conduct research and evaluation studies of the highest quality in order to enhance knowledge and contribute to informed policymaking in the field of educational leadership, future education and social inclusion of people with diverse backgrounds and needs. The Institute works in partnership with stakeholders including educators, school leaders, policy-makers, families, students and other collaborators in the universities from various countries. This partnership provides LEAD Research Institute the opportunity to better understand and identify solutions to complex challenges that learners, parents, educators and leaders face in diverse contexts worldwide.

Vision, Mission and Objectives

The LEAD Research Institute’s vision is to build successful education systems worldwide for all learners with diverse backgrounds and abelites through research-informed systematic change and reform in early childhood, primary, and secondary. 

The LEAD Research Institute’s mission is to conduct basic, applied and comprehensive world-class research studies globally in educational leadership, future education and inclusion to provide support and advocate for policy transformation in all educational levels.

The following objectives guide the activities of the LEAD Research Institute –

• Stimulate multidisciplinary global enquires about educational leadership, technology driven future education and inclusion;
• Act as an international platform for knowledge and understanding across-the-board about educational leadership, future education and inclusion for academics and policy-makers all over the world;
• Support in identifying and addressing key contemporary issues to improve the quality of academic and public debates worldwide about educational leadership, future education and inclusion;
• Coordinate expertise from across the globe to generate effective solutions and inform policy on educational leadership, future education and inclusion;
• Bridge the gap between the theory (i.e., what-should-happen) and the practice (i.e., making-it-happen) in educational leadership, future education and inclusion engaging related industry and community groups.

Research focus

The LEAD Research Institute has three key research areas including –

1. Educational Advancement an, Smart Education: focuses on global trends in educational advancements and policy reforms for quality education for all learners to meet the demands of technological advancement and challenges in relation to smart education.
2. Educational leadership and Management: focus on leaders and followers reciprocal influence on governance of school system, Schools as effective and sustainable organizations, leadership and equity, and professionalism, quality and retention of teachers. 
3. Diversity and Inclusive Education: focuses on identifying possible barriers and solutions that can address the barriers related to learning and full participation of all students including children with different abilities and children form diverse backgrounds.

Research Initiatives

• Implementing Inclusive School Improvement Model (ISIM) in primary and secondary schools
• Inclusive STEAM Pedagogy in early childhood
• Developing an Inclusive School Leadership Practice (ISLP) scale for international use
• Investigating application of gamification of learning, impact of AI and computer assisted education, and learning analytics
• Exploring global best practices for inclusive education policy and implementation
• Conducting systematic reviews and empirical studies on effective educational leadership

External members of LEAD

1. Professor Umesh Sharma is Vice Provost (People and Culture) at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China. He is also Adjunct Professor (Inclusive Education) at Monash University, Australia. His research has examined why children with disabilities and challenging behaviors are often excluded from schools and how we can effectively reform the education system to include them in our schools and society. His research spans over 25 countries, including India, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Samoa, along with Australia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, the USA, and New Zealand. He received Australia’s National Research award (a top rating for researchers in their respective fields) in 2019, 2023, and 2024 in the area of “Special Education.” Additionally, in 2023, he was recognized as the Research Field Leader in “Teaching and Teacher Education.”

2. Professor Caroline Sahli Lozano is the head of the research programme on Inclusive Education at the University of Teacher Education in Bern, Switzerland (PHBern). Her research and professional practice are dedicated to inclusive education, with a specific focus on supporting students with special educational needs, particularly in the areas of adaptive teaching and cooperative learning. With a background as a primary school teacher, she brings practical classroom experience to her academic work. Caroline is actively involved in significant research projects at the Institute for Continuing Education and Educational Innovation, exploring effective methods to foster inclusive school environments.

3. Dr. Lesley Eblie Trudel has devoted over three decades to shaping the field of education in Manitoba Canada, engaging in a range of instructional and leadership roles and working in both urban and rural settings. Her K-12 career culminated as an Assistant Superintendent of Schools focusing on equity, diversity and inclusion. Now serving as Associate Dean and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg, she brings extensive practical experience to her post-secondary teaching, interdisciplinary research and administrative leadership. Dr. Eblie Trudel is deeply committed to navigating the complexities of diverse educational communities and promoting innovative approaches to systems transformation, improvement and change.

4. Dr. Samantha Vlcek is a Lecturer in Inclusive Education at the School of Education, RMIT University, Australia. Her research focuses on collaboration among educators, families, and systems to support children with diverse learning profiles. She has investigated national funding models such as the NCCD, ISP, and NDIS, with an emphasis on equitable practices for children with disabilities and educational disadvantage. Dr. Vlcek also researches gifted education and inclusive teaching strategies across Australasia and beyond.

5. Dr. Agata Röhner-Sowinska is an internationally recognized leader in Dalton education, having guided the implementation of the Dalton Plan in high-profile schools and organizations across the globe. Her executive career includes roles such as Executive Director of the Dalton International Foundation (The Netherlands) and Head of Pedagogy and Communications at institutions in China. She provides expert consultation to Dalton organizations in numerous countries, including Australia, China, Japan, and throughout Europe. Dr. Röhner-Sowinska holds a Master’s in Alternative Education and a Doctorate in Pedagogy from John Paul II Catholic University in Poland.

6. Dr. Jinjin (Helen) Lu is an accomplished educational researcher with over 15 years of international experience across China, Europe, the USA, and Australia. She holds an MA from the University of Wisconsin and a PhD from the University of Tasmania. Dr. Lu has a proven track record of leading successful interdisciplinary research projects in Australia and securing significant competitive funding, notably from the European Union's Horizon 2020 programe between 2018-2020. Her impactful work includes close collaboration with the Czech Ministry of Education and Australia's Early Start UOW, developing supportive frameworks for multilingual children and families. Dr. Lu's current research focuses on early childhood language and literacy, developmental psychology, and the thoughtful integration of social media technology in early education, consistently bridging academic inquiry with practical application.

7. Dr. Han Jiang is an Associate Professor at Suzhou Early Childhood Normal College, following her previous role at Zhejiang Normal University. She is a dedicated researcher specializing in educational rehabilitation for children with ADHD, with a focus on developing and applying neurocognitive training and online intervention models. Dr. Jiang holds a PhD in Education from the University of Wollongong and has been awarded prestigious grants, including from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Her extensive publication record in leading journals covers critical areas such as neurocognitive interventions, inclusive education strategies, and teacher attitudes toward students with learning disabilities.