News & Events
Leadership for Flourishing Conference
Monday 15 - Tuesday16 June 2026
Worcester College, University of Oxford
Our annual conference will focus on leadership in education and beyond as a catalyst for ecosystem-wide flourishing, bridging academic research on leadership's impact with scientific and philosophical insights into what it means to be human . We will explore the role of love in leadership.
We will build upon the work of our Leadership for Flourishing group, which is hosted by the Flourishing Network at The Human Flourishing Program, at Harvard University’s Institute of Quantitative Social Sciences; the Wellington Leadership & Coaching Institute at The Bridge, Wellington College; and our partners Global Social Leaders; The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtue at the University of Birmingham; Loyola University, Maryland; and the International Positive Education Network.
Conference principles
The purpose of leadership is ecosystem-wide flourishing
Love is key in both leadership and flourishing for individuals, organizations and societies globally
Character is foundational to leadership for flourishing
Anyone can lead because anyone can improve the flourishing of people and the planet.
Schedule for Day 1 - Leadership for Flourishing in Education
0930 – Registration and coffee
1000 – Welcome: Mrs Emmie Bidston, and Dr Katy Granville-Chapman
1025 – Session 1. Introduction:
1045 – Session 2. Keynotes:
1145 – Session 3. Break out session 1:
1215 – Lunch
1300 – Session 3. Panel 1:
1345 – Session 4: Keynote:
1415 – Tea and Breakout session 1
1500 – Session 5: Panel 2:
1545 – Breakout session 2: Review of all sessions.
1615 – Review of the day and next steps: Emmie Bidston
1645 – Tour of Oxford with Hidden Oxford Tours (optional)
1800 – Dinner -
Schedule for Day 2 - Leadership for Flourishing across sectors
0930 – Registration and coffee
1000 – Welcome: Mrs Emmie Bidston
1015 – Session 1: Keynotes: Professor Matthew T. Lee and Dr Edward Brooks
1100 – Session 2: Panel 1: Dr Jim Ritchie-Dunham, Dr Louise Drake, Ms Kimberley Milani, Ms Anjali Sarker and Dr Adeyinka Adewale
1200 – Breakout session 1: Building on sessions 1 and 2
1230 – Lunch
1330 – Session 3: Panel 2: Ms Brandyn Keating, Mrs Claire Goodman, Mr Jason Lane, Mrs Camilla Rigby, Mr Adam Sebba, Mr Sean Lafleur
1430 – Breakout session 2: Flourish Cafe: Dr Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley and Mr Sean Lafleur
1530 – Review of the day:
1600 – Close: Mrs Emmie Bidston
