Dais Leadership TEAM

Abhimanyu Basu is the Dean and CEO of Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS), bringing over 27 years of international education experience. Throughout his distinguished career, he has served in various capacities within the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework, including as a teacher, Senior Examiner, Workshop Leader, and Presenter at global conferences. In addition to these roles, Abhimanyu is a Consultant and Team Visit Leader for new IB schools and leads accreditation teams for CIS and NEASC, ensuring high standards of excellence in international schools worldwide.

As the current Chair of IB Heads of the Western Region in India and a member of the National Executive, Abhimanyu has been instrumental in shaping the educational landscape. His leadership was pivotal in establishing the IB Heads Association of India and South Asia, which was officially recognised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation on March 19, 2023, at the IB Global Conference in Adelaide in the presence of Olli-Pekka Heinonen IB Director General, Matthew Costello, MBA – Chief Business Development Officer . This recognition marked a significant milestone for the association, furthering its role as a unified voice for IB World Schools in the region.

As Dean and CEO at DAIS, Abhimanyu oversees the development and implementation of academic management systems, policies, and processes. He is committed to holistic student development, introducing innovative programs that promote inclusive education and global best practices. His efforts have resulted in strengthened international partnerships, enhanced student and teacher exchange programs, and a focus on continuous quality improvement through accreditation and benchmarking.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Abhimanyu led DAIS’s seamless transition to virtual learning, ensuring that over 3,500 students, faculty, and staff were trained in digital platforms within just two weeks. His emphasis on technology as an enabler of learning has embedded 21st-century skills—such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication—into the school’s academic framework. He continues to advocate for the use of platform-agnostic digital tools, ensuring that DAIS remains at the forefront of educational innovation.

In addition to his work at DAIS, Abhimanyu has played a key role in the conceptualization and development of the NMAJS and NMAJS Early Years Centre (EYC) campuses. These institutions feature an open design framework with flexible walls and dynamic learning environments, promoting creativity, collaboration, and individualized learning. This innovative approach to school architecture reflects Abhimanyu’s forward-thinking vision for modern education, where learning spaces themselves inspire and facilitate educational growth.

Abhimanyu holds a Master’s in International Education from the Van Loan School at Endicott College, USA, and a Master’s in Physiology from Calcutta University. His dedication to educational excellence and leadership continues to shape the future of international education in India and beyond.

Anjana Roy is the Head of Middle School and ICSE secondary classes. She has over 25 years of experience as an educator. She became a school teacher at an early age of 19 years and has followed her passion ever since. She has been in several leadership roles as a Coordinator, Vice Principal and Principal of a K to12 school and has extensive experience of teaching in the Primary and Secondary classes. She has headed the Middle school and ICSE classes at DAIS first as the Headmistress and then as the Head from 2016.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Science and Education and Masters degree in English Literature and Educational Technology. As a lifelong learner, she pursued doctoral research in the Department of Educational Technology at SNDT University in Mumbai for three years.

Nothing gives her more joy than being in the teaching learning environment with students and teachers.

Brian Chanen has been an international educator for over 30 years, working in Italy, Egypt, Thailand, Poland, Vietnam, Laos, and India. For the past ten years Brian has been in administrative roles such as KG-12 language coordinator, and principal. As the founding principal of a scholarship school in Hanoi, he helped to create a platform for high-performing, low-income students to have access to an international education. Before moving into administration, Brian was a secondary English teacher and department head. Since 1998 Brian also played a variety of roles at the International Baccalaureate. As the Deputy Chief examiner, Brian led all areas of assessment in English and served on curriculum committees responsible for creating and then revising the first and current Language and Literature courses, as well as revising the Literature curriculum. In the course of his IB work, Brian designed assessments, set exam papers, created workshops, was the sole editor of the Prescribed Book List, and published six textbooks. He has a BA in English from Williams College, an MAT in English and Education from Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Warsaw.

When he first started teaching, Brian heard the saying, “be a teacher of students, not a teacher of a subject.” To be honest, he disagreed with this because when he first became a teacher he did so because of his love for literature. In fact, the first class he ever taught was in grade 10 when his teacher said “I know you love this book, why don’t you teach it to the grade 10 classes today.” About 41.2 years later, Brian still believes in the love for a subject, of the need to dive deeply into a passion, or to have an intrinsic motivation to push exploration. But, more importantly, he sees that teaching students and working together as teachers to guide them in their inquiry and passions, is what makes us real educators.

Brian has seen that when educators design curriculum and assessment for IB that structures, content and rules change over time. But the aims, concepts and values behind the program remain essentially the same. In a strong culture of collaboration and respect, good things happen organically. Brian is proud to be part of a school where the students come first, where there is still a passion for a discipline and its approaches, and where the values of a school matter.

Sonali Bajaj, the Deputy Head of Dhirubhai Ambani International School brings over 24 years of extensive experience in international education including over 20 years at DAIS. Her distinguished career includes roles such as IGCSE Coordinator, IBDP Coordinator, Assistant Deputy Head prior to her present role as Deputy Head of Secondary School. A student of IGCSE and A levels from the British School, New Delhi, where she also later started her career as a teacher, student council and examination coordinator. Sonali pursued her undergraduate studies in Economics. Her academic background, including an MBA and certification in International School Leadership, has provided her with a strong foundation in strategy, leadership, and innovation which she has applied continuously to enhance the learning experiences for the students.'

Sonali has been instrumental in implementing innovative pedagogical approaches, robust systems and processes and a strong service program that emphasize both academic rigor and holistic development. She has led initiatives to integrate diverse learning strategies, enhance emotional and social support systems for students, and strengthen community ties through active collaboration with the student council and alumni network.

Sonali champions a vision of education that transcends traditional academic boundaries, emphasizing the importance of fostering students’ social and emotional growth alongside their intellectual development. She has always been committed to employing a range of strategies and lead professional development that not only challenge students intellectually but also cultivate their creativity, resilience, and emotional well-being, thereby preparing them to excel in an ever-evolving global landscape.