International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) is a global forum for discussing key issues and future needs of the teaching profession.
ISTP brings together education ministers, union leaders and other teacher leaders from high-performing and rapidly improving education systems to identify best practices and engage in open conversations on how best to strengthen the teaching profession and raise student achievement.
The ISTP 2026 is organised by the Ministry of Education and Research in cooperation with the Estonian Education Personnel Union, OECD ja Education International.
The Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for the planning of education, research, youth and language related national policies and, in conjunction thereof, managing the fields of pre-primary, basic, general upper secondary, vocational secondary, higher, hobby and adult education, organising research and development activities, youth work and special youth work, and compiling drafts of corresponding legal acts.
More information: https://hm.ee
EEPU is an independent voluntary trade union organisation, which activity is based on democracy, sovereignty and independent decision, collegial leadership and public activity.
EEPU’s objective is, through co-operation, to represent and protect the professional, economic, public and social rights and interests of members.
EEPU consists of education personnel’s trade union organisations and associations founded on regional bases (member organisations). EEPU was founded on 3rd April 1990 by Estonian educational personnel unions in towns and regions to organise co-operation between the unions.
More information: https://ehl.org.ee/en/
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation that works to build better policies for better lives. It shapes policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all. Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, the OECD works on establishing evidence-based international standards and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, the OECD provides a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.
More information: https://www.oecd.org/en.html
Education International (EI) is a Global Union Federation that brings together organisations of teachers and other education employees from across the world. Through our 383 member organisations, EI represents more than 32 million teachers and education support personnel in 178 countries and territories. As the global voice of teachers and education support personnel EI champions free, quality, publicly funded education for every student and promote the interests of teachers and education support personnel at the international level. All of EI’s policies, programmes and advocacy efforts aim to advance social justice.
More infrmation: https://www.ei-ie.org/en
Kristina Kallas, PhD is a distinguished Estonian politician, political scientist, and educator. As of April 2023, Kristina Kallas is a prominent member of the Estonian government, serving as the Minister of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia.
According to PISA results, Estonia has one of the world’s leading education systems. Minister Kristina Kallas is convinced that technology in education is a means to empower individuals, enhance educational outcomes, and ensure inclusivity, assuring the continued future readiness of the Estonian education system.
Prior to her career in politics, Kristina Kallas was a researcher at the University of Tartu. Simultaneously, in 2015-2019 she was the Director of the Narva College of the University of Tartu. As an expert consultant for several organisations and projects such as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Kristina Kallas has advised many governments in the area of integration policy, including Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
Throughout her career, Kristina Kallas has been committed to equipping future leaders to navigate diverse and multicultural societies, including through her teaching at the University of Tartu.
Reemo Voltri, the president of the Estonian Education Personnel Union (EEPU) has been an influential figure in Estonia’s education landscape for more than a decade. For the last 13 years, he has led the Estonian Educational Personnel Union (EEPU), the country’s largest organization representing kindergarten, hobby school, general education, and vocational education teachers, along with many other educational professionals.
Alongside his work in the union, Voltri also teaches physics in an elementary school. With nearly 25 years of experience in front of the classroom, he brings the everyday reality of teachers directly into national discussions.
In 2023 Voltri was a central figure in organizing the nationwide teachers strike, which drew wide participation and received strong support from the public. Under his leadership, the strike brought important issues – like sustainability of the teaching profession, funding and workload – into public focus.
Over the years he has taken part in various policy discussions and public debates, aimed at improving Estonia’s education system, and strengthening the role of educational professionals. He believes that education lays the foundation for the success of any country and investing in education is an investment in society.
Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices.
He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders around the world to improve quality and equity in education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that Schleicher “understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I’ve met, and he tells me the truth” (The Atlantic, July 11). Former UK Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher “the most important man in English education” – even though he is German and lives in France.
Before joining the OECD, he was Director for Analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA). He studied Physics in Germany and received a degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the “Theodor Heuss” prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement”. He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
Dr. Mugwena Maluleke, President of Education International.
Mugwena Maluleke is the General Secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU). Formerly a maths teacher and principal of Rodney Mokoena Junior Secondary School in Tshwane, he has been active in SADTU since its formation in 1990.
He began his union journey as Branch Organiser and later Branch Secretary in Soshanguve during the struggle for recognition under apartheid. He went on to serve in the Southern Transvaal Executive Committee before the 1994 democratic transition. After SADTU reorganised into provincial structures, Maluleke became Deputy Provincial Secretary in Gauteng, where he oversaw administration, negotiations, and curriculum issues. He later rose to become SADTU’s National Negotiator and eventually Chief Negotiator, playing a key role in drafting the constitutions of the ELRC and the PSCBC.
Maluleke has held several senior leadership roles, including Gauteng Chairperson and National Executive Committee member. He served a decade as National Treasurer, managing union finances, reporting to national structures, and chairing the SADTU Investment Holding Company.
In 2008 he was elected Deputy General Secretary, responsible for union administration and collective bargaining, and also served as COSATU Public Service Unions’ Chief Negotiator. A year later, in 2009, he became SADTU’s General Secretary.
Beyond his role in SADTU, Maluleke sits on the Central Executive Committee of COSATU and is a member of the African National Congress (ANC), reflecting his long-standing commitment to labour rights and political activism.
Annika Arras is CEO of Miltton New Nordics and a senior strategic advisor with extensive experience in communications, public affairs, and organisational development. She advises top-level executives, political leaders, and organisations on strategic positioning, stakeholder engagement, and change management.
Arras is an experienced event moderator and conference content curator, working both in Estonia and internationally. She is widely recognized as a public commentator, regularly contributing to media discussions on domestic and international politics.
She has over a decade of experience as a political communication strategist, having led multiple successful election campaigns for Estonia’s Reform Party and its prime ministers until 2015. Since then, she has worked internationally, advising political leaders and organizations across Europe and beyond. In 2016, together with the ALDE Party and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, she co-founded Alliance of Her, an empowerment and leadership program for women in politics, where she continues to train and mentor participants.
Arras is a visiting lecturer in Strategic Communications at TalTech’s MBA program and has taught change management, public policymaking, and political communication at leading Estonian universities.
She holds a BA in Finnish Philology from Tallinn University, an MBA from Estonian Business School, and a Specialized Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Her native language is Estonian; she is fluent in English and Finnish and has basic knowledge of Russian and Italian.
In 2024, Arras was nominated among the top three candidates for Estonia’s Best CEO of the Year.
The aim of the Summit is to share best practices and engage in meaningful discussions on how to strengthen the teaching profession and improve student learning outcomes.
