ShanghaiJune 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As machines become increasingly adept at tasks once considered “only humans can do,” what is the meaning of education? This question is the core theme of the 2026 Wellington College Education Group Conference. The conference was held at Wellington College International Shanghai, a school under the Wellington College China group. This is also the first time the group conference has been held outside the United Kingdom.Nearly 40 management team members from sister schools around the world, including the UK, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Kenya, gathered in China to envision the future of education together.
Centered on the shared goal of “building a globally recognized and innovative family of schools,” managers, partners, and educators from the Wellington College Education Group and its schools engaged in in-depth strategic dialogues. The conference agenda revolved around two main themes: Human Flourishing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and The Synergistic Power of the Global Campus Network.
Rethinking the Purpose of Education
The conference commenced with opening remarks from Ms. Qiao Ying, Chairperson of Wellington College China, and Sir Anthony Seldon, President of the Wellington College Education Group. Their speeches set the tone for the conference: in today’s era of rapid technological iteration, we need to re-examine the purpose and value of education.
As society evolves, the goal of education should go beyond enhancing productivity, with the higher pursuit of supporting students in achieving a flourishing life. To this end, the group invited Mr. Michael Stevenson from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to serve as Director of the Wellington College Education Group Institute for Human Flourishing, dedicated to advancing related concepts and practices. The focus is on cultivating five key competencies in students: Understanding the World, Appreciating the World, Acting in the World, Adaptive Problem Solving, and Ethical Judgment.
These competencies are rooted in wisdom, empathy, and critical thinking. Despite continuous technological advancements, they remain irreplaceable human advantages. These qualities not only help young people navigate their future academic and career paths more steadily but also enable them to write meaningful and brilliant life stories.
AI Catalyzing Educational Upgrades
Special guest Rita Bateson, Co-founder and Director of Education at Eblana Learning, delivered a speech titled “Rethinking Schooling in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” sharing how generative AI impacts learning methods, assessment mechanisms, and future career landscapes. She proposed that instead of viewing AI as a threat, it should be seen as a catalyst for educational upgrades: as technology amplifies individual intentions, the truly important question is—what intentions do we want our students to have when learning, creating, and even influencing the world?
Following this, Chris Rothwell, Director of the newly established AI Institute of the Wellington College Education Group, introduced how the institute will support the group’s governance and practices in AI, ensuring that educational technology innovation is both forward-looking and adheres to clear ethical boundaries.
Global Campus Network Continues to Expand
As the Wellington College Education Group’s footprint expands, the conference also featured presentations from two new schools set to open this autumn. Colette McWilliams, Founding Principal of Huili School San Francisco Bay, and Melissa Meyers, Founding Principal of Wellington International School Jakarta, shared their schools’ preparatory progress, demonstrating a firm commitment to the group’s vision and highlighting the thriving momentum of the global campus network.
The afternoon agenda focused on “The Power of the Wellington College Education Group Global Campus Network.” Sir Anthony Seldon and Paresh Thakrar, Managing Director of Wellington College International, emphasized in their strategic review that the group’s sustained growth stems from three key elements: a consistent shared vision, space for localized innovation, and a drive for excellence.
Facing the Era of Change Together
The accelerating evolution of AI places higher demands on education: we need educational leadership that is both visionary and ethically grounded. To this end, the group will continue to build bridges for cross-cultural communication, deepen understanding and collaboration, and help young people cultivate the necessary character and competencies in a complex and changing world.
In the face of changing times, the most important thing is to move forward together. As an educational group that shares practices, learns from each other, and collaborates on innovation, all member schools are committed to integrating vision into daily life, bringing innovation into the classroom, and implementing support in every student’s growth journey.