Prof Eric Addae-Kyeremeh CITP FBCS CMgr FCMI SFHEA

Head Of School, Education, Childhood, Youth And Sport

School of Education, Childhood, Youth & Sport

eric.addae-kyeremeh@open.ac.uk

+44 (0)1908 653755

ORCID Profile

Biography

I am a Professor of Educational Leadership and Development and have served as Head of School since 2021. With over 20 years of professional experience in education, I have dedicated my career to fostering innovation, equity, and excellence in teaching, research, and leadership development. My journey began with a passion for transforming lives in the Further Education (FE) sector in England, where I led subject areas including Science and Mathematics, Information and Communication Technology, and Business, Administration, and Law.

Since joining The Open University (OU) in 2011, I have held leadership positions, including Associate Programme Director, Associate Head of School, and currently, Head of School and Academic Lead for Academic Promotions. In these capacities, I have helped shape organisational culture, champion Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and driven student success. My leadership contributions extend to mentoring future leaders, spearheading innovative pedagogy, and integrating digital technologies into learning experiences.

My research focusses on educational leadership, evidence-based practice, and teacher professional development, with a strong emphasis on global collaboration. I have co-authored CPD courses, published influential reports, book chapters, and journal articles, and mentored emerging scholars and professionals. My work bridges the gap between research, policy, and practice, prioritising real-world impact, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

As speaker and advisor, I have contributed to global dialogues, including multi-stakeholder engagements in Ghana, Nigeria, India, and the UK. I have also advised governments, led multimillion-pound projects, and contributed to educational reform initiatives in Bangladesh, England, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Uganda, and Wales.

My principal areas of interest for doctoral research supervision include:

· Leadership and management of education

· Learning and development of education practitioners

· Professional and practitioner networks and how they contribute to organisational development

· Educational change

· Education policy

Professional recognition

· Senior Fellow, Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy)

· Fellow and Chartered Manager - Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

· Fellow and Chartered IT Professional – BCS, The Chartered Institute of IT

Membership or offices held in learned societies and professional bodies

· Member, Deans Forum, European Association of Distance Teaching Universities

· Executive Committee Member, Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers

· Management Forum Member, Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers

· Member, British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society

· Member, Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management

Academic editorial work

· Editorial Advisory Board Member, Open University Press

· Subject Expert Reviewer, IGI Global

· Subject Matter Expert, Sage Campus

· Reviewer, International Journal of Gender Science and Technology

· Reviewer, Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning

· Reviewer, Management in Education

· Specialist Reviewer, Routledge Education Publications

· Reviewer, European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning

Recent international roles

· Expert Mentor in Digital Education (2022 – date), European Digital Education Hub

· Esteemed Member (2023 – date), Body of Practitioners Knowledge (BOPK), Adhyayan Foundation, India

· Academic Advisor to the University of Ghana (2022 – 2024) on the revision of their Teaching and Learning Policy

Projects

A European Inclusion Reference Framework for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity

The IncluDE project creates an Inclusion Reference Framework for higher education institutions along with practice-oriented instruments to assess and enhance inclusion policies and practices. This enables leaders, intermediary educational support services, teaching staff, and students to improve inclusion across all levels - course, curriculum, and institutional. In all successive phases of the project, institutional partners develop synergies, will leverage their expertise and experience. The project aligns with the concepts of inclusion, equity, diversity and inclusion challenges as defined by the European Commission, reinforcing the shared European language and approach. Inclusion challenges encompass disabilities, health problems, educations system barriers, cultural differences, social barriers, economic barriers, discrimination and geographical barriers (Erasmus+). These challenges are encountered by individual or groups of students throughout their entire academic journey, from pre-access preparation, fair admission, personalised learning and study progression, equitable assessments and examinations, and adequate preparation for their future careers. The Inclusion Reference Framework includes indicators rooted in principles and recommendations derived from research literature, international and national policies, existing institutional guidelines, and best practices. It offers a diagnostic Inclusion Evaluation Instrument, based on these indicators, that allows institutions to assess their current status, identify what should be done next, and determine what is realistically achievable within their institution. It also includes an Inclusion Monitor that helps institutional actors in structuring discussions and action planning at all levels. All is integrated in the Inclusive Higher Education Resources Panel, and the IncluDE CPD course, which provides stakeholders with tools and educational resources for managing and enhancing inclusion.