2023 Speakers
ANDY HARGREAVES BIO
Andy Hargreaves is Director of Chenine (Change, Engagement and Innovation in Education) at the University of Ottawa in Canada, and Emeritus Professor at Boston College, USA. He is a member of the National Academy of Education. Andy is the former President of the International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement (2018-2020), former Adviser in Education to the Premier of Ontario (2015-2018), and current adviser to the First Minister of Scotland. He has published more than 30 books and has 8 Outstanding Writing Awards. He has been honoured in Canada, the US, and UK for services to public education and educational research and is ranked by US Education Week as the #15 scholar with most influence on US education policy debate. In 2015, Boston College gave him its Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award.
Ben Walden BIO
Ben Walden is an international speaker and workshop leader in the realm of education.He has been a main keynote speaker at many conferences in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia. He also works with many individual schools, looking at themes of leadership and inspiring communication with both staff and – especially – students. In the 1990’s he played several leading roles in London’s West End theatre and as a member of the inaugural company at the new Shakespeare’s Globe. He has also spoken on leadership and the arts at many business conferences, including at both Harvard and Columbia Business Schools. Conference Slides:CC HV Half Day PowerPoint - Henry V.ppsx
PAK TEE NG Bio
Pak Tee NG [National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University] is a Singaporean educator who is deeply involved in the development of school and teacher leaders. At the NIE, he previously served as Associate Dean Leadership Learning and Head of the Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Group. His main work is in educational change, policy and leadership.
Pak Tee has spoken at many global events, for example, Google Global Education Symposium, International Baccalaureate Global Conference, and Scottish Learning Festival. He is currently a member of Scotland’s International Council of Education Advisers and a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University.
Internationally, government organisations, professional networks and media often seek his views or advice regarding educational change. Having retired from journal editorship, he now serves as honorary mentor to a few younger editors. He is an editorial board member of several other international refereed journals. He is the co-editor of the Routledge Leading Change book series and the author of the book “Learning from Singapore: The Power of Paradoxes”.
Pak Tee encourages educators to walk a path not easily travelled, with love, courage and resilience. Although he is thankful for receiving a few awards during his career, his greater reward is a fraternity of students who are educational leaders themselves and who pay it forward through their educational leadership and commitment to education.
Br DAVID HALL Bio
Dean, La Salle Academy for Faith Formation & Religious Education
Prior to this Br David Hall spent 30 years as a practitioner in the Catholic education sector. He has been a principal of several Catholic schools; primary and secondary, co-educational and single-sex. Br David is involved in the governance of independent Catholic schools as a member of boards and councils and also conducts workshops and other professional learning activities in the areas of spiritual formation and leadership. He is leading an extensive professional development program for Catholic school leaders across 22 countries in Africa.
Philomena Billington Bio
Philomena Billington is Deputy Director of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Sandhurst, with particular responsibility for Stewardship of Catholic Identity and Finance, Facilities and Resources. Phil has a deep and broad vision for Catholic Education in the context of the Church’s Mission, and in particular for Religious Education in schools, life long education in faith and Catholic leadership formation for schools and parishes. Her generosity, influence and inspiration extend beyond the Catholic Education Office to the entire diocese, for Phil sees that Catholic Education in schools belongs within the life and mission of parishes across the Diocese and is linked with Faith Education at all levels. Therefore she is an active promoter of collaboration between parishes and schools.
JACINTA COLLINS Bio
Education Commission (NCEC). Jacinta served as a Labor Senator for Victoria from 1995 to 2005 and again from 2008 to 2019; a career of more than 20 years in the Australian Parliament.
During that time, Jacinta was honored to be the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing as well as Labor’s Deputy Leader in the Senate and Manager of Government Business in the Senate. A highlight was being Assistant Minister for School Education and Workplace Relations from 2010 to 2013, where Jacinta was proud to play a key role in the Gonski school education reforms.
In the Parliament Jacinta was a strong advocate for fair funding for all schools.
At the NCEC she sees her role to champion the needs of Catholic schools, teachers and students and firmly believes that all parents should have the choice about which school is best for their child.
Dr Paul Kidson Bio
Dr Paul Kidson is Senior Lecturer in the National School of Education at the Australian Catholic University. He started his education career as an English teacher in a culturally diverse school in Sydney’s western suburbs, was curriculum leader in both NSW and Victorian schools, before concluding his school career with 11 years’ as a school principal. He has been an Educational Leadership scholar since 2017.
His teaching and research explores how school leaders work within, and critically transform, their complex professional lives. This encompasses broader systems and policies that govern their work and school communities, as well as how they develop and sustain their personal leadership story.
He is part of a large scale research project on teacher and principal workload in NSW government schools, and one of the lead researchers on Australia’s largest and longest running principal well-being research project, the Australian Principal Occupational Health and Well-being Survey.