Poonam Patnaik

My name is Poonam Patnaik and I have been in International Education for 27 years. I have two Daughter’s who are pursuing Higher Education in the United States and the United Kingdom. My Husband is in the Foreign Service and has a high Profile job with the Indian Government.

Academically, I am a Masters in Education from Oxford Brookes University and a Masters in English Literature and Linguistics from Sambalpur University in India. I have been teaching for 25 years out of which, for 17 years’ years I have been teaching the International Baccalaureate Curriculum in countries such as China, Austria, and Switzerland. I have taught students between the age range from 4 to 12 years old. I am also an IB Workshop Leader, Teacher Trainer, and School Visitor since 2010. In this capacity, I have delivered around 30 workshops and have done quite a few school visits mainly in the Europe/Middle East Region. I have also worked as a journalist and Public relation officer in one of the leading newspapers of India and have a passion for writing.

I have had the opportunity to travel and work in different parts of the world in the last twenty-six years. Travel has broadened my horizons and transformed me from a local to a global citizen. Understanding and experiencing different cultures has helped me in becoming an international person. I am flexible and adaptable to new environments as I have been part of the global community for a long time.

I believe that we all are privileged people and it is our duty to give back to society in some form or other. Taking this account, I believe in doing Charity work as and when I can. I am involved in Mentoring students and always try to promote Indian handicrafts abroad by selling them so that our artisans get recognition for their work.

When I wear my second hat, I support my husband in his Diplomatic role by leading the ladies group, meeting with dignitaries and enhancing the image of India by representing India in a positive light. My hobbies are swimming, cooking, singing and painting.