A stone-laying ceremony for the BP International Education Park (IEP) was celebrated on May 9, 2012 in Yizhuang, Beijing. IEP is a pioneering model in mainland China that will have the Yew Chung International School (YCIS) for foreign students and the Yew Wah International Education School for local Chinese students. Both schools will be connected by the Scholars International Conference Centre that will promote cross-cultural learning and invite the greater Beijing community to hold seminars and events.

The ceremony to lay the inaugural stone for IEP followed a theme of merging the East and the West with several performances by YCIS Beijing students. The ceremony opened with Eastern and Western drums, an introductory IEP movie trailer, and two students on stage announcing a dream of “see the world”.

To make this dream a reality, the audience was “transported” to Asia for a guzheng and violin performance, Europe for an Italian Opera, and finally South America for a Latin dance. Between each performance, distinguished guests reflected on how establishing international education in Yizhuang would transform the Business Development Area and create a family community. Presently, over 100 multinational corporations are established in Yizhuang, and with a second Beijing airport opening in the coming years, the area is predicted to grow similar to Shunyi, a well-developed district where Beijing Capital International Airport is located.

IEP Co-Founders Dr. Betty Chan Po-king (also Director of YCIS) and Professor Paul Yip Kwok-wah (also Board Director of YCIS) gave visionary speeches outlining the future of international education in China and throughout the world. Customary to China, Professor Yip and Dr. Chan unveiled a foundation stone to signal the start of building IEP.

Over 300 attendees from Beijing community, government, media, and YCIS Beijing greatly enjoyed the IEP foundation ceremony.

About YCIS Beijing Yizhuang Campus:

The Yizhuang Campus will have state-of-the-art facilities equipped with resources sufficient for an increase of students, staff, and families in Beijing area. IEP will be located on an area of 118,000 square metres, with YCIS Beijing Yizhuang Campus around 50,000 square metres. It is about four times the size of the current YCIS Beijing Honglingjin Campus. The Yizhuang Campus will provide a full stream education from Early Childhood to Primary to Secondary and follow the same educational programme as the Honglingjin Campus, and the same mission driven by the YCIS philosophy and objectives.

To read the full speeches from Dr. Betty Chan Po-king and Professor Paul Yip Kwok-wah, please click here.

To watch the video clip of the foundation ceremony, please click here.

More about IEP: www.bpiep-bj.com/en/home