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From October 23 to 25, the SEK Education Institution took an active part in the IB Global Conference held in The Hague (Netherlands), an event that brought together more than 1,600 educators, school leaders, and education experts from across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Organized by the International Baccalaureate (IB) at the World Forum, this gathering was the third and final global conference of the year, following editions in Singapore and New Orleans, consolidating its position as one of the most relevant international spaces for educational reflection and exchange.
Under the theme “Our Humanity, Connected,” the conference explored how human qualities such as empathy, self-awareness, and innovation can inspire a more mindful and transformative approach to education in a rapidly changing world. Over the course of three days, participants engaged in keynote speeches, collaborative workshops, and interactive sessions that addressed new key competencies to prepare 21st-century students with confidence, creativity, and resilience.
Within this context, the SEK Education Institution played a prominent role thanks to the contributions of teachers and leaders from its schools SEK-Ciudalcampo, SEK-Catalunya, SEK-Qatar, and SEK-Atlántico, who shared their experiences and innovative projects in four sessions that captured the attention of attendees.
Kim Derudder (SEK-Qatar) led the workshop “Leading a Connected Team”, focused on empathetic leadership and team cohesion in international educational settings. Rafael Noé Áñez (SEK-Ciudalcampo) presented the session “Artificial Intelligence and the IB Continuum: Strategies and Honest Uses”, outlining ethical and pedagogical approaches to integrating AI into IB programmes.
Meanwhile, Fernando Ramírez (SEK-Catalunya) delivered “The Puzzle of the 4 COs: How to (Co)Design an Inquiry Unit Piece by Piece”, a hands-on workshop on curriculum design based on context, concepts, content, and competencies. Finally, Sara Bouzada and Ana Isabel Iglesias (SEK-Atlántico) showcased “Transforming Teaching and Learning Processes with AI”, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can enhance lesson planning and learning processes, fostering personalization and educational efficiency.
The participation of SEK —the first institution in Spain, and one of the first in the world, to adopt the IB programmes (in 1977, at SEK-El Castillo School)— and which currently offers them across all its schools in Spain, Europe, and the Middle East, reaffirms at this conference its commitment to educational innovation, teacher professional development, and global pedagogical leadership. Furthermore, it strengthens its role as a pioneering institution in the integration of technology and emotional intelligence into teaching and learning processes, thus contributing to the international dialogue on how to educate for a more humane, connected, and resilient future.
