Bridging Worlds: Understanding the Business of International Schools

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Course features
AISH’s Leadership Impact courses are for four weeks, approximately 3-5 hours per week. Based on the same topic as the Skills course, the framework reflects what we know about great learning. Goals and activities are customized around your interests and needs.

Next Session
March 9 - April 3, 2026

Designed for school leaders, aspiring heads, and educators stepping into broader leadership roles, the course examines how to navigate the tension between mission-driven educational values and the financial, strategic, and operational realities of running schools in global contexts. This is designed for leaders in both the for-profit and not-for-profit realms, and business competencies are required for leaders in both settings.
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Investigate the “two circles” of education and business, decode the language and culture of business, and explore strategic and marketing frameworks relevant to international education. 

With 25+ years in global education, James MacDonald has led learning communities across six countries, from Japan to Belgium. He has also worked in the for-profit sector, overseeing 14 IB and US-curriculum schools in the Middle East with over 2,000 teachers and P&L responsibility in the hundreds of millions. His academic background is uniquely suited to a course about balancing education and business: he holds undergraduate degrees in Education and Management, two master’s degrees (MA in Education; MBA), and is completing an EdD focused on the business competencies international school leaders need.