A Recap of the International Conference for Happiness and Wellbeing in Education

What an incredible two days at the International Happiness and Wellbeing Conference recently held at TH School, Hanoi on November 23rd and 24th! The conference, organised by Institute for Education and Human Development, (EDI) in partnership with TH Group and TH Schools, was a resounding event.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all lead and support teams who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, as well as the amazing guest speakers who brought our theme of happiness and wellbeing to life. Your dedication and passion made this event a resounding success!

The conference commenced at 8.00 am on Saturday 23^rd, with 2 special musical performances led by primary students from TH School, both of which were moving pieces.

Following the performances, we were graciously honoured with opening speeches from the TH School and EDI founder, Madame Thai Huong and the Education Minister for Vietnam with their inspiring opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of such conferences and the need for transformative changes in education to promote happiness in schools.

We were enlightened by our keynote speakers:

• Mr. Martin Skelton, who explored the concept of Happy Schools and the SPIRE Model;
• Prof. Yong Zhao, who shared insights on individualization in education and its impact on student happiness;
• Assoc. Prof. Ngo Tuyet Mai, who highlighted the importance of Happy Mothers and Teachers;
• Teacher Tom Hobson, who discussed how understanding children’s language can lead to happier children;
• Stephen West, the EDI Director, wrapped up the Saturday morning aspect of the conference with insightful closing remarks about his personal journey and the remarkable advancement of Vietnamese schools in recognizing and fostering happiness as a core aspect of learning. 

We welcomed the afternoon session for parents with a moving speech by Mr. Tom Pado, Superintendent of TH Schools. Following his opening remarks, we were proud to host an opportunity for Dr, Yong Zhao, Teacher Tom Hobson and Dr. Ngo Tuyet Mai to once again share their experiences with our parents. Ms. Yvette Jeffrey, Founding  Primary Principal gave us a touching story of her 10 years with TH School and how SPIRE translates into happiness with KG - Primary students, 

Over 200 parents from TH School, and the wider community graced us with their presence and as part of the end session, the speakers joined a panel discussion with Prof. Hong to explore some of the parent questions. 

Our Sunday morning began with welcome speech by Mr. Stephen West, EDI Director and was followed by a keynote from internationally well speaker:

• Erin Threfall, who moved us with her heartfelt story of happiness and her experiences with Liberia and the United Nations.

A total of nearly 700 people attended the two-day conference, we can comfortably report that the conference feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many participants expressing appreciation for the conference and eagerly asking when the next one will be held!

Thank you to everyone who made this event unforgettable. Together, we are making strides toward creating happier and healthier learning environments for all!