Guest Lecture on School Development – Isabell van Ackeren-Mindl (UDE) at IFS

On 18th of June, 2026, Professor Isabell van Ackeren-Mindl gave a lecture titled “From ‘Developing Potential—Strengthening Schools’ through the Talent School Pilot to ‘School Makes You Strong’: Lessons Learned from Supporting and Researching School Development in Socially Disadvantaged Areas” as part of the IFS Lecture Series in Dortmund.
Professor Isabell van Ackeren-Mindl presented results of her research projects in the context of educational governance in the education system, school development – particularly under conditions of social disparities and digitalization in education – and the professionalization of teachers. In her projects, she collaborated with different stakeholders in order to address the question of how educational institutions can be designed to better meet students’ learning and developmental needs.
This year’s IFS lecture series brought together different perspectives on the topic of “Paths of School Development”. In this regard, Professor Isabell van Ackeren-Mindl’s guest lecture not only offered an interesting perspective on the general lecture topic, but also fostered the exchange within the Research Community “Future of Education” and the UA Ruhr Universities.
