As global education enters a new phase of “transcending boundaries and integrating innovation,” deep disciplinary expertise and interdisciplinary connections will become core pathways for cultivating future talent. At the same time, China’s “New Curricula and Standards” also anchors on core competencies, promoting a shift in teaching from the mere transmission of isolated knowledge to the holistic construction of comprehensive abilities.
In this context, the SUIS Cross-Campus Autumn Teachers’ Professional Development Day was successfully held on October 18, 2025, at SUIS Qingpu. Centered around the theme of “Disciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary Learning,” the event encouraged SUIS teachers to step out of the “comfort zone” of disciplinary silos and reexamine and adapt to the multifaceted roles of modern educators. This is by no means a denial of the value of disciplinary expertise—it remains the solid foundation of our knowledge system. Building on this foundation, we take two steps forward: one step toward “interdisciplinary learning,” exploring how to connect knowledge across disciplines to solve more complex and integrated problems; and another step toward “transdisciplinary learning,” transcending disciplinary boundaries to focus on real-world issues, guiding students to construct meaning and understand their relationship with the world within a broader context.
That morning, leaders from the Decision-making Committee of the Xiehe Education Center, department directors, and nearly 800 Chinese and expat administrators and frontline teachers from 11 campuses gathered at SUIS Qingpu to embark on a day-long learning journey. Simultaneously, nine additional campuses served as satellite venues, hosting school-based training activities for over 1,600 faculty and staff members. Inter-campus enrollment was also made available to promote resource sharing among the schools.
The conference commenced with a beautiful performance by the host school’s SUIS Qingpu Yunque Choir. The event was presided over by Ms. Jenny Chen, Deputy Director of the School Management Department of the Xiehe Education Center. The main venue, Qinglong Theater, was filled to capacity as over 2,000 SUIS community members participated both online and on- site, sharing in this knowledge feast.
The event featured a rich array of content and diverse formats,
with several notable highlights.
Keynote speeches by renowned Chinese and international experts broadened perspectives and offered insights into new trends in global education integration.
Dr. Huang Dan, Chief Education Expert of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute and former Vice President of the School of Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, delivered a keynote titled “The AI Education Revolution: Decoding Disruptive Innovation from Principle to Practice.”
Globally recognized education consultant, author, and part-time lecturer at the University of Hong Kong, Dr. Jennifer Chang Wathall, shared a keynote on “Teaching for Deep Conceptual Understanding.”
Flash Talks showcased the brilliance of SUIS’s new generation of educators. Four teachers from SUIS Qingpu, Pudong, Hefei, and Shangyin presented performance and speeches on various themes and in diverse formats.
A student-led roundtable forum from a high school perspective prompted empathetic reflection among teachers on classroom practices. Facilitated by host Jiang Min, 11th-grade students from five SUIS high schools discussed “My Vision of an Ideal Classroom,” earning rounds of applause for their wisdom and wit.
The afternoon session featured three parallel tracks:
// Firstly, SUIS campuses have offered a total of 30 workshops, providing a platform for participants to engage in peer-to-peer learning and collaboratively explore precise quality enhancement in disciplinary teaching, the coordinated design of interdisciplinary curricula, and the authentic implementation of transdisciplinary projects.
// Secondly,Cross-curricular Subject seminars will be held for secondary school teachers. Over 100 teachers of the same subject across different curricula will gather in three thematic sessions – Mathematics, Chemistry, and Community Action. Facilitated by SUIS colleagues and external experts, they will share replicable and adaptable practical schemes and discuss how to solidify the deep foundations of secondary school subject teaching and strengthen the core of subject-specific literacy.
// Thirdly, a customized workshop session for specific campuses has been innovatively introduced. Dr. Jennifer Wathall, a globally renowned educational consultant, will guide over 100 primary and middle school mathematics and general-subject teachers in an in-depth exploration of concept-based mathematics through inquiry.
This event is a collective action of the SUIS learning community. We hope every participant will gain valuable insights from expert guidance and peer exchange, find clarity in the collision of ideas and practical discussions, and jointly propel SUIS education forward on the path of disciplinary integration, injecting new vitality into cultivating future talents with both national identity and global vision.
We would like to extend our special thanks to SUIS Qingpu for hosting this event.