Learning seminar on Research-Practice Partnerships: addressing systemic and scaling challenges

"This seminar aims to co-design solutions to the systemic barriers Research-Practice Partnerships (RPP) face and think about conditions for their scaling. It will investigate RPP models that aim at long-term, whole school improvement, such as campus schools, university-affiliated schools, and laboratory schools. Unlike smaller, often project-based RPPs, these institutionalised frameworks for collaboration could address broader, systemic challenges, through engaging all relevant stakeholders. By embedding research and innovation within the daily life of schools, they could allow for more sustained, scalable, and holistic improvement efforts—supporting not just isolated interventions but comprehensive school development.

The seminar will convene independent knowledge intermediaries to explore the opportunities, limitations, and conditions for adopting and scaling these whole-of-school RPPs within their national contexts. The audience will also include other relevant stakeholders, such as researchers, policymakers and practitioners. Through in-depth examination of the challenges faced by various models of RPPs, and critical evaluation of existing whole-of-school RPP models, participants will examine the potential of these embedded partnerships to serve as levers for systemic change."

The seminar brings together around 30 participants from 5 to 7 systems and organisations facing similar challenges around RPPs.