Intl. education expo fosters collaboration among global educators

Video by Wang Haolan

The ISS Edu Expo, a job fair and communication platform for professionals in international and bilingual education, took place at the Bay Campus, Shekou International School on Saturday. The event was hosted for the second time by International School Services Asia (ISS Asia) and attracted over 50 international schools from the Asia-Pacific region and around 1,000 attendees committed to advancing international education.

A jobseeker talks with an Avenues Shenzhen teacher at the ISS Edu Expo at the Bay Campus, Shekou International School on Saturday. Photos by Wang Haolan

More than 50 schools from across China and other Asia countries, including Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Mongolia, participated in the expo. In addition to offering employment opportunities, the expo featured four keynote speeches, panel discussions, and several workshops aimed at promoting personal and professional growth and fostering creativity and innovation.

International education typically refers to schools that provide education from early childhood through high school, primarily for expat students and those aspiring to study abroad, with curricula mainly based on the U.S., U.K., Canadian, and Australian systems.

Cultural fusion, global collaboration

Parents and guardians enroll their children in international schools not only to prepare them for studying abroad but also to cultivate global citizens with broad, dynamic perspectives. The international education system supports these goals by attracting talented teachers from diverse backgrounds and promoting dynamic communication and collaboration within the global educational community.

Greg Smith, vice president of ISS Asia, recognizes Shenzhen’s vibrant environment as a source of inspiration. “I really feel like one of the great things about Shenzhen is that it’s always different. It has a lot of really good international schools and teachers in this area,” said the Australian educator, who has been in Shenzhen for 16 years and was previously the principal of Shekou International School.

Sabrina Waterfield (L), academic dean of the U.S. Track at Vanke Meisha Academy in Yantian District, talks to a jobseeker.

Sabrina Waterfield, academic dean of the U.S. Track at Vanke Meisha Academy in Yantian District, was present to represent her school and engage with potential teachers. “It’s a great opportunity to talk to so many different people from all over the world and really make these connections. These connections help build a tighter-knit community,” said Waterfield, who has been involved in education for over two decades. She added that communication and collaboration often inspires new ideas.

Among the attendees at the expo, one participant stood out — a woman wearing a vest adorned with traditional Mongolian patterns. She was Urantuul Luvsanjav, an English teacher from Baga Tenger International School in Mongolia. The school, which opened last year, is in an expansion phase and urgently seeking to recruit more teachers.

“Mongolia is a culture-based and family-oriented country, but nowadays everything is opening up to have broader views,” Luvsanjav said. “This is one of the biggest opportunities for us to open up to the world.”

Perspectives in career development

Smith emphasized that international education welcomes teachers with diverse perspectives, regardless of the curriculum system. “What we’re always looking for is to borrow and share ideas from everywhere to ensure every school provides high-quality education,” he said.

Pauline O’Brien, Director of Global Recruitment Strategy & Leadership at ISS, gives a speech.

This emphasis on diverse perspectives resonates throughout the international educational community. “When we grow, our students grow. It’s really a powerful cycle,” Pauline O’Brien, director of Global Recruitment Strategy & Leadership at ISS, stated during a speech at the expo.

In her keynote speech, O’Brien emphasized the importance of professional learning for educators and cited Finland’s education system as a beacon in global education. The system believes in the idea that learning is an evolving, lifelong journey for both students and educators. ISS advocates and promotes the model among international educators.

ISS, as its name suggests, provides student-centered services, including professional development and global recruitment, to schools and educators. Learning is not solely for students but for teachers as well. Since its establishment 65 years ago, the nonprofit organization has supported numerous schools and educators in their educational pursuits.

A diverse audience at the ISS Edu Expo.

ISS directly owns, operates, or manages over 20 international schools around the world, and it has supported more than 15,000 professional development participants.

O’Brien’s sentiments were echoed by Waterfield, who noted that open-minded teachers willing to grow and learn are precisely what she looks for. “The world changes daily and often very rapidly, so continuous growth and learning are essential,” Waterfield explained.

Technology empowers education

For Chante Devnarain, an English teacher from South Africa, attending the expo proved to be a valuable experience. She explored new teaching methods and technologies, such as Microsoft tools that enhance lesson planning. The technology mentioned by Devnarain was provided by Itcheers, a Shenzhen tech company offering various classroom teaching solutions using Microsoft’s software products.

Chante Devnarain (C), an English teacher from South Africa, exchanges ideas with an exhibitor.

Technologies, particularly virtual reality, are increasingly used in classrooms to teach subjects such as history and science. O’Brien also pointed out in her speech that educators must understand how technology can transform learning and make it more adaptive.

With advancements in artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, students are now more inclined to seek advanced knowledge while studying abroad, particularly in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

According to Open Doors 2023, the hottest subjects for Chinese students heading to American universities include mathematics and computer science, engineering, physics, biological science, business administration, and social science.

Globally, the number of international students increased from 2.11 million to 6.39 million between 2000 and 2021, according to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).