BeGo Education Summit at the British Ambassador’s Residence
Thursday, May 23, Beijing. BeGo Education successfully hosted its first ever education summit at the premium British Ambassador’s Residence in Beijing. Distinguished guests from renowned international schools and founders of innovative, new generation schools joined the panel to speak on the Summit agenda on international education.
The event featured a senior level of leadership from renowned international schools and people in Chinese education. The speaker’s line-up included Mr. Xiaoping Qiu, former Director of International Department of Beijing Municipal Education Commission Staff and former Director of Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government and CEO of Diligence & Delight Learning Center (DDC), Ms Becky Jing, Director of School Development at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), Mr. Martin Ma (Ph.D), co-founder of MetaSchool, Ms. Rachael Beare, Dean of Admission at Keystone Academy Beijing, Mr. Richard Thornhill, school principal at the British School of Beijing (BSB) and Ms. Sabina Brady. Ms. Sabina had on several occasions consulted the Chinese government on education policy and is a co-founder of the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), one of the first international schools in China.
The event was also attended by an enthusiastic audience of local Chinese parents, members of the education space and covered by the local media.
Mr. Gaston Chee, CEO, and co-founder of LC Venture, the holding company for BeGo education formally opened the Summit by welcoming the distinguished guests and the speakers and thanked the audience for attending. He also praised BeGo Education’s efforts in positioning itself as a key player in the education space in China.
The Summit’s two panels discussions raised several pressing issues and concerns of those active in international education and especially parents. Panelists and audiences discussed in identifying the “best fit” school for a successful education, Chinese cultural identity in the context of international education in China and the role of parents in their children’s education. The agenda also included discussion points on the changing trends of international education, cultivating learning habits of children and education abroad.
Speaking on the success of education, Ms. Rachael Beare from Keystone Academy said, “Successful education depends on the successfully enabling the child to own his or her learning.” She said all support system should come later and encouraged parents and schools to support their children in this manner. Ms. Sabina also stressed that parents should establish a clear vision of their children educational expectations. She said the best fit school is a school that is best disposed to deliver their expectation and advised parents to avoid falling into the trap of applying by popularity or familiarity. Speaking also at the Summit, Mr. Qiu also emphasised that the public school system in China has also undergone tremendous changes in recent years and parents should remain open to options as well.
The Summit highlight was a discussion that clarified that the perception of international education should not be limited in the context of international education. Besides, successful education should not be synonymous with international education. Different international schools have different programs and syllabus and each adheres to a different approach to education and learning. It then becames obvious that education consultancy companies like BeGo Education find themselves at a critical juncture in providing the much-needed support to parents as they embark on this journey in their children’s education.
The Summit also featured a two-way dialogue between Mr. Gaston Chee and one of the speakers, Ms. Sabina. In what was a transparent and engaging conversation, Ms. Sabina spoke openly about her concern that international schools are not integrated to the greater local community and that their impact would be have been felt if the schools and the administration could work together towards more interaction in order for them to remain relevant. She also highlighted the role of parents in their children’s education and advised that parents should allow their children to proactively engage in their learning. “If you don’t allow your child to fail, you have not trusted them to learn on their own,” she said. She also insisted that schools and education consultants like BeGo Education should take necessary steps in educating the parents who are learning parenthood and international education expectations.
The Summit closed with Ms. Jennifer Leong’s closing remarks in which she shared how her passion for small children and their well being has always been the driving factor behind the work that BeGo Education continues to do and thanked the speakers and the audience for their belief in and support of BeGo Education. She also thanked the represented schools for their service to the public and thanked the British Ambassador and the Authority for their long-standing support and in hosting the Summit in the convenience of the elegant British Ambassador’s residence.
After the conclusion of the Summit, participants said they found the Summit was both informative and challenging. They said it has captured the core concerns they have on their children education. They thanked BeGo Education for the opportunity and hoped more events of this kind will be held frequently in the future.
To view and/or download photos from the event, please visit here. Photo credit identified in folders.
BeGo Education is an education consultancy brand wholly owned by LC Venture, a holding company registered in the UK with offices in London, Beijing, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. BeGo Education is an education consultancy firm offering a bespoke education consultancy to select clientele of Chinese families. Targeted and customised Individual Education Plan (IDP) or Individual Educational Plan (IEP) is offered to students who are either admitted in or en-route to international schools in China or the UK.
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Events and Media: press@lcventure.com
