National, 22nd July 2025: The 2025 Annual IC3 Conference & Expo by the IC3 Movement will be held on 20–21 August, this year at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, with limited registrations now open for schools and colleges. Drawing educators, university representatives, policymakers, and experts from over 95 countries, the conference offers an unmatched platform to address student mental health, career readiness, and the evolving role of counseling in school education. The conference offers a valuable space for meaningful dialogue within the counseling community, along with panel discussions led by prominent voices shaping the future of education.
With the theme “Counseling as a Culture”, this year’s conference will explore how schools can embed counseling into core educational practices, which foster proactive, long-term systems that support student well-being and development.
The conference will feature 35 expert-led sessions, as well as pre-conference workshops and Inner Child Workshops, all open to registered participants. The IC3 Presidential Forum, held by invitation only, will bring together the senior global university leaders such as presidents, chancellors, and vice chancellors; top high school leaders and principals from across the world; and senior officials from government, trade organisations, and the media.
The 2025 Annual IC3 Conference & Expo will host a diverse lineup of speakers spanning education, policy, psychology, leadership, and the creative arts. Mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik and spiritual leader Gauranga Das, Director at Govardhan Eco Village, will deliver keynote addresses that invite reflection on culture and consciousness in education.
Among the special invitees are key figures shaping Indian education policy including Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations at CBSE, Dr Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive and Secretary of CISCE, and Dr Indu Shahani, Founding President of ATLAS SkillTech University.
The IC3 Presidential Forum, an invite-only dialogue platform, will feature leaders from across continents and disciplines: Michelle Whittingham (University of California, Santa Cruz), Vanita Uppal OBE (The British School New Delhi), Nargish Khambatta (GEMS Education, U.A.E.), and actor-author Soha Ali Khan among others. Also speaking are education innovators and institutional heads such as Barry Craig (Huron University, Canada), Ben Schmidt (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), and Dr Francisco Marmolejo (Qatar Foundation). Experts like Dr Samir H. Dalwai, developmental paediatrician, and entrepreneurial voices including Pratham Mittal, Preeti Vyas, and Ruchira Chaudhary add further depth to the cross-sectoral dialogue.
The conference will also serve as a vital venue for educators to connect with the global counseling community, engage in high-impact discussions, and gain actionable insights from renowned voices shaping the future of education. The previous conference, held in 2024, welcomed 2,044 delegates from 57 countries. The upcoming event is expected to cover themes such as student mobility, subject selection, counselor training, and institutional collaboration.
A key highlight will be the release of the third edition of the IC3 Institute’s Student Suicides Report, offering research-based insights on the mental health landscape of students in India and the impact of counseling access in schools. Another key highlight will be the launch of the fifth edition of the IC3 Institute’s Annual Student Quest Report, a pioneering global survey that aims to understand the challenges and opportunities for both students and career counselors and educators in a school’s ecosystem.
“As career and college counseling becomes a more integral part of school education, there is a growing need for structured, collaborative frameworks within institutions. The 2025 IC3 Annual Conference & Expo offers a meaningful platform for educators to engage with global perspectives, practical tools, and collective insights that can help embed counseling deeply into the educational experience. With thoughtfully curated experiences such as the IC3 Host School Student-Parent Expo and the Inner Child Workshop in partnership with the Aha Movement, the conference also brings the counseling conversation closer to students and families, ensuring a more holistic, human-centered approach to education,” said Ganesh Kohli, Founder of the IC3 Movement.
Since its inception, the Annual IC3 Conference & Expo has engaged over 6,615 schools and 912 universities, reaching more than 3.3 million students across 104 countries. This 2025 conference will also include the IC3 Awards, the IC3 Host School Student & Parent Conference, and immersive learning workshops which have been curated to support educators in building meaningful, student-centred guidance frameworks.
