Dr Stephen Codrington is the author of some 25 books, mainly textbooks for Geography.

 

He is also the Principal of Li Po Chun United World College in Hong Kong. This is his fourth headship, having previously served as Principal of St Paul's Grammar School in Penrith (Sydney, Australia) between 1989 and 1997, and then as Chief Executive Principal of Kristin School in Auckland, New Zealand from 1997 to 1999, followed by Headmaster of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide (Australia) from 2000 to 2004. Prior to that he taught at schools in both Australia and England including St Ignatius College, Riverview (Sydney, Australia) and Stonyhurst College (Lancashire, UK).

 

His academic background is Geography, and he is a former President of both the Geographical Society of New South Wales and the Geography Teachers' Association of New South Wales (twice). He has led several successful geographical study tours to such diverse destinations as China, Myanmar, Russia, Estonia, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia (Irian Jaya) and Thailand. In 2005, he led a delegation of the first foreign students ever to visit North Korea - the first of three trips he has now undertaken to that unknown and often misunderstood country. Stephen's work has taken him to over 80 countries.

 

He has been honoured with election as a Fellow of the Australian College of Education, the Royal Geographical Society (UK), the International Biographical Association, and the Geographical Society of NSW, as well as being elected a Member of the Order of International Fellowship. He is a former Chairman of H.I.C.E.S. (Heads of Independent Co-educational Schools). He was named International Man of the Year (Education) by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge (England) in 1995-96.  He has been listed in Who’s Who in Australia since 2003.

 

He edited Geography Bulletin, the journal of the Geography Teachers' Association of New South Wales from 1980 to 1986. He continues to teach in the classroom, to the delight of his students.

 

Stephen has worked intensively in the area of change management of schools and has spoken widely on aspects of the subject in venues as diverse as Taipei, Shanghai, Adelaide, Bangkok and Invercargill. In 2000 he was presented with an Outstanding Public Speaker award by IBC in England.

 

He recently completed an extensive term as Deputy Chief Examiner in Geography for the International Baccalaureate (I.B.), setting examination papers for the I.B. and assisting with curriculum development. During his terms as Deputy Chief Examiner, he led many teachers' workshops in places such as Melbourne, Guangzhou, Singapore, Brisbane, Auckland, Adelaide, Hong Kong and Mumbai.

 

Stephen has a passionate interest in the geography, politics and culture of China. This interest has been expressed through his research and writings, and through more than 50 visits there since 1982. From 1993 to 1995 he successfully negotiated to establish the first school in China since 1949 permitted to teach secondary students a course other than the government's national curriculum. This co-operative venture school (The Light of the World International School in Harbin) opened in March 1996, but sadly closed several years later.

 

Stephen has a strong commitment to excellence and internationalism in education. He believes that students should be encouraged to stretch themselves beyond their comfort zones in every area of their formation, and to go forth into the world as responsible, ethical and compassionate young men and women, committed to putting into practice the ideals of peace, internationalism, justice and excellence in all things.

 

Stephen is a committed Christian who attends St Andrew’s Church in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

 

An Australian by birth, Stephen was born on 27th July 1953 - the same morning as the Armistice was signed to end the Korean War. He is married to Di, and he has the best four children that any father could ever hope for!