Twelve Years of IPCN

Photo: Members of the IPCN core team, including Prof. Carmel Borg, enjoying a light moment in Nottingham.

For twelve years, the International Parent-Centred Network (IPCN) has stood as a remarkable example of what academic and professional collaboration can truly be.

During this time, it has brought together hundreds of students and academics from across Europe (mainly from Finland, Malta, UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Lithuania) through conferences, seminars, webinars, Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), and publications.

What makes this network distinctive is not only the breadth of its activity, but the spirit in which it operates. In an environment where many organisations are burdened by layers of bureaucracy, excessive administrative procedures, and restrictive conditions, this network has deliberately chosen a different path. It has functioned without the stifling formalities that often drain energy and dilute purpose.

Instead, its foundation has been built on mutual trust, a shared sense of commitment, and a deep loyalty to the values that brought its members together in the first place. Participation has not been driven by obligation or compliance, but by genuine engagement and belief in the cause.

This lightness of structure has not weakened the network. On the contrary, it has enabled responsiveness, creativity, and sustained collaboration. It has allowed ideas to circulate freely, partnerships to emerge organically, and initiatives to take shape with authenticity and purpose.

The result is a living, evolving community that continues to demonstrate that meaningful international cooperation does not require excessive control or administrative weight. It requires trust, clarity of purpose, and people willing to contribute with integrity.