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

Founder & lead PLD specialist at Summit Institute

Dr Craig Hansen is New Zealand’s leading AI educator, a Ministry of Education accredited PLD facilitator, and founder of the Summit Institute—a private New Zealand training provider. Combining a PhD in Education with thirty years of creative technologies, STEM, and leadership experience, Craig helps NZ kura, schools, and organisations build secure, highly scalable AI systems.

🌿 Global Research & Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Dr Craig Hansen’s work blends advanced methodologies in the cognitive sciences of learning with the strategic integration of culturally responsive practice. Underpinned by decades of system-level leadership and empirical research, Craig’s expert training programmes have successfully guided schools, universities, and regional boards across New Zealand, alongside key collaboration partners in Nepal, Canada, Africa, America, and Australia.

Specialised Focus & Core Offers

🏫 MoE School PLD & Strategic Charters

Providing contract-funded or bespoke PLD for principals, leadership teams (SLT), and school boards to build strategic roadmaps, design school AI policies, and prepare confidently for ERO reviews.

🎓 NZQA-Accredited AI Micro-credentials

Creator of New Zealand’s only NZQA-approved AI courses (level 3, awarding 15 NCEA credits), including “Fundamentals of AI in Education” and “Advanced Applications of AI in Education” tailored for teaching staff.

📊 Secure Data Systems & Workflows

Helping teaching principals and isolated, rural primary schools automate administrative report generation, master timetables, and RAMS risk-management workflows using confidential sandboxes.

🌿 Culturally Responsive Design

Mapping learning strands, mathematics progressions, and parent-friendly milestone reports directly aligned with Te Mātaiaho progress descriptors.

Feedback From NZ Principals & Middle Leaders

“Nothing – absolutely loved Craig’s delivery, pace and content. I had a million questions prior to our session today and most of them were answered. I feel confident after unpacking the NZ Refreshed Curriculum.”
— Auckland School Leader, Staff PLD Survey

Academic Bibliography & Practice Papers

Explore Craig’s published reviews, systematic analyses, and strategic parent guides on our live sub-hubs:

🏫 Partner with Dr Craig Hansen & Summit Institute for Your Next Review

Establish secure learning systems, build high-impact culturally responsive progress models, and up-skill your teaching team.

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.

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

[Guide] Dr Craig Hansen – Credentials, Programmes, & Perspectives