The Beaconhouse International Student Convention (BISC) offers students a remarkable opportunity to embark on a global journey of learning, competition, and collaboration. It brings together Beaconhouse students from across six countries, enabling them to travel, connect, and showcase their talents on an international stage.

 

BISC features a diverse range of activities across four arenas – the Sports Arena, Creative Arena, Knowledge Arena, and Gaming Arena – spanning athletics, arts, innovation, debate, digital gaming, and academic challenges. Students compete not only to demonstrate excellence in their chosen fields, but also to build cross-cultural friendships and promote healthy, constructive competition.

 

The convention aligns with several United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly:

  • Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3)
  • Quality Education (SDG 4)
  • Partnerships and Collaborations (SDG 17)

This strengthens BISC’s role as a platform for global awareness, student agency, and responsibility.

 

The event format continues to evolve, becoming more inclusive and future-focused with each edition. BISC 2026 introduces the Knowledge Arena to highlight academic excellence, alongside innovative competitions such as the Smart Cities Challenge, BISC Spotlight, and Global Debate, building on the success of earlier events like SparkTank @ BISC, RoboQuest, and Quantum Quest.

 

Acknowledging student engagement and interest in online gaming is another key addition to the format, with the Gaming Arena, whereby students can compete with supervision and support.

 

Country and regional offices are advised to organise pre-event competitions during 2025 to ensure a wide pool of student participation and select finalists for Kuala Lumpur. Coordination with local competitions is encouraged for transparent and seamless selection.

 

Together, let us make BISC 2026 in Malaysia a transformative and globally connected experience – one that celebrates creativity, knowledge, physical excellence, and digital innovation under the theme “Global Connections for Common Goals.”

“Global Connections for Common Goals”

 

The Beaconhouse International Student Convention (BISC) brings together students from Beaconhouse schools worldwide, providing them with a platform to connect, collaborate, and compete as global citizens.

 

The 2026 theme, “Global Connections for Common Goals,” reflects the urgent need for young people to work across borders and disciplines to address challenges that are shared by all. From climate change to digital equity, from cultural understanding to global health, today’s learners must cultivate the ability to act together, across differences, to create meaningful change.

 

With a play on the word ‘goals’, BISC 2026 seeks to balance competition, such as in sporting events, with collaboration. It emphasises the power of dialogue, and respect for diversity, while also acknowledging the broader Sustainable Development Goals it supports. The theme highlights the importance of building bridges between countries, cultures, disciplines, and even generations, in order to achieve shared aspirations for a sustainable and inclusive future.

 

Learner agency remains central to BISC 2026: students will be encouraged to take ownership of their learning journeys, apply creativity to real-world problems, and demonstrate resilience, teamwork, and global-mindedness. By connecting students through a spirit of cooperation and constructive competition, BISC 2026 becomes a platform where knowledge, skills, and values intersect to inspire action for common global goals.

 

KEY OBJECTIVES

  • Cultivating Multicultural Bonds
    Bring together students from diverse countries and backgrounds to interact, perform, and collaborate. Promote cross-cultural understanding, empathy, tolerance, and unity as students engage in both competition and cultural exchange.
  • Empowering Future Innovators and Creators
    Through Creative Arena events, empower students to showcase artistic expression, entrepreneurial ideas, and innovative solutions. Encourage exploration of science, technology, and design, while fostering creativity and imagination.
  • Advancing Knowledge and Critical Inquiry
    Through the Knowledge Arena, spotlight academic excellence, debate, and intellectual pursuits. Strengthen students’ ability to think critically, analyse complex issues, and engage in informed dialogue, preparing them to contribute meaningfully to global challenges.
  • Fostering Sporting Excellence
    Celebrate sports as a vehicle for building resilience, teamwork, leadership, and physical wellbeing. Inspire students to strive for excellence, discipline, and sportsmanship while promoting a healthy spirit of competition.
  • Aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
    Ensure that BISC remains aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those focused on health and wellbeing (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17), while embedding sustainability into both competition design and student outputs.
BISC 2026 Event Summary
Event ThemeGlobal Connections for Common Goals
TeamsMalaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and UAE
VenueKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Event DatesArrival: 6 February 2026 (around noon)*
Networking & Practice: 6 February evening
Main Event: 7–8 February 2026
Departure: 9 February 2026
Age Group &
Eligibility
  • Sports Arena: Students must be 12–15 years old as of 31 Dec 2025 (born 1 Jan 2011 – 31 Dec 2013).
    Exceptions allowed per country:
    – Up to two players aged 16 (born in 2010).
    – Up to two players aged 11 (born in 2014).
    Key Rule: In any specific single-gender team (e.g., Girls’ Futsal, Boys’
    Basketball), a maximum of two excepted players may be nominated,
    comprising no more than one 16-year-old and no more than one 11-year-old.

  • Gaming Arenas: Students must be 12–15 years old as of 31 Dec 2025 (born 1
    Jan 2011 – 31 Dec 2013).

  • Creative and Knowledge: Students must be between 12–16 years of age as of
    31 December 2025 (born between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2013).

    • Event Format &
    Number of
    Participants     		The event will have four main Arenas:
    1. Sports Arena – 37 students per country
    (Team & individual competitions in futsal, basketball, tug of war, badminton,
    athletics, swimming, and chess)

    2. Creative Arena – 17-19 students per country (5 in person, 12-14 exhibits)
    (In-person, exhibits, and project-based entries across RoboQuest, SparkTank,
    Art Extravaganza/Live Art, Spotlight Film Reels, Smart Cities Challenge, and
    Icon)

    3. Knowledge Arena – 7 students per country (4 in person, 3 online)
    (BISC Quiz, BISC Global Debate, and BISC Quantum Quest)

    4. Gaming Arena – 2 students per country
    (1 for FIFA in-person, 1 for Fortnite online)

    Cultural Performance: Each country squad will present a 3–5 minute cultural performance at the closing ceremony, highlighting traditions while incorporating elements of contemporary youth culture.

    Ice Breaking Activity: Students from all participating countries will engage in a Malaysian cultural sport. The hosts will give a demonstration at the event venue. Students will jointly participate in the activity. Cultural and traditional sports are powerful tools for promoting solidarity, diversity, fair play, inclusion, and cultural
    awareness.

    Chaperones: Each squad will be accompanied by 4–5 chaperones, teachers, or coaches to oversee student safety, wellbeing, and coordination.

    *Dates of arrival and departure of the country teams will be subject to their flight schedules.

    ** E-STEAM stands for Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics.