Mary Immaculate College’s (MIC) Professor Gwen Moore has been elected President-Elect of the International Society for Music Education (ISME), becoming the first person from Ireland to hold the distinguished international leadership position in the Society’s 73-year history.
Prof. Moore, who is the first Full Professor of Music Education in Ireland, was elected following a global poll of ISME members and was announced at ISME’s General Assembly at the 37th World Conference in Montréal. She will serve a six-year term through to 2032, providing significant opportunities to strengthen international collaboration, research and engagement in music education.
Founded in 1953 under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), ISME is recognised as one of the most influential international associations in the field of music education.With members across 96 countries, ISME promotes equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive music education by connecting music educators, researchers and practitioners worldwide through international conferences, research, publications, advocacy, and professional development. ISME is also one of the four founding members of the World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE).
Prof. Moore’s election represents a significant achievement for MIC and reflects the international esteem in which her leadership of music education research and practice is held. Her previous roles include ISME Board Member and Chair of Publications, Senior Editor of the ISME Routledge Book Series, Co-Editor of the International Journal of Music Education and Chair of the Society for Music Education in Ireland (SMEI). Prof. Moore’s six-year presidential term will provide opportunities to advocate for music education across diverse cultural and educational contexts.
Welcoming the announcement, Professor Dermot Nestor, President of MIC, said:
"On behalf of everyone at MIC, I extend our warmest congratulations to Gwen on this remarkable achievement. Her election as President-Elect of the ISME is fitting recognition of her scholarship, her leadership, and her conviction that music education is a right, not a privilege. That she is the first Irish person to hold this position in the Society's seventy-three-year history makes the moment all the more significant—for Gwen, for MIC, and for music education in Ireland. We are immensely proud, and we look forward to supporting her as she takes up this important international role."
Speaking following her election, Prof. Moore said:
“As the first Irish person and only the eleventh woman in its 73-year history, I am honoured to have been elected President-Elect of the International Society for Music Education. I look forward to working with the ISME Executive to lead ISME’s Strategic Plan and advocate for and promote inclusive and equitable music education. I am also very proud to represent MIC and Ireland in this role, and I am excited about the opportunities it will bring for international collaboration, research and partnerships”.
More details on the work of ISME can be found here https://www.isme.org
