Host & Panel One Moderator

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Speaker's Bio:

Richard is an experienced school leader, currently the Headmaster at St Bees Dongguan. Prior to this, he worked at Shenzhen College of International Education for 11 years most recently in the role of Academic Deputy Principal. Before moving to China, he was Head of Social Sciences at Blenheim High School in Epsom, UK.

Richard has previously served on the Cambridge International Education Teacher Development Board and was a member of the conference planning committee for the inaugural leadership conference of NESSIC (Network for Enriching Students and Schools in China). He has presented at conferences on leading professional development in several countries, including for FOBISIA (Federation of British International Schools in Asia). He is completing an Educational Leadership Masters degree at the University of Bath.

Richard is a member of the executive committee of the British Chamber South China as well as a Vice Chair of the Education Working Group. In this role Richard has moderated multiple webinars and organised many events in both Shenzhen and Dongguan, including the inaugural Sustainability Forum.

Keynote Speaker No.1
Topic: What Skills do Universities Look at in Students. Beyond the Exam Grades. QS Rankings - Sustainability Impact Project

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Speaker's Bio:

Principal International Education Advisor, QS China
General Manager, Study Abroad Business, QS China
MPhil in Technology Policy, University of Cambridge

William has over 15 years of experience in international education and study abroad planning. He has extensive knowledge and insights into emerging areas of global higher education, with a particular focus on STEM education, technology innovation, and the world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He is committed to strengthening collaboration between QS, leading universities worldwide, and international schools in China, bringing high-quality global education resources and opportunities to students.

Throughout his career in international education, William has consistently embraced the belief in enabling motivated people to fulfil their potential through educational achievement, international mobility, and career development. He also actively promotes QS Impact initiatives in China, encouraging young people to participate in sustainability initiatives and create positive social impact.

Panelist No.2
Topic: Sustainability Forum: One Year On — From Pledge to Practice: What Have Schools Actually Been Doing?

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Panelist's Bio:

Dr. Michael Jones is the Chair of the Education Working Group for the British Chamber of Commerce in South China. Based in Guangzhou, he is the Group Deputy Director of Professional Learning and Development at ISA International Education Group and co-founded a network focusing on adolescent mental health. Holding a Doctor of Education from the University of Liverpool, Michael has extensive global education management experience, including senior roles at Etonkids in China. He also co-founded a non-profit website providing free English learning services to underprivileged communities.

Panelist No.1
Topic: Sustainability Forum: One Year On — From Pledge to Practice: What Have Schools Actually Been Doing?

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Panelist's Bio:

Executive school leader with over 18 years of educational experience and 15 years in senior leadership across the United Kingdom, China and India. NPQH qualified and experienced in whole-school leadership, strategic planning, school improvement, academic leadership, safeguarding, boarding and organisational development. Currently serving as Executive Headteacher at Merchiston International School, Shenzhen, having previously held group executive and senior academic leadership responsibilities across multiple international schools. Proven track record of leading transformational change, building high-performing teams, strengthening educational outcomes and creating exceptional student experiences.

Panelist No.3
Topic: Sustainability Forum: One Year On — From Pledge to Practice: What Have Schools Actually Been Doing?

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Panelist's Bio:

Elaine Luo is Executive Head of the CUHK(Shenzhen) International Curriculum Centre, where she leads all aspects of the school—from strategy, academics and curriculum to operations, staffing and enrolment. With over 20 years of experience across IB, A-Level, AP and integrated Chinese curricula, she brings deep expertise in bilingual school development, academic leadership and building high-performing international programmes. A biology educator by training, Elaine believes that schools, as pivotal hubs for shaping future generations, carry both a profound responsibility and a real opportunity to lead the way on sustainability. In this series, she shares practical, hands-on strategies for embedding sustainability into the very fabric of school life—from curriculum design and daily operations to student agency and campus culture—turning intention into action.

Keynote Speaker No.2
Topic: How schools can leverage Oxford’s youth initiatives, especially in climate change and sustainability, to enrich their super-curricular programme and support students’ university applications.

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Speaker's Bio:

Paul Lin is the Co-chair of the Competition, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, facilitating Oxford’s groundbreaking youth initiatives for schools, especially in climate change and sustainability. Paul is an alumnus of applied linguistics at Oxford University, Jesus College.
He also serves as the Vice-President of the Oxford and Cambridge Alumni Society in Shanghai, one of the largest oversea alumni groups in China, supporting over 2,000 alumni, facilitating events and communications of both universities. Paul is the founder of Know+, an educational Netflix, working with globally renowned speakers to promote lifelong learning on the critical issues of humanity, for which Paul was recognised by Forbes and Study UK for its significant contribution in quality education and social action.

Presentation No.1
Topic: From Awareness to Action: Making Sustainability Real for Students

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Speaker's Bio:

Erica Pan is Senior Manager, Program Quality & Safety at WildChina Education, with over 11 years of experience in international education, experiential learning, outdoor education, program design, and risk management. She has worked extensively with international schools to design and deliver real-world learning experiences that connect students with communities, cultures, and natural environments.

Her work focuses on strengthening educational quality, meaningful experiential learning, student safety, and the systems that support high-quality learning beyond the classroom. She is particularly interested in how real-world experiences can help young people develop curiosity, responsibility, resilience, and the confidence to take meaningful action.

Presentation No. 2
Topic: The Lorax, the Lake, and the Litter: Teaching Sustainability to 8-Year-Olds

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Speaker's Bio:

Elliott has lived and worked in Guangzhou for over 10 years, specialising in Early Years and Primary education within IB schools. He graduated from Loughborough University and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and a Masters in Education from the University of the People.

Elliott has contributed to discussions on curriculum modernisation in China at the International Education Development Forum and has led workshops for parents and teachers on positive behaviour management.

As Gifted and Talented Education Coordinator, he supports the development of high-level learning opportunities across ISA. He believes that excellent teaching equips students with the skills, independence and motivation to become successful learners.

Presentation No. 3
Topic: Parents, Plastic and Persuasion: Changing Behaviour at Home Through Students

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Speaker's Bio:

30 years of experience as an educator and leader
NPQH, the British qualification for Headteachers
Worked as a Headteacher of EYFS and Primary for 10+ years
Founding Headteacher of an independent school in the UK
BA in Education from Staffordshire University, a PGCE from Edge Hill University and a MA SEN Education from Cambridge UK
Sponsored over 70 children from all over the world

Ms Mandy Bateman has 30 years of experience as an educator and leader in both British and international schools across the UK, Portugal, and Egypt. Her career in education has been diverse. In 2009, she established herself as a leader by becoming a founding Headteacher of an independent school in the UK. In her most recent position, Ms Bateman served as the Head of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and a Primary 6-form-entry school at a well-respected British International School in Cairo, Egypt. Ms Bateman holds a BA in Education from Staffordshire University, a PGCE from Edge Hill University, and an MA in Special Education Needs (SEN) from Cambridge University. An NPQH, the National Professional Qualification for Head Teachers, and as a lifelong learner, is currently undertaking another master’s degree with Buckingham University, UK in Educational leadership.

Presentation No. 4
Topic: The Fantastic Voyage of a Seed - How Experiential Education Grows Global Citizens

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Speaker's Bio:

Frieda Fu has spent the past eight years in experiential education, working across programme delivery and marketing. Her educational background is in education itself, and her personal journey has been shaped by the outdoors—mountains, trails, and wild places—not just as a professional, but as someone who has personally experienced the transformation that happens when you step outside your comfort zone. She knows from her own life that resilience, self-awareness, and belonging don’t come from being told—they grow from doing. This is exactly where her talk, The Fantastic Voyage of a Seed, begins: how we design purpose-driven outdoor programmes for international schools so that the SDGs, global citizenship, and whole-person education are not taught as concepts, but grow like a seed—drifting, rooting, and one day, giving back to the forest.

Student Panelist

Student Panelist

Student Panelist

Student Panelist