North India IB Heads Meeting: Collaboration and Leadership

The North India IB Heads Meeting was successfully held on 15 April 2026 at Scottish High International School, Gurugram, bringing together IB leaders from across North India for purposeful dialogue, collaboration, and shared learning.

The meeting commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Cdr. Kartikay Saini, Founder and Chairman, Scottish High International School, highlighting the remarkable combined experience of over 900 years represented by the gathering of 33 IB Heads. This was followed by student performances that set a thoughtful tone for the day. Ms. Vanita Uppal OBE, Director, The British School, New Delhi, expressed gratitude to the host school and highlighted the strength of collective leadership.

Key discussions focused on sessions like Designing for Neurodiversity – Access Arrangements by Dr. Cdr. Kartikay Saini, emphasising inclusive education and balanced decision-making. A meaningful session on Mindfulness – Wellbeing as System Design, led by Mr. Sameer Arora and team from Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram, highlighted how mindfulness can be embedded into school culture and leadership practices. Later, the Heads discussed attendance challenges in their respective schools, sharing strategies to strengthen accountability and participation.

Heads further discussed security concerns and response protocols to bomb threats, emphasising the importance of ensuring safety while maintaining continuity of learning. Capt. Rohit Sen Bajaj led discussions on increasing IB visibility in Tier 2 / 3 cities, encouraging mentorship, collaboration, and capacity building across regions. Updates from IBGC 2026, presented by Dr. Cdr. Kartikay Saini, and provided valuable insights, followed by the presentation of the Annual Calendar 2026–27 for IB Heads in India and South Asia.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Sameer Arora, expressing appreciation for the contributions of all the IB Heads present and the support of the students and staff at Scottish High International School.

We were honoured by the presence of IB Heads and leaders including Ms. Vanita Uppal OBE, Dr. Cdr. Kartikay Saini, Capt. Rohit Sen Bajaj, Mr. Sameer Arora, Ms. Bakhtawar Saini, Mr. Atul Khanna, Ms. Manika Sharma, Ms. Rima Singh, Ms. Ripple Sethi, Mr. Abhimanyu Das Gupta, Mr. Aaron Jacob, Ms. Sonya Mehta, Ms. Rupa Chakravarty, Ms. Navina Chadha, Mr. Chris Stevens, Mr. Craig Monaghan, Mr. Dirk Leidinger, Ms. Manjot Dhillon, Ms. Manisha Razdan, Ms. Anvita Gupta, Ms. Geeta Verma, Ms. Shalu Babbar, Ms. Deblina Chakraborty, Ms. Anju Soni, Ms. Soma Dam, Ms. Ramanjit Nagi, Mr. Vineet, Mr. Sunil Kumar Sharma, Ms. Poonam Dahiya, Ms. Neha Sharma, and other distinguished IB leaders who contributed to meaningful and impactful discussions.