We are delighted to share that the Oxford Character Project (OCP) collaborated with the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid to deliver a workshop on character and leadership. Dr Edward Brooks, Dr Barnanas Aspray, and Dr Corey Crossan from OCP travelled to Madrid to share the pedagogy, curriculum, and lessons learned from the Global Leadership Initiative programme in Oxford with educators in Spain.
The learning exchange between the two universities started with a series of presentations and discussions, followed by a co-creation process to adapt the resources to the local context in Spain. Dr Edward Brooks delivered a talk on character, culture, and leadership to an enthusiastic group of 30 educators at the university. After two days of preparation and collaboration, on the 15th and 16th of March, 30 undergraduate students gathered to participate in the leadership programme, co-facilitated by the OCP and the UFV team.
Using the jointly developed curriculum, some of which was translated into Spanish by the UFV team, students participated in a range of small group discussions, exercises, and reflection activities throughout the workshop. They discussed the nature of good leadership and how to lead with purpose and empathy. There were also specific sessions on their character development and how to overcome situational pressures that often act as obstacles to leading with character.