A sense of urgency shapes our national discourse on state education. Students strive to meet new academic standards while their teachers work to improve the quality and equity of education opportunities. Yet achievement gaps persist, particularly in urban and rural schools . The demand for effective leadership is clear. We need school leaders who visualise successful student learning, understand the work necessary to achieve it, and have the skills to engage with others to make it happen. How can we prepare more individuals to meet these challenges? This paper explores what three universities – two in Italy and one in Malta – are doing to establish a programme that offers an innovative pathway to school leadership. It presents the inception of this partnership, the rationale behind the discourse that has evolved over the years, and the establishment of links between the universities and other bodies within the Mediterranean and Commonwealth contexts with the aim of preparing the next generation of school leaders needed within the Euro-Mediterranean region. The concluding part presents a number of opportunities that lie ahead and highlights the various challenges that await us as we embark on this journey. peer-reviewed
