“The objectives of the BP IEP are to educate students to become outstanding international citizens and outstanding nationals, and to stimulate improvement in culture…” -Professor Paul Yip on behalf of the ground breaking of BP International Education Park
Yew Chung International School (YCIS) has been a part of the Beijing community since 1995, originally founded in Hong Kong in 1932 incorporating ideas from Asia and the West, the school is part of a larger network with branch campuses in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chongqing, Qingdao and Silicon Valley in the United States. YCIS offers IGCSE for year’s 10-11 and the International Baccalaureate Diploma program (IBDP) for the last two years of secondary school.
This past Thursday, YCIS celebrated the ground breaking of their new campus in Yizhuang, Beijing; roughly twenty minutes away from Beijing’s city center. BP International Education Park (IEP) will include a new model accepting both foreign students in Yew Chung International School (YCIS) and local Chinese students in Yew Wah International Education School (YWIES). Both schools will be connected with the Scholars International Conference Center that will promote cross-cultural learning and invite the greater Beijing community to hold seminars and events. The campus will include education, music, culture, arts, sports, entertainment, and leisure facilities.
The ceremony layed out the inaugural stone for IEP, followed by performances in eastern and western culture, and included several performances by YCIS Beijiing students.
The audience was transported to Asia in a guzheng and violin performance, Europe in an Italian Opera, and finally South America for a Latin dance. Distinguished guests also reflected on how the establishment of international education in Yizhuang, Beijing will transform the Economic and Technological Development Area and create a sense of family community. The first phase of the construction will be completed in 2013.
Currently, there are over 100 multinational corporations and 4000 enterprises established in Yizhuang, with a second Beijing airport to open in the coming years. The area is predicted to follow a growth pattern similar to that of Shunyi.
Dr. Betty Chan and Professor Paul Yip (IEP Co-Founders and Directors of YCIS and YWIES schools) gave visionary speeches that outlined the future of international education in China and worldwide.
“We actively promote strong biliteracy skills in Chinese and English, and place great emphasis on students’ character formation and personal growth.” says Dr. Betty Chan.
The BP International Education Park Foundation Ceremony was attended by over 300 people from the Beijing community including government officials, media, and YCIS parents and staff
More about YCIS Yizhuang
IEP will be located on 118,000 square meters of land, with YCIS around 50,000 square meters, which will be four times the size of the current YCIS Beijing Honglingjin campus. YCIS in Yizhuang will provide education from early childhood to primary and secondary, following the same curriculum as the Honglingjin campus, driven by the same YCIS philosophy and objectives.
Check out more pictures from the event here.
