Notre Dame’s Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child and Osmania University Partner to Expand Social and Emotional Research and Education Programs

The Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC), part of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame, and Osmania University have formalized a long-term research partnership aimed at advancing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Whole Child Development (WCD) across teacher education and school systems in Telangana, India. At the heart of this agreement is the launch of a new Whole Child Development and SEL Research Cluster, a longitudinal initiative co-led by senior faculty from both institutions.

Building on a Strong Foundation

This initiative builds on two years of collaboration, during which the GC-DWC and Osmania University co-developed and piloted a pre-service teacher training course on SEL. Drawing from experience working with in-service teachers in Telangana’s residential school systems, the Global Center adapted the course for teacher education and expanded through Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) at more than 70 affiliated colleges. Now, the initiative enters a new phase—combining practical training, research, and systems-level integration of SEL across Telangana’s teacher education ecosystem. 

SEL helps students build self-awareness, manage emotions, develop empathy, and make responsible decisions. It’s increasingly recognized as a driver of academic success, student well-being, and inclusive classrooms. By embedding SEL into teacher preparation, this partnership equips future educators to support students’ full development from the outset.

Strategic Initiatives Under the Agreement

The agreement outlines a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and Master of Education (M.Ed) programs, including:

• A joint research program focused on SEL and systems change
• A faculty-mentorship initiative linked to current education courses
• Integration of SEL themes across master's-level coursework
• A new certificate program for in-service teachers

“This partnership builds on years of collaboration and mutual learning between our institutions,” said Neil Boothby, Founding Director of the GC-DWC. “Together, we are not only strengthening teacher preparation, but launching a research initiative that will generate the insights needed to build school systems that support every child’s full development and drive sustainable improvements across the education ecosystem.”

A Two-Phase Research Agenda

The research will unfold in two interconnected phases:

• Phase One will assess the impact of faculty development programs on the teaching practices of Osmania faculty, and the application of SEL principles by university students during internships.
• Phase Two will examine the effects of SEL practices on secondary school students, measuring changes in SEL competencies, academic performance, and college entry rates.

Graduate students will play a critical role in designing, implementing, and analyzing the research as part of their academic programs—strengthening capacity and building a sustained evidence base for WCD in India.

“This provides an excellent opportunity to deliver Social and Emotional Learning through a whole-school perspective,” said Professor Kumar Molugaram, Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University. “It will facilitate mutual exchanges of students and faculty, and foster joint research initiatives.”

Strategic and Sustainable Implementation

To ensure impact and sustainability, the GC-DWC and Osmania University will:

• Establish a joint steering committee to oversee progress
• Develop a multi-year research and implementation roadmap
• Leverage existing platforms, like the GC-DWC’s Project Sampoorna
• Engage in joint publication and policy dissemination
• Develop a collaborative funding strategy to scale the work

By aligning research, practice, and policy, this partnership seeks to produce a model for how social and emotional learning and whole-child principles can be integrated across the education system, from university classrooms to secondary schools. The findings will be disseminated through international academic journals and shared with local education leaders to inform scalable, evidence-based reform.

“This initiative institutionalizes Social and Emotional Learning in teacher education and school systems—enabling long-term, scalable, and research-informed improvements in how we support every child’s holistic development,” said Rubina Philip, Associate Director of the GC-DWC in Telangana, India. “It also offers an effective, evidence-based and replicable model for integrating SEL into education systems at scale and grounded in local context.”

About the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC)

The Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC) at the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame collaborates with researchers and practitioners to ensure the well-being—physical, emotional, social, and cognitive—of children and adolescents in low-resource and conflict-affected settings. Established to serve as a coherent platform for the Institute for Educational Initiative’s growing portfolio of global child development and learning programs, the GC-DWC creates environments that foster resilience and encourage children and adolescents to thrive. Using an innovative Whole Child Development (WCD) approach tailored to context-specific needs, the GC-DWC translates research into timely and thoughtful action, adapts research tools to improve the development of learning programs and policies, and activates systems (families, schools, communities) to lift children and adolescents out of adversity.

For more information about the GC-DWC, visit: https://iei.nd.edu/gc-dwc

About the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI)

Founded in 1996, the Institute for Educational Initiatives consists of more than two dozen initiatives that strive to improve education for all youth, particularly the disadvantaged, paying special, though not exclusive, attention to Catholic schools. Through research, the formation of teachers and leaders, and direct service to educational systems, the IEI’s scholars and practitioners pursue interdisciplinary collaborations to better understand and improve PK-12 education  in the United States and around the world..

For more information about the IEI and its initiatives, visit iei.nd.edu.