Latest News | News

Rooted in Bali, Growing for the World: SDH Global Bali’s Vision for the Next Generation

In Bali, being open to the world has never meant losing one’s roots.

For generations, Balinese culture has grown through encounters with different peoples, languages, ideas, and traditions while maintaining a strong sense of identity. It is this ability to welcome the world without losing a sense of who you are that makes Bali a particularly meaningful place to think about education for the next generation.

It is in this context that SDH Global Bali officially held its Grand Launching on August 29, 2026. The new school brings Pelita Harapan Group’s (PHG) commitment to globally benchmarked education, character formation, and holistic student development to Bali, while seeking to remain connected to the community and cultural context in which its students grow.

For President of Pelita Harapan Group, Dr. Stephanie Riady, Bali offers an important lesson for education.

“Every time I come to Bali, I am struck by something very profound. Bali has taksu—an extraordinary ability to embrace the world without losing itself. Here, tradition and modernity live side by side,” Stephanie said in Badung, Bali, on Saturday (August 29).

For Stephanie, this balance is increasingly important as children prepare for a world being reshaped by technology, artificial intelligence, and rapid social and economic change.

Education, she believes, cannot be defined simply by how much knowledge students can acquire. As technology becomes increasingly capable, schools have an even greater responsibility to help young people develop the judgment, character, and sense of responsibility needed to use knowledge well.

“The answer lies in character, wisdom, integrity, courage, empathy, the ability to discern right from wrong, and faith that provides direction in life. Intelligence alone is not enough. Education is not simply about preparing children to achieve the highest grades or gain admission to the best universities. Education is about shaping human beings,” she said.

This means preparing students for more than examinations or university admission. It means helping them become people who can navigate complexity, work with others across differences, make responsible decisions, and use their abilities to contribute to the lives of others.

In this sense, being globally prepared is not about becoming detached from where one comes from. It is about developing the confidence and capabilities to engage with the wider world while remaining grounded in one's identity and values.

“I believe that the stronger a child’s roots, the more confidently they can face the world,” Stephanie said. “Being global does not mean becoming further removed from Indonesia.”

That belief is central to the vision of SDH Global Bali.

The school seeks to give students a strong academic foundation while developing the character, confidence, and perspective needed to participate meaningfully in an increasingly connected world. Its academic program uses Cambridge International as its framework, complemented by ongoing teacher development through training, coaching, and collaboration.

The approach reflects a broader belief within PHG that quality education is not defined by curriculum alone. Strong learning depends on the people who make it possible: educators who understand their students, families who are engaged in their development, and communities that create an environment where young people can grow.

School System Coordinator of Sekolah Dian Harapan (SDH) and Director of Enrollment & New School Initiatives at Pelita Harapan Group, Deny Kiswanto Sinaga, emphasized the importance of these connections in nurturing children.

A child's development, he noted, is shaped not by the school alone, but through the relationships among students, families, educators, government, and the wider community. Schools therefore have a responsibility not only to help students achieve academically, but also to help each child discover and develop their individual abilities.

This community dimension is particularly meaningful in Bali, where education takes place within a rich cultural environment and a society deeply connected to both local traditions and the wider world.

For PHG, establishing SDH Global Bali is therefore not simply about opening another school. It is about creating an educational environment where students can learn from their surroundings while preparing themselves to contribute beyond them.

As Stephanie put it:

“Today, we are officially opening a school. But what we truly want to open are new possibilities for children, families, Bali, and Indonesia.”

Those possibilities extend beyond the classroom. They are reflected in the confidence to ask questions, the courage to make difficult choices, the ability to work with people who are different, and the willingness to use one's knowledge and abilities for a purpose greater than oneself.

SDH Global Bali aspires to be more than a school located in Bali. It seeks to be a school that learns from Bali and grows alongside its community—giving students the opportunity to look outward without losing sight of where they come from.

Because being global does not require leaving one's roots behind.

Sometimes, it is having strong enough roots to reach further.