The XJTLU Research Centre for Strategic Leadership in Educational Innovation (CSLEI) wants to be a leader on cutting-edge research and thinking on (a) how leadership can foster educational innovation and (b) how we can innovate educational leadership to meet the demands of education in the 21st century, in light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across China and beyond. To this end, with a team of around 10 members, we have set in motion a game-changing research agenda in these fields. In addition, we unite leaders on innovative educational change, especially in the Wuxi-Suzhou-Shanghai corridor, and provide them with a platform to exchange knowledge and experiences. Concretely, we have set up a network of educational leaders of international schools in this area to showcase best practices and in order to empower them to lead on educational innovation more widely.
In pursuit of this we:
undertake a research agenda, through the Centre members as well as through our mini-grants.
maintain a network of (international) school leaders, with a strategic vision and commitment to educational innovation.
organise periodic activities and events, such as webinars and seminars.
Vision
To shape the future of education through strategic leadership for educational innovation, generating research-informed, system-level leadership innovation that strengthens human flourishing, institutional coherence, and sustainable transformation across educational contexts.
To pay particular attention to the formation of future-ready educational leaders in contexts where emotional complexity, relational labour, and system accountability intersect.
To invest in future-oriented leadership practices that sustain professional wellbeing and enable diverse leadership pathways within education systems.
Through these efforts, CSLEI positions the Academy of Future Education as a global leader in shaping the future of educational leadership and system innovation.
Mission
The Centre advances research, leadership development, and system design in strategic leadership for educational innovation to support the development of future-oriented education systems. We work across schools, universities, and policy contexts to:
Develop future-focused and contextually grounded leadership models for complex and centralised systems
Bridge research and practice through innovation partnerships between university, schools, and policy systems
Strengthen relational, ethical, inclusive and future-oriented leadership cultures
Translate scholarship into scalable leadership frameworks, professional learning models, and policy-relevant insight that shape the future of education
Long-term impact and outcomes
Measurable Improvement in Leadership Coherence and School Effectiveness Across the AoFE Network
CSLEI will generate future-oriented and contextually grounded leadership models that demonstrably improve:
Organisational coherence between policy, leadership practice, and classroom enactment
Teacher engagement and professional trust
Integration of wellbeing and social-emotional learning within school systems
Leadership stability and succession capacity
Capacity of leaders to navigate future educational challenges including technological change, system reform, and evolving learning models
A Scalable Leadership Innovation Hub with National Visibility
CSLEI will become a recognised translational leadership innovation hub for the future of education that:
Converts research into leadership toolkits and implementation frameworks
Hosts Leadership Innovation Labs and executive development programmes focused on future-ready education systems
Attracts external funding for system-level leadership innovation
Serves as a demonstration and experimentation site for future-oriented educational leadership and system innovation
Strengthened Leadership Sustainability, Wellbeing, and Inclusive Pathways
CSLEI will produce evidence-based strategies that reduce leadership burnout, support professional wellbeing, and strengthen sustainable and future-ready leadership pathways within education systems.
This includes:
Research on emotional labour and relational leadership practices
Practical tools for leadership self-regulation and team wellbeing
Frameworks supporting diverse leadership trajectories across educational sectors
About Us
The XJTLU Research Centre for Strategic Leadership in Educational Innovation (CSLEI) wants to be a leader on cutting-edge research and thinking on (a) how leadership can foster educational innovation and (b) how we can innovate educational leadership to meet the demands of education in the 21st century, in light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across China and beyond. To this end, with a team of around 10 members, we have set in motion a game-changing research agenda in these fields. In addition, we unite leaders on innovative educational change, especially in the Wuxi-Suzhou-Shanghai corridor, and provide them with a platform to exchange knowledge and experiences. Concretely, we have set up a network of educational leaders of international schools in this area to showcase best practices and in order to empower them to lead on educational innovation more widely.
In pursuit of this we:
Vision
Through these efforts, CSLEI positions the Academy of Future Education as a global leader in shaping the future of educational leadership and system innovation.
Mission
The Centre advances research, leadership development, and system design in strategic leadership for educational innovation to support the development of future-oriented education systems. We work across schools, universities, and policy contexts to:
Long-term impact and outcomes
CSLEI will generate future-oriented and contextually grounded leadership models that demonstrably improve:
CSLEI will become a recognised translational leadership innovation hub for the future of education that:
CSLEI will produce evidence-based strategies that reduce leadership burnout, support professional wellbeing, and strengthen sustainable and future-ready leadership pathways within education systems.
This includes:
Centre Members
Director: Professor Angela Fitzgerald
Deputy Director: Dr Qian (Sarah) Wang
Member: Professor Yu Song
Member: Professor Roberto DONÀ
Member: Dr Yi Meng
Member: Dr Jiaqi Fu
Member: Dr Bhawana Shrestha
Member: Dr Jinjin Lu
Member: Dr Yiqun (Olivia) Sun
Contact us via: CSLEI@xjtlu.edu.cn