Developing International Projects
for School Leaders
Developing International Projects for School Leaders (DIPSLeaders) is a European professional development programme for headteachers, deputy heads, senior leadership teams and regional education leaders.
Organised by the LFEE Europe Group in collaboration with ESHA – the European School Heads Association, and with institutional support from the French Occitanie Region, DIPSLeaders provides a structured space for school leaders to design, refine and implement meaningful internationalisation strategies.
This prestigious, high-level European programme will bring together visionary school leaders from across the continent to collaborate, innovate, and design impactful whole-school internationalisation strategies that truly make a difference. Join a powerful network of leaders shaping the future of education in Europe and take your school’s international journey to the next level.
DIPSLeaders 2026
Monday 2 November – Friday 6 November 2026
Marseille, France
(N.B. 2nd and 6th of November are the travelling days)
The programme positions Erasmus+ as a strategic framework and planning template, while recognising that schools may also draw on national, regional or internal funding routes.
Together, we will explore how internationalisation can:
- Strengthen whole-school development
- Build leadership capacity
- Support inclusion and equity
- Drive digital transformation
- Enhance staff well-being
- Prepare schools for the next Erasmus+ cycle (2028–2034)
DIPSLeaders 2026 guiding theme
Internationalisation as Strategy
Step beyond mobility and position internationalisation at the heart of school leadership.
DIPSLeaders empowers school leaders to design bold whole-school strategies that drive innovation, inclusion, wellbeing and digital transformation.
During the Course, You Will
- Audit your current international activity and leadership priorities
- Explore Erasmus+ and other international funding routes strategically
- Learn from European case studies and leadership practice
- Exchange ideas with school leaders from across Europe
- Build a draft whole-school internationalisation strategy
- Develop a realistic 3-year implementation pathway
- Define impact indicators and dissemination plans
By the end of the programme, participants will leave with:
✔ A draft internationalisation strategy
✔ A practical implementation roadmap
✔ A stronger European leadership network
Course Content Includes
- Internationalisation and School Leadership – from vision to systems thinking
- Erasmus+ as a Strategic Framework – beyond administration
- Alternative Funding Routes and Mixed Models
- Building and Sustaining European Networks
- Digital & AI Tools for International Education
- Leadership, Inclusion and Well-being in European Contexts
- Strategy Design Workshops – guided development of your school’s pathway
The programme combines keynote inputs, interactive workshops, carousel sessions, peer exchange, and structured strategy-building sessions.
DIPSLeaders is designed for
- Headteachers and principals
- Deputy heads and senior leadership teams
- International coordinators working at leadership level
- Regional education leaders and policy officers
Schools are encouraged to send two members of the leadership team where possible, to maximise impact.
Bring Your Network
Participants are encouraged to invite existing and potential European partners.
DIPSLeaders includes structured networking sessions and peer review opportunities to help strengthen sustainable cooperation.
Hear it from your colleagues.
Find out more about DIPS and watch interviews of past participants.
Playlist
Course tuition fee only
€240 per person. This covers the 3-day tuition fee and coffee breaks. Participants organise and pay for their own accommodation, lunches and dinners.
Course, accommodation and subsistence fee
€990 per person. This covers the cost of the 3-day tuition fee, coffee breaks, lunches, 4 nights bed & breakfast hotel accommodation (individual rooms) and a welcome reception (drinks and finger food) on the Monday evening.
Travel not included. Optional Gala Dinner on the Thursday evening - €50.
Call for Contributors
We invite workshop proposals aligned with the theme of Internationalisation as Strategy, including:
- Embedding internationalisation in school development plans
- Erasmus+ as a leadership tool
- Alternative funding and sustainability models
- Digital transformation and AI in international education
- Inclusion, accessibility and well-being
- Case studies of impactful internationalisation
Workshop format: 60 minutes (45-minute input + 15-minute Q&A)
Language: English
Why Contribute?
- Share your expertise with a European leadership audience
- Strengthen your institution’s visibility in European networks
- Contribute to the development of international school leadership
How to register? How to propose a workshop?
Please complete the form below to reserve places for you and your colleagues.
We will not ask for everyone’s name at this stage.
Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
In collaboration with
ESHA – European School Heads Association
Join Us in Marseille!
Be part of a European community of school leaders committed to building meaningful, strategic internationalisation in their schools.
Let’s move from mobility to strategy – together.
Key DIPSLeaders 2026 details
📅 Dates: Monday 2 November – Friday 6 November 2026
📍 Location: Marseille, France
🌍 Language: English
👥 Participants: School leaders from across Europe