As a visionary educator, Madam Tsang Chor-hang founded the first Yew Chung School in Hong Kong in 1932 with the goal of honouring China. During the past 90 years, Yew Chung and Yew Wah schools have flourished, extending their presence to 10 international cities. The Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network (hereafter referred to as YCYW), provides a comprehensive education system, spanning from early childhood programmes to primary, secondary, and tertiary education, thus covering the entire spectrum of education from “baby to bachelor”.

YCYW has experienced remarkable development in the Chinese mainland. In the 1990s, as China continued to deepen its policies of reform and opening up, and the expatriate community in China continued to grow, international schools in the Chinese mainland entered a new era of development. In order to meet society’s increasing demand for high-quality international education, YCYW established YCIS Shanghai in 1993. It was the first Yew Chung school in the Chinese mainland and the first independent international school in Shanghai officially recognised by the Chinese Government.

On 13 October, schools across the YCYW network celebrated Founder's Day, a special occasion to honour Madam Tsang Chor-hang for her contributions to education. The 2023-2024 academic year also marks the 30th anniversary of YCIS Shanghai. Dr Betty Chan Po-king, YCYW’s Chief Executive Officer and School Supervisor, highlighted the school’s development, “In September 1993, we opened our first YCIS Shanghai campus with only 63 students from different countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Today, we take great pride in having more than 2,200 students in our various YCIS Shanghai campuses in Hongqiao, Gubei, Regency Park, Century Park, Ronghua, and Lingang. This achievement marks a significant milestone in our journey.”

In addition to providing schools for expatriate children, YCYW has played a pivotal role in promoting the establishment of privately-run Yew Wah International Education Schools (YWIES), which mainly enrol Chinese students from the mainland. YCYW has established more than 30 schools in eight Chinese cities, including Hong Kong.

During the past 30 years, YCYW has continued to pioneer and innovate in the field of international education. With an unwavering commitment to develop contemporary

Chinese international education, YCYW has championed a philosophy integrating the essence of Chinese and Western educational traditions. Leveraging the strengths of our programmes in Chinese Language and Chinese Studies, YCYW has innovated unique teaching methodologies, including Bilingual Learning Communities and Super Co-curricular Programmes. These approaches foster a deep appreciation for cultural traditions, enabling students to develop exceptional character and a global perspective. YCYW instils in its students the confidence and readiness to tackle the challenges of the modern world.

During her address on Founder's Day, Dr Betty Chan Po-king emphasised the distinctive aspects of contemporary Chinese international education that YCYW takes pride in: “We hold the view that international education should not be confused with western education. In the current global landscape marked by a multitude of challenges, international education must integrate the essence of both Eastern and Western cultures. The new generation must possess a deep appreciation of the unique values inherent in both Eastern and Western cultures. They should be equipped to distinguish excellence from mediocrity, capitalising on their strengths while addressing their weaknesses, and effectively leveraging diverse cultural resources to tackle future challenges.”

Dr Chan elaborated: “In line with this philosophy, we not only instil traditional Chinese virtues in our students, but we also place great emphasis on fostering a robust bilingual foundation, nurturing a diverse cultural understanding, cultivating a broad global perspective and encouraging flexible thinking. Our goal is to prepare them to become capable, creative, open-minded, and compassionate global citizens.”

YCYW remains unwavering in our commitment to the Chinese mainland, guided by the original goals to provide top-tier international education and to explore the limitless possibilities that education holds for the future.