Lecture Series: School Systems Worldwide

Winter Semester 2026/27

 

Tuesdays, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Hosted by the University of Graz
Starting: 20 October 2026

Zoom:
https://uni-graz.zoom.us/j/62615413198 
Meeting ID: 626 1541 3198

Language: English

School Systems wordlwide

Systemic. Comparative. International.  Future-oriented.

The lecture series will focus on discussing school systems worldwide and current developments. Experts will present various school systems worldwide and engage in discussions about recent trends. Each session will follow a uniform structure: Initially, the historical development trajectories will be outlined, followed by a description of reforms and their contextual conditions. Additionally, the structure and organization of each school system will be analyzed. Furthermore, there will be an in-depth examination of pedagogical practices in schools, along with discussions on current debates and prospects for each school system. The country-specific sessions will be framed by an introduction to the basics of school systems and an overview of comparative studies on key topics in two sessions (e.g., digitalization, teacher education, educational equity, inclusion, sustainability).

The lecture series is organised in cooperation with several international partner universities and is open to all interested participants.

Cooperating Universities

University of Graz 

University of Regensburg 

Justus Liebig University Giessen 

University of Oldenburg 

University of Erfurt: Master of Education Grundschule, connected to the Module BW09, 3 ECTS, Portfolio), Contact Person: Prof. Dr. Agnes Pfrang (agnes.pfrang@uni-erfurt.de)

Contact at the University of Graz:
Dr. Anna Aleksanyan
anna.aleksanyan(at)uni-graz.at

 

Programme

DateTopicSpeaker
20.10.2026Introduction / InformationOrganising Team
27.10.2026School System of UgandaCharles Kyasanku, Kampala, Uganda
03.11.2026School System of CroatiaAssoc. Prof. Dr. Visnja Rajic, University of Zagreb, Croatia
10.11.2026School System of SingaporeDr. Carrie K. L. Ho, Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge
17.11.2026School System of KenyaDr. Martin Mwongela Kavua, Kenya
24.11.2026School System of FranceProf. Marc Moyon, University of Limoges, France
01.12.2026School System of New ZealandDean Sutherland, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
08.12.2026School System of the USARose Ylimaki
15.12.2026School System of ColombiaMaria Cecilia Plested-Alvarez, Medellín, Colombia
12.01.2027School System of AustraliaDr. Danielle H. Heinrichs, Griffith University, Brisbane
19.01.2027School System of IraqAbdulsatar Sultan, Catholic University in Erbil
26.01.2027Closing Session: Competing Systems and Lessons LearnedClosing Session / Discussion & Quiz

 

 

Participation

The lecture series is open to all interested participants. Students from the participating universities may attend the lecture series within the framework of the respective courses offered at their home institutions.

Information regarding recognition, ECTS credits, and assessment requirements is provided by the respective university.

Questions for the Speakers

You have the option to submit questions to the respective speakers in advance. These questions will be collected and addressed during the discussion following the presentation. The questions will be organized by topic, and similar questions will be grouped together.

Please note: The deadline for posting is always 3:00 p.m. on the Friday of the previous week. (Example: Presentation on October 27; post by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23.) 

You will find the link to the Padlet link here one week before the next lecture.