WISE25: ‘Nothing short of thrilling’
We were on a plane flying back to Seoul from the inaugural WISE (Women in International Schools Empowerment) Conference in Manila last year. Filled with the inspiration of what we had just witnessed, we immediately set about writing down the beginnings of a proposal to host the next one. At that stage, it was not even clear that there would be a second WISE Conference.
What came to fruition at Dulwich College Seoul from February 21-23 of this year was nothing short of thrilling. Nearly 150 delegates attended WISE25, including members of our own staff, local and international schools and diplomats. There was even a prominent North Korean defector – Ilhwa Choe delivered a keynote speech recounting her harrowing escape from North Korea at the age of 14, moving us all with her call for greater acceptance and inclusivity in South Korea.
It was also stirring for us as co-organizers to witness the standing ovation that Choe received in a venue that was transformed from school auditorium to arena of empowerment.
The beauty of WISE is that it seeks to include women from all backgrounds, recognizing that this approach is essential in order for empowerment to matter. It is a platform upon which we can learn from fellow female educators as well as women who have walked the walk in other industries and learned skills they can share.
The timing of the conference was hugely significant for Dulwich College Seoul because we have an all-female academic leadership team for the first time this year. Still, it was emboldening to receive the support of head of college Alison Derbyshire along with the rest of our college leadership team.
All of us fed off our sense of mission. We work in a sector where leadership roles are male-dominated, and here we were “walking the walk” of women’s empowerment. The honour that comes with celebrating our outlier status was also accompanied by great responsibility. We pooled all our available efforts and resources to set about hosting a successful WISE25 conference. Thankfully, these were not insignifant given the willing participation of school staff, who formed a 31-strong volunteer group.
We knew that WISE25 could only be successful if it built on the diversity that was presented at last year’s conference. So, we worked to ensure that we brought together women of different ages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds. There were powerful keynotes delivered by speakers from around the world, as well as a wide range of subjects covered by our 38 workshop leaders.
One workshop that stands out in particular was based on our realization that women were less likely to feel empowered or succeed in pursuing leadership roles if they do not feel confident in financial management. We asked Paola Morris, director of business at Dulwich College (Singapore), to lead a workshop based on her experience at an organization made up of 4,000 people. Both sessions were packed and it was clear from the responses of those in attendance that the workshop filled a deep need – even among existing leaders.
We could mention many other outcomes, from building negotiation skills to learning how to foster inclusive workplaces, but for now let us add that one of the key messages from the weekend was reframing networking. This struck such a chord because women often view networking as not only being a self-serving activity but also one that is led by men in predominantly male environments. The conference taught us to view networking as a positive that can be mutually beneficial.
This then fed into the corridors and wellbeing sessions, which included everything from scent-making to cooking kimchi pancakes. At every opportunity, there was a palpable sense of openness among the delegates to connect, learn, share, and support. It was enormously gratifying to see women forming connections that we knew could be fruitful going forward.
The feedback from the conference has been so contagiously positive that many of us are already planning our trips to Jakarta for WISE26. As much as anything else, that is a testament to the impact of the first two WISE conferences and we are honored to be part of it.
It was also stirring for us as co-organizers to witness the standing ovation that Choe received in a venue that was transformed from school auditorium to arena of empowerment.
"We have an all-female academic leadership team for the first time this year."
The beauty of WISE is that it seeks to include women from all backgrounds, recognizing that this approach is essential in order for empowerment to matter. It is a platform upon which we can learn from fellow female educators as well as women who have walked the walk in other industries and learned skills they can share.
Good timing
The timing of the conference was hugely significant for Dulwich College Seoul because we have an all-female academic leadership team for the first time this year. Still, it was emboldening to receive the support of head of college Alison Derbyshire along with the rest of our college leadership team.
"Women were less likely to pursue leadership roles if they did not feel confident in financial management."
All of us fed off our sense of mission. We work in a sector where leadership roles are male-dominated, and here we were “walking the walk” of women’s empowerment. The honour that comes with celebrating our outlier status was also accompanied by great responsibility. We pooled all our available efforts and resources to set about hosting a successful WISE25 conference. Thankfully, these were not insignifant given the willing participation of school staff, who formed a 31-strong volunteer group.
Building on the legacy of last year
We knew that WISE25 could only be successful if it built on the diversity that was presented at last year’s conference. So, we worked to ensure that we brought together women of different ages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds. There were powerful keynotes delivered by speakers from around the world, as well as a wide range of subjects covered by our 38 workshop leaders.
"All of us fed off our sense of mission."
One workshop that stands out in particular was based on our realization that women were less likely to feel empowered or succeed in pursuing leadership roles if they do not feel confident in financial management. We asked Paola Morris, director of business at Dulwich College (Singapore), to lead a workshop based on her experience at an organization made up of 4,000 people. Both sessions were packed and it was clear from the responses of those in attendance that the workshop filled a deep need – even among existing leaders.
A growing network of empowered women
We could mention many other outcomes, from building negotiation skills to learning how to foster inclusive workplaces, but for now let us add that one of the key messages from the weekend was reframing networking. This struck such a chord because women often view networking as not only being a self-serving activity but also one that is led by men in predominantly male environments. The conference taught us to view networking as a positive that can be mutually beneficial.
"There was a palpable sense of openness among the delegates to connect, learn, share, and support."
This then fed into the corridors and wellbeing sessions, which included everything from scent-making to cooking kimchi pancakes. At every opportunity, there was a palpable sense of openness among the delegates to connect, learn, share, and support. It was enormously gratifying to see women forming connections that we knew could be fruitful going forward.
The feedback from the conference has been so contagiously positive that many of us are already planning our trips to Jakarta for WISE26. As much as anything else, that is a testament to the impact of the first two WISE conferences and we are honored to be part of it.
