From Theory to Practice: Cultivating Research Excellence and Global Leadership in Education
Special Lecture and Workshop Series by Professor Patricia Briscoe
Shan State Buddhist University
KBZ International Meeting Hall
28-29 September 2026
The Shan State Buddhist University will host a two-day special lecture and workshop series led by Professor Patricia Briscoe on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 September 2026. The theme of the series is From Theory to Practice: Cultivating Research Excellence and Global Leadership in Education. Both days will take place at the KBZ International Meeting Hall. Ven. Khemindasara, Assistant Registrar and Lecturer at SSBU, will serve as master of ceremonies.
The series is open to the university community. Lecturers, MA and PGDip students, and third year BA students are especially invited. Faculty members, monastic and lay teachers, administrators, and research scholars are equally welcome. No prior registration is required to attend individual sessions, and no research background is assumed of any participant.
About the Speaker
Professor Patricia Briscoe holds an EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary and an MEd from the same institution. She is a Professor in Graduate Studies at Niagara University in Canada, where she also serves as academic advisor and research supervisor for master's students. She has taught graduate courses in educational leadership, research methods, and curriculum design for more than a decade, and she has supervised master's and doctoral theses as an external reviewer at several universities.
Her work has a strong international dimension. She has taught and led study abroad programmes in the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Barbados and St Lucia, and she has consulted on professional development programmes across the Americas and Asia.
Professor Briscoe has worked in Myanmar since 2018, when she served as Professional Development Lead with the Myanmar Ministry of Education. Since 2021 she has also worked with the Mandalay University of Distance Education on a teacher professional development programme. She has led research projects with lecturers from Mandalay University, Melktila University, Pakokku University, Taunggyi University, and Pyay University, and has delivered workshops at the Ministry of Education in Naypyidaw on teacher capacity, knowing and doing, and course re-design.
Day One: Monday 28 September 2026
The first day focuses on a keynote address, practical workshops, and a moderated plenary discussion. Participants arrive at the KBZ International Meeting Hall at 7:45 AM. The opening ceremony runs from 8:00 to 8:30 AM and includes welcome remarks and the introduction of Professor Briscoe.
Session 1, 8:30 to 9:00 AM - Keynote Address. Educational Leadership in a Changing World: Lessons from the Global South and Beyond, delivered by Professor Briscoe. A tea break follows from 9:00 to 9:15 AM.
Session 2, 9:15 to 10:30 AM - Concurrent Workshop. Action Research and Inquiry: The 'How-To' of Transforming Your Classroom. This session focuses on the practical steps of designing and running a small research study in one's own classroom. Lunch follows at 10:30 AM.
Participants return at 12:45 PM for the afternoon block.
Session 3, 1:00 to 2:00 PM - Concurrent Workshop. Navigating the Research Journey: From Methodology to Publication. The session follows a research topic from the choice of a method through to the preparation of a manuscript for submission. A tea break runs from 2:00 to 2:15 PM.
Session 4, 2:15 to 3:15 PM - Plenary Session. Open Discussion on the Future of Education in Myanmar. This is a moderated panel with Professor Briscoe and education specialists from Shan State. The discussion is intended to surface local concerns and to connect them with the wider themes of the series. Questions from the floor will be taken throughout.
Day Two: Tuesday 29 September 2026
The second day is set aside for research scholars and doctoral candidates and runs in a single morning block from 8:00 to 10:45 AM.
Session 5, 8:00 to 9:00 AM - Collaborative Presentation. Mastering Research Strategies: A Dialogue on Methodology and Publication. Professor Briscoe and Professor Ni Ni Hlaing present together, followed by a question and answer period and open discussion. A tea break runs from 9:00 to 9:15 AM.
Session 6, 9:15 to 10:15 AM - Special Session for PhD Scholars. Doctoral Research: Breaking Barriers and Making Impact. This is an informal, interactive session in which doctoral candidates present their own research, receive feedback, and build professional networks with one another. Participants are asked to come prepared to speak briefly about their current work.
The series closes at 10:15 AM with a closing remark by Ven. VicittÄbhipÄla, Pro-Rector of SSBU, followed by the presentation of certificates and a group photograph at 10:30 AM.
Who Should Attend
The series is written for a mixed audience. First year and non-English-speaking students will find the morning workshops accessible, since the sessions use plain language and work through examples step by step. Lecturers and research scholars will find the methodology and publication sessions directly applicable to their own projects. The doctoral session on day two is intended for candidates who already have a working research design.
Participants are encouraged to bring notebooks, examples of their own classroom teaching, and draft research questions. Handouts and reference materials will be distributed during the sessions.
Contact
For further information, contact the Academic Office of Shan State Buddhist University. The event poster, the full agenda, and Professor Briscoe's biography are available from the Academic Office on request.