Alma Harris

Professor Emeritus Alma Harris, FAcSS, FLSW, FRSA has held Professorial posts at the University of Warwick, University College London, the University of Malaya, the University of Bath, and the University of Swansea. She is internationally known for her research and writing on educational leadership, education policy and school improvement. In 2009–2012, she was a Senior Policy Adviser to the Welsh Government assisting with the process of system-wide reform. She co-led the national Professional Learning Communities (PLC) programme and led on the development and implementation of a master’s qualification for all newly qualified teachers in Wales. Since 2009, she has worked for the World Bank contributing to development and research programmes aimed at supporting schools in challenging contexts in Russia. Professor Emeritus Harris is a Visiting Professor at the Moscow Higher School of Economics and the University of Southampton. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Education University of Hong Kong. Professor Emeritus Harris is Past President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and School Improvement (ICSEI), which is an organisation dedicated to enhancing quality and equity in education. In January 2016, she received the ICSEI honorary lifetime award. In 2016, she was appointed to the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA) to offer policy advice to Scotland’s First Minister and Deputy First Minister. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.