Estonia and Armenia have launched a cooperation to develop school leadership
A cooperation programme to strengthen Armenia’s educational capacity was launched under the leadership of Tallinn University’s Academy for Educational Leadership and the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), an agency of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On May 16, a new cooperation programme in school leadership and development was launched, led by Tallinn University and Estonia’s development cooperation agency ESTDEV – the Estonian Centre for International Development under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The launch event of the development programme brought together over 300 school leaders and teachers from across Armenia. The aim of the programme is to share Estonia’s experience and strengthen the education systems of partner countries.
“Teachers are the cornerstone of every strong education system, and we hope this programme will provide participants with the tools they need to implement change,” said Anna Alen, a representative of ESTDEV, in her opening remarks at the seminar, confirming Estonia’s commitment to education cooperation.
On behalf of Armenia, participants were welcomed by Mr. Artashes Torosyan, Director of the National Center for Education Development and Innovation Foundation (NCEDI), a sub-agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia. He emphasised the importance of Estonia’s support:
“Support from Estonia and our European colleagues is very important to us. We will do our best to learn, apply the knowledge, and develop our schools and country.”
As part of this collaboration, Tallinn University’s Academy of Educational Leadership will carry out two development programmes:
- School Leaders’ Development Programme
Targeted at school leaders with up to five years of experience. The programme consists of seminars in Armenia and a study visit to Estonia. Each participant will receive support from a local mentor and develop a personal development plan.
- School Teams’ Development Programme Based on the Future School Methodology
The programme includes five school teams, each consisting of a school leader, academic leader, and four teachers. Throughout the programme, teams will analyse school culture, participate in seminars, and implement practical changes. Each school will be supported by an Estonian school development consultant.
While introducing the content of the cooperation, Mari-Liis Sults from the Academy of Educational Leadership stressed that these are not passive listening programmes – participants are expected to carry out development tasks in their schools, experiment, reflect, and be prepared to fail and learn from it.
“In motivation letters, we are not measuring dreams, but readiness to take real action,” said Sults.
The programmes will be carried out over the academic year and include webinars, in-person learning sessions in both Estonia and Armenia, and mentoring support for school leaders and teams.
Schools and leaders are invited to apply by submitting their motivation letters no later than June 10.
The cooperation programme runs until December 2026.
The project is supported by ESTDEV – the Estonian Centre for International Development.