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We are delighted to announce that Pauline Nord will join Swiss International Scientific School as our new Principal from August 2026.
With more than three decades of experience in Swiss and international education, Pauline most recently served as Director General of Collège du Léman International School, where she led one of Switzerland’s largest and most academically diverse day and boarding schools. Her career reflects depth, continuity and a profound understanding of what makes a school truly exceptional.
Pauline began her professional journey as a Mathematics and Physical Education teacher and Boarding House Tutor in a Swiss boarding school. At Collège du Léman, she steadily progressed through leadership roles including Mathematics Teacher, Deputy Principal, Principal of Primary, Director of Primary Studies and Academic Director, before becoming Director General.
This offers a rare insight that spans classroom practice, academic coordination and strategic leadership. Having worked at every level of school life, Pauline understands not only how strong teaching is delivered, but how systems, culture and leadership structures enable it to progress consistently across all sections.
Over the course of her career, Pauline has overseen a broad portfolio of programmes, including the International Baccalaureate, the Swiss Maturité, the French Baccalauréat, the American High School Diploma with Advanced Placement, and integrated bilingual pathways.
Her approach combines rigour with responsiveness. She has championed clear academic accountability, strong curriculum alignment and the intelligent use of data to drive improvement. The result has been consistently high standards across multiple systems, while preserving flexibility for students to pursue pathways aligned with their strengths and aspirations.
This breadth of experience resonates strongly with SISD’s own commitment to delivering outstanding outcomes within a diverse and internationally minded learning environment.
A defining element of Pauline’s leadership is her belief that international education should meaningfully integrate systems rather than simply run them in parallel.
In Geneva, she led the development of an integrated bilingual programme that combined the structure and intellectual discipline of the Francophone model with the creativity and inquiry based nature of Anglophone education. The programme reflected her conviction that bilingualism is not simply about language acquisition, but about cognitive flexibility, cultural fluency and deeper ways of thinking.
This philosophy aligns closely with SISD’s distinctive bilingual identity. Here, languages are not confined to lessons, but rather, they are built into experiences and everyday school life. For families seeking multilingual confidence and readiness for real world experiences, this approach forms a central pillar of our educational offering.
Pauline brings extensive Swiss boarding expertise to SISD, shaped by her early career in boarding houses and her subsequent leadership of boarding provision at Collège du Léman International School. Through these experiences, she has developed a deep understanding of how to create a safe, nurturing and well structured environment in which students thrive academically, socially and personally.
At SISD, her leadership will further strengthen our boarding programme, ensuring every boarder feels supported, at home and inspired to excel. Her appointment reinforces our commitment to delivering an exceptional boarding experience for families seeking outstanding Swiss education in Dubai.
Families choose SISD for its academic excellence, international outlook and strong sense of community. Pauline’s leadership strengthens each of these foundations:
A global perspective that prepares students for leading universities worldwide
Language focused learning throughout the curriculum
High academic expectations supported by a clear system
Inclusive education that challenges and supports every learner
A connected day and boarding experience grounded in wellbeing and belonging
Alongside academic focus, Pauline has consistently prioritised student wellbeing and a strong sense of community. She believes that high expectations must be matched by strong pastoral care, ensuring that every student feels known, supported and empowered to grow.
With her thoughtful and strategic leadership, Pauline is exceptionally well positioned to guide the school forward, strengthening our IB, bilingual and boarding identity while continuing to raise standards across all aspects of school life.
We look forward to welcoming her to our community in August 2026.