Delivering educational excellence across continents takes more than good intentions or one-size-fits-all procedures. It requires building meaningful connections between local school communities and international standards, while respecting cultural nuance and ensuring consistent quality. Brian Cooklin, Executive Director at Nord Anglia Education, has spent decades mastering this balance across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the UK. Here are his three key strategies for making international education work, without losing what makes each region unique.
Start with the Local — Understand Regional Identity
Some of the biggest mistakes in international education happen when schools ignore local culture. Brian has watched this play out across continents. “The foundation of global alignment begins with a deep respect for regional identity,” he explains. “Every school operates within a unique cultural, political, and social context, and rather than flatten these differences, we must celebrate and integrate them.”
This isn’t just a feel-good philosophy. He has seen real results when schools get this balance right. Parents respond differently in Hong Kong than they do in Mexico City. Government requirements vary wildly between countries. Cultural expectations around education change from place to place. “Whether in Hong Kong, Mexico, or the UK, we’ve seen the most impact when regional goals are honored and then framed within a broader educational vision,” Brian notes. “This creates relevance for students and resonance for communities.”
Build a Common Language of Excellence
Getting schools in different countries to work together doesn’t mean making them identical. He learned this lesson the hard way through years of trial and error. “Alignment doesn’t mean uniformity, it means coherence,” he says. “At Nord Anglia, we use shared frameworks for excellence in teaching, leadership, and outcomes.” Think of it like a jazz band. Everyone’s playing the same song, but each musician brings their own style. “These frameworks allow our schools to innovate locally while still contributing to, and benefiting from, a collective global standard,” Brian explains. He uses a language comparison that makes sense: “It’s a bit like speaking different dialects, but in the same language of ambition and quality.” The real payoff comes when good ideas spread between schools. A teaching method that works in Thailand might help solve a problem in Brazil. But it won’t work if you just copy and paste. “This balance ensures that best practices can travel, and success can be scaled,” he adds.
Empower Leadership and Shared Ownership
He discovered something important about change in schools. Top-down orders from headquarters rarely stick. Real transformation happens when local leaders feel like they’re building something, not just following instructions. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that global vision doesn’t come from the top down, it grows through empowered, inspired leadership at every level,” he reflects. This means treating regional school leaders like partners, not employees. “Our regional leaders are not just implementers; they’re architects of our strategy,” he explains. When someone helps create the plan, they fight harder to make it work. “When they co-own the vision, they bring it to life with authenticity and local insight.” The difference shows up in results. Schools run by empowered leaders outperform schools that just follow orders. “It’s this kind of shared ownership that truly aligns goals, not just on paper, but in practice,” he notes.
Education today faces pressure from all sides. Parents want global opportunities for their kids. Communities want schools that understand local values. Governments want measurable results. Students need skills for jobs that don’t exist yet. Brian sees this complexity as a challenge worth solving. Schools can’t just pick one priority and ignore the rest. “Aligning regional goals with a global vision isn’t just desirable, it’s essential,” he states. “It ensures our students are both locally grounded and globally prepared.” The solution isn’t complicated in theory, but it takes work in practice. Respect local differences. Create shared standards that make sense. Give regional leaders real power to shape their schools. “I believe that with the right mix of respect, structure, and empowerment, we can build an educational ecosystem where excellence transcends borders,” he concludes. Some problems are too big for any one person to solve. But education might be one place where collaboration actually works.
Connect with Brian Cooklin on LinkedIn to learn how he’s shaping global education through local insight.
