Upcoming Webinars and Book Club
Educating Character Initiative Spring 2026 Webinar Series: Communities of Practice and Character Formation
Join us for a series of online webinar sessions focused on communities of practice as a formative space for character education, moderated by Aaron D. Cobb, Director of Collective Learning with the Educating Character Initiative at Wake Forest University. These sessions feature panelists and presenters who will equip participants to shape communities of practice that support character-building efforts across distinct domains. Communities of practice can be powerful vehicles for building communities of character and creating resources that serve educators across a wide range of roles in higher education. We’re pleased to offer these webinars in a virtual forum that enables more of the ECI community to learn from colleagues doing important work across the country.
Session 5: What’s on the Horizon for the ECI?
Session Leaders: Jennifer Rothschild, ECI Executive Director; Emily Hunt-Hinojosa, ECI Director of Research and Community Impact, and Aaron Cobb, ECI Director of Collective Learning.
Description: Join ECI leadership for a conversation about what we’re learning from the good work occurring in the ECI Community and to hear about new opportunities on the horizon, outlined in the ECI Project Brief.
Date/Time: May 21, 4-5 p.m. ET
The Flourishing Student Webinar Series, in Partnership with the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at The University of Birmingham
In recent years, many universities have expressed their commitment to a holistic, socially-engaged vision of higher education and are increasingly talking about supporting students in developing ‘character’ and ‘attributes’. These are the qualities students need to navigate the fourth industrial revolution, flourish, and make a positive contribution to society.
This international webinar series, presented in partnership with the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at The University of Birmingham, features presentations on universities’ role in helping their students cultivate the character and attributes required for human flourishing. Following the success of the first and second series, this third series will feature six additional world-leading universities renowned for their focus on character education, sharing their knowledge and expertise.
Session 5: University of Teacher Education Vienna
Session Leader: Roland Bernhard, professor of School Development, Leadership & Leadership Culture, University of Teacher Education Vienna/Krems, and Fellow at the University of Salzburg
Date/Time: May 5, 2026, 9 – 10 a.m. ET
Session 6: Superior University, Pakistan
Session Leader: Syed Ali Mohsin Naqvi, Director of the Chaudhry Abdul Khaliq Center for Contemporary Islamic Sciences, Superior University, Pakistan
Date/Time: June 2, 2026, 9 – 10 a.m. ET
ECI Community Book Club
Our book club engages authors in conversations about their published books and their implications for character-building efforts. An ECI Scholar of Character interviews the author during the first half of each gathering, and the second half is devoted to audience Q&A. The Fall 2026 line-up will be announced soon.