Robert Tomalin is the Principal of Oeiras International School in Portugal. A graduate of UWC Adriatic, Robert discovered his vocation for education while on a gap year in eSwatini. He went on to study Political Philosophy with Italian and Swedish at University College London, completing part of his degree at Lund University in Sweden, followed by a PGCE at the University of Bristol.

After eight years in UK state schools, Robert moved to Colombia, where he led the Secondary School and later became Director of Colegio Gran Bretaña in Bogotá. He holds an MA in International Education from the University of Bath and a Certificate of International School Leadership from the Principals Training Center (PTC).

Robert is a multilingual, globally minded school leader committed to child protection and student wellbeing. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Council of International Schools (CIS), has served as a CIS and NEASC Accreditation Evaluator and is a Lead Educator, Workshop Leader, and trains others to become Workshop Leaders within the IB’s Educator Network (IBEN). He also served on the Latin American Heads Conference Executive Committee and the International Taskforce on Child Protection.

Previously President of both UWC Colombia and AACBI (Colombia’s national IB Association), Robert now brings this experience to the UWC International Council. In 2020, together with his Colombian husband, he became a father via adoption and enjoys the fresh perspective parenthood brings to his work in education.