Educational Leadership During Times of Armed Conflict: Thailand’s Lessons for Somalia

In this theoretical paper, the authors present the results of a collaborative effort to construct a teaching case centered on the challenges of educational leadership in the context of regions affected by the Somali insurgency. Noting a paucity of research in educational leadership for institutions situated in conflict zones, the authors present findings from prior research on educational leadership conducted in the restive southern provinces of Thailand that have the potential to be successfully applied in the similar context of post-conflict Somalia. The authors posit that comparative social policy methodology might be successful in identifying common challenges educational leaders in conflict zones around the world face, and leadership strategies that address those challenges.

In this theoretical paper, the authors present the results of a collaborative effort to construct a teaching case centered on the challenges of educational leadership in the context of regions affected by the Somali insurgency. Noting a paucity of research in educational leadership for institutions situated in conflict zones, the authors present findings from prior research on educational leadership conducted in the restive southern provinces of Thailand that have the potential to be successfully applied in the similar context of post-conflict Somalia. The authors posit that comparative social policy methodology might be successful in identifying common challenges educational leaders in conflict zones around the world face, and leadership strategies that address those challenges.