Leading education institutes to make key recommendations in Knowledge Mobilization
June 16, 2011
Yesterday marks the conclusion of the annual meeting and conference of IALEI, the International Alliance of Leading Education Institutes hosted by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE), and Chaired by OISE Dean Julia O’Sullivan.
The event gathered more than 150 people together from 10 faculties and schools of education that are leading research-intensive institutions as well as policy-makers, leaders in educational administration, and members from the OECD and The World Bank to discuss Mobilizing Knowledge and Research in Education.
Researchers from the 10 IALEI member institutions met to share national reports on the topic of Knowledge Mobilization, and worked to co-author an international synthesis report with key recommendations that will be formally released. The international research team was led by OISE’s Ben Levin (pictured at right with Veronica Lacey, CEO of The Learning Partnership). Ben spoke of the need to “strengthen the relationship between research, policy and practice” and set the group’s goal to “share ideas and to learn from each other… and to give research a higher prominence in the process of education.”
Highlights of the event included a series of working group sessions, which allowed for structured and spontaneous discussions about the theme of Knowledge Mobilization, as well as panel discussions that allowed for questions and answers from the audience. 
Special guest Sandra Nutley from the University of Edinburgh asked the delegates to consider “research not as a product, but rather a service.” She also spoke of the need to think more about “how researchers work with policy and practice communities to shape their activities, but also with the media to shape the demand for research.”
The event was deemed a great success. The next meeting of the IALEI members will be at The University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia in 2012.
-30- Photos by Mary MacDonell