If you have ever had a question that you wanted to take straight to the top, this session is for you. The senior leadership of the International Baccalaureate will field all questions, on all topics or issues. This is a wonderful opportunity to share both your concerns and your best ideas with leaders of the IB community.

The IB celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2008, and has come a long way since Alec Peterson first developed and introduced the concept of the Diploma Programme in 1968. The goal back then was to facilitate the international mobility of students by providing schools with a curriculum and qualification recognized by universities around the world. Today, after decades of operating quietly on the margins of education, International Baccalaureate programmes seem to be more and more leaping into the limelight, sparking controversy and confusion that inevitably accompany innovation. Is IB the best way to improve schools, as supporters claim? Does it have the right programmes to meet the heightened concerns of parents interested in preparing their children for a global economy?
Join Director General Jeffrey Beard and Regional Director Drew Deutsch for an interesting point/counterpoint discussion on these issues and to hear more about how today’s IB programmes are actually a good fit for 21st century needs.