Pioneer work through 'East meets West'

Students make a presentation of their project at a science and technology activity at Science Fair. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The similarity of education and pioneering work is that both need the spirits of innovation and perseverance during the process of realizing the goal of creating the maximum value. The difference between them, though, is that education realizes its value by cultivating talented people meeting the needs of the times.

'East meets West', once an unfamiliar and unique educational idea, is now a popular and mainstream educational concept; Xiehe Education had this clear direction twenty years ago and has been working on it firmly since then.

During this period, Xiehe faculty and staff did not forget their initial determination and overcame many difficulties through perseverance.

The three stages of Xiehe's development of 'East meets West'

The First Stage was Coexistence.

There is a clear distinction between international education and local education. The co-teaching system would require that teachers learn to work together harmoniously so that the entire curriculum could be implemented in a holistic manner.

The Second Stage was Multi-cultural Coexistence.

During this period, cross-cultural educational research and practice proceeded with enthusiasm and vigor. Chinese and western education began to synergize; the result was understanding and tolerance. From the perspective of educational management, this period saw us develop co-leadership between Chinese and foreign principals and initiate the practice of Team Teaching of Chinese and foreign faculty.

The Third Stage was Culture Sharing and Exchanges.

Inspired by the idea of sharing an educational philosophy and resources, the school recruited principal management teams and teaching staff capable of engaging in the level of cross-cultural communication necessary to fulfill its ambitions.