MIE professor elected next BELMAS Chair

05 May 2026

Congratulations to Professor Steven Courtney, who will become the next Chair of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS) in 2027.

Professor Steven Courtney, Professor of Sociology of Education Leadership in the Manchester Institute of Education in SEED, has been named the next Chair of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS).

BELMAS is a Learned Society dedicated to advancing educational leadership, management and administration, made up of individual members working across research and practice in all areas. Their members come from a range of backgrounds, from academic researchers to school leaders, and are all committed to advancing understanding and practice in the field.

The current Chair of BELMAS, Dr Deb Outhwaite, will finish her role in December, with Steve taking over from 1 January 2027.

On his new role, Steve said: “I am delighted that my nomination to serve as Chair of BELMAS has been endorsed by the Board of Trustees, and I look forward to serving the Society in this role.

“BELMAS is a distinctive and valued community, bringing together practitioners and academics in the shared endeavour of advancing educational leadership, management and administration, particularly through our two field-leading journals, our conference and our research interest groups.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to build on the Society’s strong foundations established by Dr Deb Outhwaite and the other trustees, and to work collaboratively to support the field, strengthen the BELMAS community, and ensure it continues to thrive.”