GUANGZHOU, China, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2024 Forbes China Brand Development Forum," jointly hosted by Forbes China and Bingo Consult, concluded in Guangzhou on 26 April. The Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network (YCYW) was listed as one of the Top 20 Innovative Brands of the Year by Forbes China. This recognition acknowledged YCYW's innovative achievements in education.
As the only educational institution on the list, YCYW has showcased extraordinary innovative vitality and significant growth potential, becoming the industry benchmark for international education brands. With a rich legacy of operating schools for more than 90 years, YCYW is a leader in revolutionising students' educational experiences through new approaches, methodologies, platforms, and pedagogies. YCYW prepares students to meet the challenges of the 21st century by cultivating their adaptability and resilience.
Photo caption: Ms Shannon Shang, YCYW’s Education Director, receives the award.
Dr Christopher Hurley, Head of the EdFutures Division; Ms Shannon Shang, YCYW's Education Director; and Ms Diana Tsui, YCYW's Chief Institutional Development and Marketing Officer, attended the forum in Guangzhou on 26 April. At the forum's roundtable discussion on brand development, Ms Diana Tsui remarked, "Unlike consumer brands, education brands prioritise their foundational mission and contributions to society. The results will vary significantly depending on whether an organisation offers education for commercial gain or is dedicated to cultivating talent through its educational efforts."
Examples of YCYW's pioneering and innovative strategies include the inauguration of YWIES Zhejiang Tongxiang Future School, which is now accepting enrolments, and the establishment of the EdFutures Division.
The EdFutures Division, which YCYW inaugurated at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, provides both students and faculty with comprehensive learning experiences. This initiative enables students to engage in challenging industry and university research projects, including immersive medical programmes, underwater robotics workshops, and research experience at the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR).
This summer, the EdFutures Division will launch the ChinaOne Summer Programme. This multidisciplinary, conceptual learning initiative involves biology, medicine, genetics, geology, computer science, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and big data, providing participants with an understanding of diverse fields of study.
In March 2024, YWIES Zhejiang Tongxiang launched its Future School Programme, introducing a modular learning model typical of universities. This innovative approach divides the curriculum into four main areas: Science and Technology; Entrepreneurship; Creative and Performing Arts; and Health and Wellness. The Future School Programme aims to cultivate entrepreneurship among students, equipping them with the mindset and skills necessary to successfully navigate challenges, while fostering their resilience and adaptability to thrive in an ever-changing world.
During its 92-year legacy, YCYW has always integrated the best of Chinese and Western education and adhered to the principle of holistic education for every ability. While constantly innovating educational concepts, YCYW will continue to be guided by its founding principles and people-centred approach, and remain a front-runner in China's international education. YCYW strives to cultivate outstanding students with excellent character and competitive ability who will help to create a better world.
ABOUT YCYW EDUCATION NETWORK
An education pioneer with deep roots in Hong Kong, China, Yew Chung Yew Wah (YCYW) encapsulates a unique educational pedigree that combines the best of Chinese and Western cultures with a mission to raise competent, compassionate globally aware leaders who strive for a better world. Visionary educator Madam Tsang Chor-hang founded the first Yew Chung school and kindergarten in Hong Kong in 1932. In the 1970s, Dr Betty Chan Po-king picked up her mantle to provide high quality bilingual education. She devoted herself to early childhood education and developed the innovative concept of "learning through play". In 1985, Yew Chung hosted an exhibition in Beijing about early childhood education, "Pillars of Tomorrow". Madam Kang Keqing, who was then Chairwoman of the China Soong Ling Foundation, opened the exhibition. In 1989, Yew Chung worked with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to organise the world's first academic conference on early childhood education to promote exchanges between experts in the field from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and the world. In the 1990s, Yew Chung was invited to Shanghai and Beijing to open schools for expatriate communities on the Chinese mainland. Madam Tsang was ably succeeded by her daughter Dr Betty Chan Po-king along with her husband Professor Paul Yip Kwok-wah, who later founded Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network to prepare Chinese and expatriate students to make lifelong contributions on the international stage.
With nearly a century of educational dedication, the YCYW family now offers a complete education from early childhood to tertiary. The extensive network of Yew Chung International Schools, Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education, Yew Wah International Education Schools, Yew Wah Schools, Yew Wah International Education Kindergartens, Yew Wah Infant and Toddler Discovery Centres, and the Yew Wah Infant and Toddler Education Centre span locations as diverse as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Qingdao, Yantai, Tongxiang, Silicon Valley in the US and Somerset in the UK, providing quality education and growth opportunities to more than 13,000 teachers and students worldwide each year.
