2026 Educators Conference

2026 Educators Conference

Thursday August 27th - Friday August 28th, 2026
Woodford International School, Solomon Islands
Heritage Park Hotel
Cost: Free
Flight & Accommodation Info Here

Register Here

The Association of International Schools in the South Pacific (AISSP) hosts professional learning conferences based on the collaborative insight from member schools’ strategic needs identified, as well as current global trends in best practices in education.

THEME: Learning in a Changing World

  • The Educators Conference 2026, themed “Learning in a Changing World,” brings together teachers, leaders, and community voices to explore how education can remain responsive, ethical, and grounded in our shared values. As emerging technologies and methodologies reshape classrooms, the 2026 conference will engage in thoughtful dialogue about the ethical use of AI and highlight inclusive practices that support diverse learners of all abilities, languages, and backgrounds, while also addressing how educators can adapt creatively to the realities of limited resources and shifting global demands. Framed within our Pacific cultural context, the conference honours relational ways of knowing, collective responsibility, and the wisdom of community, weaving these principles into conversations about innovation. Together, we will reimagine learning as resilient, culturally anchored, and future-focused—empowering educators and students to thrive in a world of continual change.

Keynote Presenters

Dr. Phil Cumins

Professor Philip Cumins is an educator by trade and conviction. He is the Hooke Family Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership at the University of Sydney, which includes his role as the Founder and Director of the Sydney Character Initiative – Australia’s tertiary home for character education. He is the Founder and Managing Director of the CIRCLE Education Group including the global educational consulting agency a School for tomorrow. and its research institute CIRCLE - The Centre for Innovation, Research, Creativity and Leadership in Education. Phil is also Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and has been awarded Fellowships by the Royal Society of Arts, the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (at national and state levels), the Teachers Guild of NSW, and the Institute of Managers and Leaders. Internationally recognised for his work in character education, boys' education and school leadership in Australia, the South Pacific, and beyond, Professor Cummins has led an extensive global educational research program for the past decade, lectured and spoken widely (including at Oxford University), and is the author of over thirty five books and numerous other publications in his original discipline of history, and in future-fit educational strategy, leadership, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Most recently, in 2022 he co-authored Game Changers: Leading Today's Learning For Tomorrow's World, and in 2025, he released the Dr Phil Cummins Character Education Series and A Journey, all published by Amba Press. In 2026, he has authored two books for Amba on character and boys’ education that will contribute a distinctively Australian perspective of excellence and equity to the international conversation in both areas. Phil is also host of the Game Changers Podcast which now exceeds 1,000,000 episode listens in 18 series across more than 75 countries globally.

Dr. Pasi Sahlberg

Professor Pasi Sahlberg is Finnish educator, teacher, and author. He has worked as a schoolteacher, teacher-educator, academic, and policymaker in Finland, and he has advised schools and education system leaders around the world. He served as a senior education specialist at the World Bank in Washington, DC, lead education specialist at the European Training Foundation in Torino, Italy, director general at the Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture (CIMO), and visiting professor at Harvard University. He is a recipient of several awards for his lifelong service in education, including the 2012 Education Award in Finland, the 2014 Robert Owen Award in Scotland, the 2016 Lego Prize in Denmark, the 2017 Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Resident Fellowship in Italy, the 2021 Dr Paul Brock Memorial Medal in Australia, and the 2025 Global Educator Award in Malaysia. His book “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland” won the 2013 Grawemeyer Award in the United States for an idea that has potential to change the world. His most recent books include "Let the Children Play: How more play will save our schools and help children thrive" (2019, with William Doyle), "Finnish Lessons 3.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland” (2021), and "In Teachers We Trust: The Finnish way to World-Class Schools" (2021,  with Tim Walker). He is currently Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Pasi lives in Melbourne with his wife and two sons.


Choice of Breakout Workshop Sessions