One year after Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development welcomed education leaders from around the world to Nashville, Peabody's Ellen Goldring and Nicole Allen continued the conversation in Shanghai, joining international peers to consider how education can remain mission-driven amid rapid technological and societal change.
Goldring, distinguished research dean and Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy; and Allen, vice dean and Lois Autrey Betts Professor of Education and Human Development, represented Peabody at the 7th Global Education Deans' Forum, hosted October 22-24 by East China Normal University.
The annual forum gathers leaders of colleges and schools of education to explore shared challenges and opportunities. This year's theme centered around "Education's 'Dingli,'" the Chinese concept of steadfastness and resolve, inviting guests to examine the values that can anchor education in a shifting landscape.
Goldring and Allen contributed to presentations and panel discussions on university partnerships and engagement with communities, school systems and nonprofits.
Goldring highlighted NashvillePeer, a research-practice partnership between Peabody College and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools that brings together faculty researchers and educators to investigate challenges and generate evidence for policy and practice.
"We continue to follow common trends facing schools of education and reflect on innovative strategies that inform our approach at Peabody," Goldring noted. "It is interesting how many of the challenges and opportunities facing education today are truly global in nature, despite the variability in each country's educational system."
Allen discussed the Peabody Department of Human and Organizational Development's partnership with the Philanthropy Lab, a nonprofit based in Fort Worth, Texas, in which students take a course on social change and then implement what they learn by working with-and distributing donations to-charity organizations.
Allen said the forum offered opportunities to connect with education peers, discuss UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goal 4 Education 2030 priorities, and observe the many social, political, economic and cultural contexts that shape education worldwide.
"Most heartening," she added, "was being part of a group of colleagues devoted to all facets of educational research, teaching and innovation. I look forward to bringing reflections from the forum to Peabody colleagues."
The participation of Goldring and Allen builds on relationships strengthened in 2025, when Peabody; Florida State University Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences; and the University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences hosted the Global Education Deans' Forum at Vanderbilt. That gathering brought educators from 30 colleges and universities to discuss artificial intelligence, teaching and learning, and other emerging issues.
International honors for Goldring
While in Shanghai, Goldring also received the Global Award for Innovation in Education Research Methods, presented by East China Normal University's Forum on Empirical Education Research in partnership with the Tin Ka Ping Foundation. She was one of five honorees.
The award, given October 23 during a ceremony held in conjunction with the opening of the 12th National Forum on Empirical Educational Research, recognizes contributions to the theory and application of educational research methodology and seeks to advance innovative, rigorous approaches to education studies.
Goldring was recognized for and spoke on her work in mixed-methods research. "I am truly honored to receive this global recognition, alongside four other distinguished researchers, that recognizes my contributions in developing methodologies to understand more clearly the practice of school leaders in school and system improvement and their roles in implementing district and state polices," Goldring shared. "The award underscores the international reach of research conducted at Peabody."
