JISE 2019 the Place to Be for Forward-Thinking Parents and Professionals
Parents, kids, and education professionals gathered at the Kerry Centre on February 22-23 for this year’s Jingkids International School Expo (JISE 2019), Beijing. Reflecting the rapidly evolving world of learning and work, the theme was “Education Beyond School Choice”. A competition for young entrepreneurs attracted 17 teams and was won by Dulwich College Beijing students for their creative approach to overcoming an AI future. At a series of packed forums the topics under debate included not only education but also parenting issues. With over 4,000 families attending, this year’s event confirmed JISE as the essential place to be for all those who want the very best future for their children.
“Balance” is Better for International Women’s Day 2019
March 8 is International Women’s Day, with this year’s theme being “Balance for Better”, and most women in China being entitled to a half day’s leave. Unfortunately an event intended to highlight the struggle for gender equality and women’s rights across the globe has in some quarters become an occasion to buy your secretary or wife a bunch of flowers. However, keeping the true spirit of the day alive will be Rumble in the Jumble, whose March 9 fair will be a “Femme Festival”. The fair takes place at Modernista from 12-6pm, and is free to enter (even for men…)
New Fair Highlights Career Opportunities in the Capital
Another sign of changing times in education can be found at Harrow Beijing on March 12. Traditionally students graduating from Beijing’s international schools might be expected to study abroad for the degree before following careers all round the world. However the inaugural Harrow International School Careers Fair invites employers from the Greater Beijing area to meet up with senior pupils and talk about the career opportunities available in this constantly-changing city (as well as discovering the talent emerging from our international schools). The fair runs from 4.30 to 7pm, and is free for both students and companies, though the latter need to register.
“Frecklegate” Puts Focus on Standards of Beauty in China
Questions of gender were also at the forefront in the latest clash between Chinese netizens and a multinational company. The Weibosphere, like social media worldwide, is never slow to take offence, and an advertisement for Zara was criticized for featuring a Chinese model with freckles and “a face like a pie,” as one commenter put it. A somewhat puzzled Zara spokesperson pointed out that the model, Li Jingwen from Guangzhou, is one of the world’s top fashion models, and that the photograph was entirely natural and had not been retouched in any way. Therein, perhaps, lies the problem, as the use of apps to make women’s faces in pictures conform to conventional ideas of beauty is now commonplace in China. The view of the government was made clear in a China Daily editorial which slapped down complainers and blamed the furore on “lack of cultural confidence”. Meanwhile, police in Guangdong have apologized to a female bodybuilder after accusing her of sharing “obscene content” when she posted a picture of herself posing in a bikini on Weibo. True gender equality is still some way off, it appears.
This article appeared in the beijingkids March 2019 Sustainability issue
Photos: Pixabay, photoplus.cn, www.zara.com, www.internationalwomensday.com
