Hiba Shanghai Hosts the 2nd NESSIC Leadership Conference
On November 21-22, 2025, Hiba Academy Shanghai hosted the Second NESSIC Leadership Conference, themed ‘Tomorrow’s Tides’. The event brought together representatives from nearly 40 bilingual schools and more than 180 education professionals to discuss the future of bilingual education in China.
The conference featured a distinguished line-up of guests, including Matt Burney CMG (His Majesty's British Consul-General, Shanghai), Julian Fisher (Chair Emeritus, British Chamber of Commerce in Beijing), Anne Fowles (Council of International Schools), Michael Bevis (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), Joy Qiao (Chair, Wellington College Education China), Stella Zhou (Master, Hiba Academy Shanghai), Tom Ulmet (CEO, NESSIC), and Dr. Daniel Williams (President, NESSIC).
NESSIC
Established in 2024, NESSIC—the Network for Enriching Students and Schools in China—aims to connect, enrich and develop member schools through collaboration and shared opportunities, supporting growth for both students and educators.
A Deep Dive into Industry Trends
The conference opened with a keynote speech from our Chair, Joy Qiao, who reflected Wellington College Education (China)’s journey—the challenges we have faced, the achievements we have celebrated and our commitment to uniting the East and the West through bilingual education. “The challenges that unite us,” she remarked. “That's why we come together. We want to learn from each other how to cope with it. How do we cope with the uncertainty ahead of us?”
What ensued were two days of stimulating and informative talks. Nearly 40 speakers hosted sessions with close to 180 senior and middle-level school leaders. They covered a wide range of topics, including cross-regional bilingual education, community-school relationships, international accreditation, artificial intelligence in education, coaching programmes and the advancement of female leadership. Each session fostered the kind of professional development and collaboration needed to advance the entire education sector in China.
Leading Education Exchange
As a founding member of NESSIC, this was Hiba Academy Shanghai’s first time hosting the conference, marking a significant expansion in the scale of the event. Reflecting on the success of the event, Tom Ulmet, CEO of NESSIC, commended Hiba Academy Shanghai as “a visionary school, committed to pursuing excellence.”
At the event, representatives from Hiba Academy Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nantong joined in lively discussions, exchanged ideas and shared hard-won insights from years of experience and achievement across Hiba schools.
Stella Zhou, Master of Hiba Academy Shanghai
"The first dimension of bilingual education lies in achieving native‑level proficiency in both languages, Chinese and English. The second is the cultivation of a multicultural outlook, enabling children to both embrace their Chinese identity and confidently tell China’s stories in the languages of the world. The third is the fostering of independent perspectives, empowering them to become drivers of change in the world of the future."
Hiba schools offer a pioneering education to serve and help shape a better world, combining the very best of Chinese and British education to create a pupil-centric, bilingual, bicultural and inclusive learning experience. Wellington College Education (China) continues to flourish as it takes its bicultural education model overseas with Hiba Academy Bay Area, which is set to open in Fall 2026 in San Francisco, US.
Hiba Academy Shanghai
Hiba Academy Hangzhou
Hiba Academy Nantong
Hiba Academy Bay Area
A Fully Aligned Vision
Hiba Academy Shanghai hosted this conference because NESSIC’s vision aligns closely with Wellington College Education (China)’s ‘Vision 2027’, which champions bilingual education as a way to build bridges across cultures.
By bringing together stakeholders from across the sector, the conference not only raises the standard of education at Hiba Academy Shanghai. It also helps to strengthen the broader educational community for the long term. The event was a call to action to all participants to embrace change and work proactively towards a brighter future.
In the spirit of ‘Tomorrow’s Tides’, Wellington College Education (China) remains committed to equipping children with the tools they need to thrive on the global stage. Central to that mission is working across the sector, sharing best practices, building new partnerships and constantly driving innovation in bilingual education.
