News

The 5th International School Principals Conference (ISPC 2025), organized to discuss innovation, leadership, and future preparedness in education by focusing on the importance of meaningful and sustainable changes for preparing schools for the future, was hosted by our University. The training, organized in collaboration with our University, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, the European School Heads Association (ESHA), TÖDER, and Bahçeşehir University. The conference was held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, in the Blue Hall of the Central Classroom Building with online and face-to-face sessions, and on Friday, December 12, 2025, in the Red Hall of the Central Classroom Building with face-to-face sessions.

The conference was attended by Istanbul Medeniyet University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül, Faculty of Education Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Eyüp Sevimli, School Administrators Association President and IMU Faculty of Education Sciences Department of Education Sciences Chair Prof. Dr. İbrahim Hakan Karataş, European School Heads Association (ESHA) President Stig Johannessen, ESHA Director Petra van Haren, ESHA board members, academics from different countries, school administrators, education experts, and many guests.

This year's ISPC 2025, held under the theme "Getting Ready for the Future: Meaningful Changes in Schools," addressed topics such as education management, school leadership, artificial intelligence, digitalization, sustainability, inclusivity, and well-being in a multidimensional manner. The conference featured discussions on how schools can be managed more effectively during uncertain times, drawing on experiences shared by participants from both Turkey and other countries.

The first day of the conference began with online sessions. Throughout the day, speakers from different countries gave presentations on current approaches to educational leadership in international webinars and sessions where best practices were shared. On the same day, global leadership experiences were discussed comparatively at a face-to-face roundtable meeting titled "Cross-Country Leadership Insights," attended by school administrators from Turkey and 10 other countries.

On the second day of the conference, Friday, December 12, 2025, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Hakan Karataş delivered the opening speech for the face-to-face sessions held at our university. This was followed by speeches from Prof. Dr. Eyüp Sevimli, ESHA President Stig Johannessen, Hayati Oktay, and our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül. Following the opening, ESHA Director Petra van Haren gave a presentation on ESHA's international activities. The program continued with workshops held throughout the day and an international roundtable discussion titled "Digitalization & AI in Schools."

The third and final day of the conference will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Bahçeşehir University's Beşiktaş Campus, concluding with Turkish-language sessions. These sessions will cover practical examples, experience sharing, and educational management models for school administrators in Turkey.