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.
DIPSLeaders builds on the long-standing DIPS model, focusing specifically on leadership-level strategy, decision-making and implementation.
DIPSLeaders 2026
Monday 2 November – Friday 6 November 2026
Toulouse (Occitanie Region), France
(N.B. 2nd and 6th of November are the travelling days)
DIPSLeaders 2026 guiding theme
Internationalisation as Strategy:
Designing and embedding whole-school internationalisation strategies that make a real difference.
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)
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 time.
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.
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.
Participants organise and pay for their own evening meals from Tuesday to Thursday.
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?
for everyone’s name at this stage. If you/your organisation would like to propose a Workshop too, please add this to the form.
Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Returning in 2026! DIPS for School Education and DIPS for VET practitioners, 18-24 October 2026, Tallinn, Estonia
In collaboration with
ESHA – European School Heads Association
Join Us in Toulouse!
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: Toulouse (Occitanie Region), France
🌍 Language: English
👥 Participants: Up to 100 school leaders from across Europe
