Global Student Conference
Under Sydney’s golden winter sun, a week of global dialogue, discovery, and connection has just wrapped up. From June 28 to July 5, 2025, the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA) hosted its Global Student Conference (GSC) at Barker College in Australia, bringing together nearly 180 students and educators from some of the world’s top high schools across the U.S., U.K., Canada, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Australia.
Nine students from Tsinghua International School (THIS), led by Vice Principal Ms. Toni Dong, made the journey south to take part in this vibrant, eight-day exchange themed “Voices of Tomorrow: Intercultural Leaders in the Age of Innovation.”
A Global Gathering to Inspire the Next Generation of Leaders
This year’s conference was designed to equip future leaders with the skills and mindset needed for an increasingly interconnected world. Through academic seminars, cultural immersion, leadership training, and hands-on exploration, students explored big questions surrounding global citizenship, cultural intelligence, innovative leadership, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI.
The agenda was packed with highlights:
Thought-Provoking Keynotes
Students were inspired by experts from diverse fields—tech, education, and social innovation—including renowned broadcaster Adam Spencer, Everest summiteer Esther Colwill, and social entrepreneur Simone Allan, who shared powerful insights on topics like the AI revolution, personal growth, global citizenship, and making a social impact.
Hands-On Leadership Workshops
Interactive sessions invited students to dive deep into leadership through the lens of emotional intelligence, the “T-shaped talent” concept, global inequality, and conflict resolution. Masterclasses offered a chance to explore Indigenous Australian art, the Darug language, and real-world applications of AI.
Real Talk with Top U.S. Universities
Through the WLSA College Admission Network (CAN), admissions officers from nine top U.S. universities—including Brown, Columbia, UPenn, UChicago, NYU, Michigan, BU, Vanderbilt, and WashU—held panels, workshops, and one-on-one sessions. Students gained practical, insider advice on what truly matters in competitive college applications—from essays and extracurriculars to test scores and scholarships.
A Celebration of Culture
Each delegation brought their traditions to life on stage during the School Culture Night, while the “Cultural Trivia Night” and informal conversations helped students connect across cultures in meaningful—and often hilarious—ways.
Discovering the Best of Sydney
Students explored the natural and urban beauty of Sydney, from the dramatic misty peaks of the Blue Mountains to iconic landmarks like the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, The Rocks, and Bondi Beach. Rain or shine, they soaked in the spirit of Australia.
Lifelong Friendships, Global Connections
From icebreakers and team challenges to shared meals and the emotional farewell banquet, the conference offered endless moments for students to bond, laugh, and grow—forming friendships that crossed continents and cultures.
THIS Voices: What We Gained
Throughout the conference, THIS students fully immersed themselves in every experience, showing curiosity, respect, and open-mindedness. Their takeaways speak volumes about the impact of the week:
This year’s WLSA conference passed by much too quickly. It was a dream getting to work with people from so many different countries and backgrounds. The most helpful part of the conference was the college admissions talk, it helped clarify what colleges are actually looking for and answered many of my questions about applications.
My favorite part was the Blue Mountains tourism day. It was raining cats and dogs but the overall experience was still amazing. In the end, it was hard to say goodbye to Sydney and to this wonderful experience.
This was a conference beyond the shorelines of the northern hemisphere, stretching into the heart of Oceania. What I miss about Sydney definitely isn’t the cold sandwiches or wraps.
It was the crimson and golden sunsets painting Bondi Beach, the rainbows welcoming and bringing us good luck, and the laughter that followed our awkward performances. But more than anything, I miss the people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
That diversity came alive on the very first day during group reflections, where we were asked to describe our cultures. While most of us shared customs, holidays, or cuisines from our cultures, the Barker students took a different approach.
They didn’t just describe traditions; they spoke of qualities such as kindness, enthusiasm, and easygoing optimism that defined their identity as Australians. They were the ones cheering for us loudest onstage, congratulating everyone.
It struck me then how culture isn’t just about what we do or celebrate, but who we are and how we connect. And in that room, under the same sky that later gifted us those golden sunsets, we connected. Not just through stories, but through the unspoken understanding that despite our differences, we were all there to learn, to share, and to carry a piece of each culture home.
Intercultural leadership stems from these qualities that enable leaders worldwide to connect. What goes from here on? Well, someday we’ll see each other again and lead the world forward.
A Meaningful Ending—and a New Beginning
The conference officially closed on July 4 with a farewell banquet and awards ceremony at Barker College’s MPH Hall. On July 5, delegations began their journeys home—each student carrying with them new knowledge, expanded perspectives, meaningful friendships, and a deeper understanding of what it takes to lead across cultures.
Ms. Dong shared: “As this year’s theme suggests, these young ‘voices of tomorrow’ didn’t just participate in an international event—they took real steps toward becoming the culturally intelligent, globally minded leaders our world needs.”
Though oceans and continents may separate us, the connections formed in Sydney will endure. THIS students return with broadened perspectives, new friendships, and a renewed sense of purpose as global citizens. We’re proud of our THIS students—for their courage, their curiosity, and their commitment to building a better world. May they continue to explore, connect, and lead with heart wherever the future takes them.
