Written by Dr Craig Hansen, New Zealand’s leading AI educator, digital specialist, and founder of Summit Institute, Ministry of Education accredited PLD & AI Facilitator.

Dr Craig Hansen

AI in Education expert in Aotearoa New Zealand

Dr Craig Hansen is a New Zealand Ministry of Education PLD & AI Facilitator, founder of the Summit Institute, and a leading authority on embedding generative technologies across primary, intermediate, secondary, and tertiary contexts. With over 30 years of experience in creative technologies, STEM, and educational leadership, Craig bridges the gap between complex cognitive neuroscience and staffroom reality.

💡 Key Credentials & Strategic Pillars:
Ministry of Education Approved Specialist: Nationally accredited facilitator in Numeracy, STEM, Digital Technology, and AI integration since 2015.
NZQA-Accredited Innovator: Lead developer of the “Fundamentals of AI in Education” and “Advanced Applications of AI” micro-credentials (featuring NCEA Level 3 credits).
Systemic Leadership Focus: Designed custom AI Policy Review tools utilizing private, secure sandboxes to protect school data and comply with the Privacy Act 2020.

Credentials & Leadership in AI & Learning Science

Dr Craig Hansen holds a PhD in Education (Creative Technologies), focusing specifically on graduate transition success and systemic capability design. His masterclasses and regional presentations focus heavily on treating AI as an intellectual co-processor that scales humanity rather than replacing it.

“Loved Craig’s patience and expertise. Appreciate this heaps. We have the ability as school leaders but are extremely time-poor. Grateful to Lyn from the RTLB.”
— Auckland School Leader, Regional Collaboration Session

Bespoke PD, Micro-Credentials, and School Support

Craig leads a suite of accredited educational courses and hands-on professional learning programmes enabling New Zealand teachers and boards to navigate the intelligence revolution safely and responsively.

🏫 Reclaim Your Non-Contact Hours & Protect School Academic Integrity

Partner with Dr Craig Hansen and the Summit Institute to establish secure, culturally responsive AI frameworks, school policies, and customized staff PLD days

About Dr Craig Hansen

Dr Craig Hansen is New Zealand’s leading AI educator, a Ministry of Education accredited PLD & AI Facilitator, and Founder of Summit Institute, a New Zealand private training provider serving schools across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Craig specialises in integrating artificial intelligence into teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment in ways that protect academic integrity, equity, and wellbeing. He blends advanced methodologies from the cognitive sciences of learning with secure, culturally responsive AI and curriculum design, helping principals, boards, and teachers align AI use with Te Mātaiaho, NCEA, and local school values.

Through Summit Institute, Craig has trained more than 1,000 schools across Aotearoa on AI policy, governance, and classroom practice, and has developed NZQA‑listed micro‑credentials and bespoke PD programmes for secondary leaders, boards, and teachers.

Explore more credentials, programmes, and strategic pathways on the Dr Craig Hansen – AI in Education expert guide, and connect for tailored support with AI strategy, policy, and implementation in your school.

Book an AI Strategy Session

Discover more research & credentials: AI in education expert for NZ schools

[Guide] Dr Craig Hansen – AI in Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Dr Craig Hansen

AI in Education expert in Aotearoa New Zealand

💡 Key Credentials & Strategic Pillars:

Credentials & Leadership in AI & Learning Science

Bespoke PD, Micro-Credentials, and School Support

🏫 Reclaim Your Non-Contact Hours & Protect School Academic Integrity

About Dr Craig Hansen

About Author:

Summit Institute