ACAMIS Directors Forum — Shanghai

People: Leading Trust, Talent and Organisational Resilience

Shanghai Singapore International School
Friday, October 16, 2026 | 1:00PM - 6:30PM

Other Locations: Beijing (Nov 27), Hong Kong (Feb 19)

About the Shanghai Forum

International schools in China are navigating a more complex operating environment. Staffing pressures, changing expectations and wider uncertainty can quickly affect organisational confidence and stability.

The Shanghai forum will focus on the people issues that increasingly shape school stability and strategic confidence. These may include employee grievances, recruitment and retention, compensation and benefits, staff morale, leadership wellbeing, succession, middle leadership capacity and organisational trust.

How can Heads of School lead with clarity, resilience, and evidence when regulatory and market conditions are changing?

Intended Outcomes

By the end of the forum, Directors will:

Identify major external and internal pressures affecting school planning

Compare how schools are responding to change

Identify practical questions for deeper Affinity Group inquiry

Surface assumptions that need better evidence

Build peer connections that continue beyond the forum

Agenda*

*Agenda subject to change.

1:00PM - 1:15PM

Introduction to the Directors Forum series and the People, Policy and Development frame. Participants consider why people issues are strategic issues, not only operational concerns.

1:15PM - 1:30PM

The sponsor shares practical insight connected to people, workforce confidence, employee wellbeing, benefits, recruitment or organisational risk.

1:30PM - 2:15PM

Two or three short presentations from invited experts. Possible contributors may include:
- An HR or employment law expert on employee grievances and risk
- A compensation, benefits or recruitment specialist
- An experienced Head of School on rebuilding trust or leading through staffing pressure
Each expert offers a concise perspective followed by clarifying questions.

2:15PM - 2:35PM

Directors identify one people issue that is visible, one that is hidden, and one that could become strategic if not addressed.

2:35PM - 3:15PM

Directors form groups of 3-4 around shared interests such as grievances, compensation, retention, leadership wellbeing, staffing models, middle leadership or organisational trust.

3:15PM - 3:30PM

Break

3:30PM - 4:15PM

Each group selects one shared challenge and uses a structured protocol to move from issue-sharing to deeper inquiry. The group identifies patterns, assumptions, risks and evidence needed.

4:15PM - 4:45PM

Each Affinity Group shares one common pressure, one leadership dilemma, one inquiry question and one practical way the group could support one another after the forum.

4:45PM - 5:00PM

Affinity Groups confirm their first follow-up meeting, communication method and shared inquiry focus.

5:00PM - 6:30PM

Drinks, small bites and informal conversation.

Continue Learning After the Forum

Affinity Group Online Meetings

The in-person forum is only the starting point. To support continued collaboration, participants will continue their inquiry through three online meetings with their Affinity Group via the PeerSphere Peer Learning Community.

These sessions are designed to:

Session 1: Refine the Inquiry - Refine the group’s shared inquiry question, compare school contexts, and identify the assumptions and evidence that need further exploration.
Session 2: Test Emerging Thinking - Share emerging insights, evidence and challenges. Group members will use peer perspectives to test their thinking and consider possible responses.
Session 3: Consolidate and Share Learning - Consolidate the group’s learning, identify practical implications and next steps, and prepare to share key insights at a virtual ACAMIS community meeting.

Meeting dates and times will be agreed upon by each Affinity Group.