Empowering Change: Highlights from the 5th Annual CLD International Conference on Critical Leadership

The Centre for Leadership & Diversity (CLD) 5th Annual International Conference was held on October 17-19, 2024 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). This year’s theme was: Critical Leadership Towards Resistance and Transformative Change. Interim Chair of LHAE, Dr. Marcelo Vieta, brought greetings, while Dean Erica Walker provided opening remarks.  CLD Director Professor Ann Lopez welcomed conference participants and thanked the CLD team of current and former graduate students for the great work that they did to organize the conference.

   This year’s conference allowed participants both locally and internationally to share their research and explore various notions of leadership. The keynote speaker, Associate Professor Ponsto Moorosi from the University of Warwick, UK, shared her research, work and insights on Critical Leadership Towards Resistance and Change: Imagining School Leadership in Post-Colonial Africa.

   The conference retained its international flavour with a total of 90 intriguing presentations over three days, virtual and in-person, by academics, practitioners, students and community members from across the globe through which attendees garnered a wealth of knowledge.  We had presenters from the African continent, Jamaica, South Korea, the UK and the US. Within Canada, we had representation from across the country, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec, the Maritime Provinces.  Ontario was represented by universities from across the province, including many presentation from OISE. 

   A most meaningful celebration event took place during the evening of Friday, October 18^th.  Our current Director, Prof. Ann Lopez, handed plaques to past Directors of the center, Prof. John Portelli, Prof Reva Joshee, and Prof. Jim Ryan.  It was a touching moment when Professors Joshee and Ryan talked about the start of the center and how the work progressed through the years. A heartfelt thanks to all our Directors, past and present, for your work in building the center!  This reception also provided opportunities for attendees to network, engage in conversation, and reflect on the conference. 

   The CLD team would like to thank some key partners from within OISE, without whose help the conference would never have run so seamlessly.  First, we wish to thank Laize Bacay and Neil Tinker from Education Commons.  Laize helped us to set up the registration page and link so that presenters and delegates could register and pay for the conference.  Neil’s help was invaluable in helping us to organize all the technology in the library and the rooms that we held the sessions.  We wish to thank Diedra Dick, LHAE’s business officer, for assisting us in numerous ways related to logistics.  And finally, we are deeply grateful to Gary Cronin, Recruitment Officer and Communications Specialist in LHAE.  Over the past two years, Gary has assisted us in reserving the rooms we needed for the whole conference.  The advice and suggestions he gave us allowed us to make the best decisions for the smooth running of the conference.  We also deeply appreciate the swag that he gave us.  The conference could not have happened without these key supports, and the CLD team is very grateful.

   We look forward to our 6^th Annual International Conference on October 23^rd, 24^th, and 25^th, 2025.