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  • UK Teens Build Bridges with China Through Groundbreaking Scholarship Programme

    On Tuesday 12 August two significant events in London — hosted by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Chinese Embassy — highlighted the crucial role of young people in strengthening UK-China relations through people to people engagement.
     
    At the FCDO morning event, Engage with China Scholars — the first group of UK teenagers to study A-levels in China — heard from senior UK diplomats about international relations, future careers, and scholarship opportunities for further study in China.

    In the afternoon, the Chinese Embassy in London celebrated the Scholars’ achievements and the success of the Engage with China Scholarship Programme, launched in 2023 by UK charity Engage with China.
     
    “Both governments recognise that education and people-to-people exchange are vital for long-term understanding,” said H-J Colston-Inge, Co-founder of educational charity Engage with China. “Learning about China and its language is vital for young people today – and it’s vital for the UK. That’s exactly why this programme is so important.”
     
    These events follow a recent thawing in political language and warming of ties between the UK and China, marked by high-level political visits such as Home Secretary Rachel Reeves’ trip to China. These developments set a ripe context for engagement initiatives like Engage with China. In June this year, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated the UK “cannot deal with China’s complexity unless we improve our capability to understand it.” He also noted a “profound lack of confidence in how to deal with China.”
     
    FCDO staff hosted the event and highlighted the importance of people to people links and the value of language skills. The visit included presentations by Engage with China Scholars and a tour of the Gilbert Scott building. 
     
    “Our Scholars fill this critical knowledge and skills gap,” said H-J Colston-Inge, “with scholars returning with fluent Chinese skills. This isn’t a brief cultural exchange. It’s a real lived experience. For our Scholars, China has become their second home and they develop a nuanced understanding of China from the inside out. They return as transformed individuals who understand how China tiks – and toks …and in so doing, they lay vital groundwork for mutual understanding – work that diplomacy alone cannot do.” 
     
    The afternoon included a visit hosted by the Chinese Embassy. Two of the graduate scholars, Calista Ajibola and Ruxanda Ursu, who had both attended Mayfield Grammar School in Kent before winning their scholarships, gave a speech in fluent mandarin describing their China experiences, friendships and desire to return one day. Minister Zhao Fei, addressed the scholars and additional guests – who included a few scholar parents, educators and aspiring scholars currently in Y10. “Tomorrow’s world needs builders of bridges between civilizations… May you and your Chinese peers learn from one another through cross-cultural exchanges, collaborating to explore how civilizations can achieve greater brilliance via dialogue, and how the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity can flourish. The Engage with China Scholarship Programme holds a unique and profound significance among these programmes. As participants, you are not merely observers, you are the most vibrant contributors, the most authentic witnesses, and the most direct beneficiaries of China-UK educational and cultural exchanges. May your study in China sow the seeds of China-UK friendship. Over time, may they grow into towering trees, steadfastly contributing to stronger China-UK ties and the progress of human civilization.” 
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    Transforming Education and Careers
     
    While over 200,000 Chinese school-age pupils and university students study in the UK annually, few UK pupils have the chance to study in China and at such a young age. The Engage with China Scholarship Programmeaims to reverse this, giving UK teenagers a fully funded two-year immersion in China — studying A-levels in international, bilingual schools, living with Chinese peers, and experiencing China for themselves.
     
    So far, 34 Scholars have completed the programme, with another nine departing this month for schools in Shanghai and Haikou. They return with enriched perspectives, having made lifelong friends and immersed themselves in Chinese culture and visited iconic sites such as the Great Wall.
     
    The Scholars’ experience is already translating into success, with offers from Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, Durham, and New York University. Their China experience makes their CVs stand out, demonstrating global skills and intercultural agility.
     
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    Building a Thriving Alumni and Future Vision
     
    Engage with China is developing an alumni platform that will connect scholars with opportunities in both China and the UK. The charity is keen to partner not only with Chinese companies and institutions but also with British organisations to nurture and sustain the scholars’ China skills and interest.
     
    Looking ahead, Engage with China hopes to see over 100 Scholars in China by 2029, expanding the programme through partnerships with an increasing number of schools across China.
     
    “This programme is more than an educational exchange — it’s a vital piece in the larger puzzle of UK-China relations and global cooperation,” H-J Colston-Inge concluded. “Our scholars are cross-cultural pioneers with precious China capabiliites. They will be future leaders who will build lasting bridges between our countries.”
     

  • A-level Adventure in China

    An amazing opportunity for young, British pupils to study their A-levels for two years on a fully-funded Engage with China Scholarship is available for those ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Watch the video to hear from some of our Scholars as they anticipate going to China for the first time and returning for their Y13.

    We can’t wait to go back [to China] for the basketball and, of course, to see our friends. We have returning nostalgia.. (2023-2025 EwC Scholar)

    Our first Engage with China Scholars went to China in August 2023 and will graduate in June. Two are going to Oxbridge and one to University in America. They have had a life-changing experience.

    Application season is open now (deadline 09 May 2025) to apply for our ground-breaking Engage with China Scholarship programme thanks to our partnership with bi-lingual international schools in China.

    Pupils study their A-levels in English but also have mandarin lessons to improve their language skills. An incredible smorgasbord of extra-curricular opportunities on offer will suit every hobby and interest. There are two exceptional schools to choose from for the 2025-2027 intake in two completely different locations: Haikou on the tropical island of Hainan or the Pudong area of Shanghai. The school campuses are modern with exceptional facilities, pastoral care and academic excellence.

    I’m probably very, very nervous. I’m going 11 hours plane ride away from home to a country I have never been before but…it’s an opportunity and I am still really, really excited to be going (2024-2026, Scholar)

    Please like and share with any 16-year-old, British passport holder studying their GCSEs / N5s or IB this summer.

    Departure date for China around 25 August.

    Could this be you? Go for it! Follow the link here for details and to apply.

  • Snakes: slippery or savvy?

    Whatever your opinion of snakes, the Chinese zodiac animal in 2025 is the snake. Wise and intense, but vain, the snake in Chinese culture is both passionate and determined and likely to make a lot of money. Feared by many, the snake features in both Chinese classical literature, art, myth and folklore. Come and find out more about Chinese culture and its festival traditions at the annual Chinese New Year celebrations in the heart of the city of Worcester in the West Midlands on Sunday 02 February 2025. Free fun for all the family at the Museum of Royal Worcester and the Royal Porcelain Works close to Worcester Cathedral.

    Venue: Museum of Royal Worcester & the Royal Porcelain Works, Severn Street WR1 2ND

    Are you a snake? If you were born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 or 2025 you are considered wise and intense – but vain, according to Chinese tradition. Can you work out how many animals there are in the zodiac based on the frequency of the Snake years?

    Held in partnership between Engage with China, Museum of Royal Worcester, the Worcestershire Chinese Association and the Royal Porcelain Works, this annual celebration has grown into one of the most popular events of the year attracting over 1,500 visitors. Our thanks also to Worcester City Council for its support.

    Visitors can enjoy many activities on offer including the traditional lion dance (from 1230 on Severn Street), calligraphy and paper cutting, tea-tasting and a traditional tea ceremony, musical performances and pottery painting. Paint your snake to give it the characteristics you desire. Why not take a selfie with Pom-Pom the Giant Panda?

    If you would like to volunteer to support us on the day, please do get in touch. We need marshals and helpers both inside and outside.

    There will be a ‘quiet hour’ from 1000-1100 for those with special needs.

  • Rowing Expedition from China to Japan in search of the elixir of immortality

    On Monday 3rd June 2024, 6AM Beijing time, Asia’s first ocean rower, Chinese national 孙海滨 (Sun Haibin) and Denmark’s first ocean rower, Christian Havrehed ( 黄思远 ), embarked on a 1,300km row from Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China, to retrace the route of China’s first maritime explorer, Xu Fu (徐福), who in 210BC was sent by the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang (buried with the Terracotta Army), to search for the Elixir of Immortality in the Eastern Seas. 

    As they set off, Christian Havrehed said,

    “Next stop Japan! We are making history by rowing out of China. There is no legal system for this in China as China is not open for yachting. Our expedition therefore needed a lot of help and government support and goodwill and I am so thankful for that!”

    Sun Haibin from China and Christian Havrehed from Denmark have already made history today by leaving China in a rowing boat

    The first leg of the row is an onshore non-stop 800km crossing of the East China Sea to Nagasaki, something never attempted before in a rowboat. Here the pair will clear into Japan before continuing a 500km coastal row round the Southern tip of Mainland Japan, Cape Sata, and up the east side of Kyushu Island to Nobeoka, where they expect to complete their row Sunday 30 June 2024. The total distance of the row is 1,300km. 

    Along the way the oarsmen will visit locations in Japan dedicated to Xu Fu (known in Japan as “Jofuku”) and make cultural exchange activities with the local Xu Fu Associations to celebrate and promote the story of Xu Fu. 

    Mr Havrehed is the ‘Adventure Ambassador’ for educational charity, Engage with China and studied Chinese at the University of Durham with EwC’s Director, H-J Colston-Inge from 1989 – 1993.

    “Christian and I studied Chinese together at Durham University in the 1990s,” H-J said. “The funny thing is that I was a rower back then and he was not! Fast forward 30+ years and I certainly would not have the mental or physical strength to do a massive challenge like this out on the open sea.

    At university we learned about the First Emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, famous for building the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army over 2,000 years ago.  Now Christian is stepping out into a boat to challenge the historical narrative about maritime exploration by following the journey of that same Emperor’s alchemist, Xu Fu. From the historical perspective, this is a fascinating thesis but as a collaborative China-Western project during a prolonged period of political tensions between China and the West, this is really positive. We will be watching their progress daily and praying for their safe passage.

    The oarsmen will also be supporting the UNs’ Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water, by doing citizen science for Eyesea and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as well as offering Xu Fu Environmental Scholarships, in cooperation with Atlantic Pacific, to students in the ports they call on. 

    The row has also been recognised as significant by the Explorers Club and has been granted expedition flag nr. 139 to bring on the voyage. 

    An international Xu Fu Conference is being planned in Nobeoka 30 June 2024 to celebrate the oarsmen’s arrival and the completion of the New Xu Fu Voyage East Expedition. 

    In 2001 the pair rowed 5,000km across the Atlantic Ocean together in 56 days. A feat which went pre-internet viral in China. 

    Live tracking and info: https://yantu.com/current-expedition/the-new-xu-fu-voyage- east/#LiveTracking 

    #yantu #yantuproject #XuFu #EwC #AdventureAmbassador #SDG14 #newxufuvoyageeast #sinowestern #anythingispossible #lifebelowwater #climatechange

  • Rowing team pulls together from China in search of immortality despite political headwinds

    In just under 2 days, on Saturday 25 May, two friends from Denmark and China, will set out in a rowing boat from Shensi Island off China’s east coast province of Zhejiang on Stage 1 of an epic expedition. The first 800km of this the New Xu Fu Voyage East will take the rowing pair out into the open waters of the East China Sea to Japan. The whole journey is 1,300kms with their final destination at Nobeoko on Kyushu Island. This Yantu Project, brainchild of Christian Havrehed, 54 and from Denmark, involves nautical adventures that promote Sino-Western understanding & the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This leg of the joureny is to retrace the route of Xu Fu, the ancient alchemist of China’s first Emperor, Qin Shihaung, and his quest to discover the elixir of immortality in 210BC.

    Christian Havrehed and Sun Haibin on a practice row on the New Xu Fu Voyage East off Shensi Island, Zhejiang Province, China

    Relations between China and the west have been at a low point for some years now but this expedition – involving Denmark’s first ocean rower, Christian Havrehed, and Sun Haibin 孙海滨，China’s first ocean rower – is underpinned by the Yantu voyage motto, “合作可以更多 : Together we can achieve more!” and their catch-phrase, “慢慢来 Don’t rush.” The expedition is the culmination of years of preparation and academic study and involves cross-cultural immersion at an extreme level.

    Christian believes that the Chinese may well have discovered America long before the 15th Century Voyage of Discovery by Christopher Columbus and this Stage 1 row is the first of four phases to assess  if that might have been possible via the Pacific Rim. During the voyage the pair will gain knowledge about ocean currents, coastlines and maritime travel that could support this thesis. The pair will also be investigating sustainable development goals 13 Climate Action and 14 Life Below Water.

    Sun Haibin and Christian Havrehed aim to re-trace the journey of alchemist, Xu Fu, in 210 BC

    So novel, inspiring and committed to scientific as well as historical exploration is this epic adventure, that the Explorers’ Club has given the expedition a Flag, only the 139th to be granted in the Club’s history since its founding in 1904.

    Testament to the inspiration that this expedition has generated in China, Christian and Sun Haibin were invited to take part in the Opening Ceremony of the Zhejiang Province 4th Ocean Games a few days ago. On Saturday morning the Danish Ambassador to China will wave them off in an official departure ceremony. The pair estimate that they will reach Nagasaki in 11 days. After that they will travel a further 500 kms around the coastline to their final destination on Sunday 30 June. As part of their charitable outcomes, the expedition will help to fund Xu Fu Environmental Scholarships to promote environmental awareness and sea rescue skills. 

    Zhejiang 4th ocean games ceremony Christian and Sun Haibin

    These last few days of preparation have involved shopping for food rations, ensuring that their water-maker works, making final adjustments to the boat, launching it in the water and sorting all their cargo into categories including “repair”, “tools”, electronics”, “medicine”, “abandon ship”, and stored accordingly. This is no weekend picnic; such a journey requires serious planning, total conviction and both mental and physical endurance. 

    Engage with China has believed in this New Xu Fu Voyage East for some years now when it first captured our imagination. We met up with Christian in Lowestoft in the UK during Covid in August 2020 to discuss the expedition. Our charity, which builds China literacy in UK schools, sees this sort of cross-cultural and educational engagement as pivotal to developing closer understanding and peace with China. We are proud to have the EwC logo emblazoned at the front of the boat alongside Yantu’s own and to have Christian as our very own Adventure Ambassador. We hope that this expedition will inspire young people, including athletes and particularly rowers, to believe that nothing is impossible.

    Sun Haibin and Christian are no strangers to ocean rowing. In 2001 they crossed the Atlantic in a rowing competition in 56 days – a journey of 5,000 kilometres. *You can buy Christian’s book about this ocean row, “From Tenerife to Barbados in a rowboat,” online.

    To find out more and to follow the expedition, click here. https://yantu.com/current-expedition/the-new-xu-fu-voyage-east/ where you can also find out ways to sponsor the expedition including inviting Christian to give an inspirational talk on his return.

    We will be following the journey with keen interest and hope that the winds will blow in the right direction and bring them safely to Japan!

  • Chinese New Year event attracts record crowds

    Worcester’s Chinese New Year event on 18 February attracted more than 1% of the local population with a record crowd that enjoyed a day of free cultural activities and entertainment to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Dragon. The event was organised by the Worcestershire Chinese Association and educational charity, Engage with China. The event was hosted at the Museum of Royal Worcester and the Royal Porcelain Works, fittingly on the site of the original world-famous factory of Royal Worcester where porcelain, originally inspired by China, was produced in the city from the 1700s.

    The event’s highlights included an energetic performance of a traditional Dragon Dance by local troupe, Kuidetang Martial arts whose founder, James Rodriguez, said,  

    “It was a privilege to perform in front of our largest crowd ever!” 

    James Rodriguez, Kuidetang Martial Arts, Worcester

    Visitors were also privileged to hear world class musicians as they performed throughout the day, including virtuoso, Guo Yue on the flute and renowned soprano, Wang Chen, (who was honoured as 2023 Chinese Woman of the Year by UK Chinese Women Connect). Other young, local residents, including 5-year-old Chinese language learners and 19-year old Alice Brunker, also sang songs in mandarin.

    H-J Colston-Inge from Engage with China, an educational charity which builds China understanding in UK schools and who acted as Master of Ceremonies for the event, said that, 

    Total visitor numbers were counted as 1,438 on the day. That represents more than 1% of Worcester’s population – an incredible turn-out. Some people came from further afield including Kent, Farnborough and Birmingham. This is indicative of the fact that people are fascinated by China and drawn to experience something of its cultural offering. 

    H-J Colston-Inge, Director – Engage with China

    Frankie Tsang, Chairman of the Worcestershire Chinese Association (WCA), added,

    “This is the 25th year that WCA has organised the celebrations. We are grateful to the support of multiple partners, including Engage with China, the Bransford Trust, Christopher Whitehead Language College and the University of Worcester for making this a true community event enabling a record crowd to engage with China through a variety of activities ranging from calligraphy to tea tasting, martial arts, pottery and blow-painting.”

    Frankie Tsang, Chairman, Worcestershire Chinese Association

    In attendance was VIP, the Lord Lieutenant for Worcestershire, Mrs Beatrice Grant, who, having greeted the crowd by saying “hello” in mandarin, said that, 

    I really do believe that culture matters. It is part of this country’s DNA. Embracing cultural diversity is crucial for fostering a more interconnected and inclusive world

    Mrs Beatrice Grant, Lord Lieutenant for Worcestershire

    One local resident and local Councillor, Hannah Cooper, voiced her delight about the Chinese New Year activities.

    We came last year for the first time and my family have really enjoyed today – even more than last year; there was so much to do. Well done for creating such a successful family event – really wonderful!

    Hannah Cooper, Mum, local resident and local councillor

    H-J Colston-Inge was able to use the occasion to publicise a fully-funded A-level boarding school scholarship programme in China which the charity runs in partnership with Wycombe Abbey Schools.  “What better way to understand China and its culture than to go and study there?” added H-J. Applications are now open for up to 30 lucky pupils with interviews to take place in mid-April.

    To find out more and to apply: 

    Pioneers, ambassadors and global citizens of the future

    Thank you to photographers Lui’s Gallery and Simon Fall-Taylor.

  • Pioneers, ambassadors and global citizens of the future

    Become an Engage with China Scholar and benefit from two years fully-funded education at A-level through our partnership with Wycombe Abbey Schools in China. Discover some of the many opportunities awaiting a young person here

    Applications open for the 2024-26 cohort of Engage with China Scholars for young British pupils to study their A-levels in China. Based on the success of our first cohort which travelled to China in September last year, Engage with China is proud to announce that its partnership with Wycombe Abbey Schools in China is expanding to enable another 30 lucky students to enjoy a full cultural immersion in China from 2024-2026. Deadline for application has been extended until 25 March.

    Pioneers they have been // Ambassadors they are // Global citizens they will be

    Including return flights, a choice of 30+ A-level subjects, wrap-around extra curricular activities from sports to music to debating and cultural trips, this EwC Scholarship programme is a life-changing opportunity. The three school sites are in the famous cities of Nanjing and Hangzhou as well as in the new energy zone of Changzhou. All of the cities are within easy reach of Shanghai on China’s amazing high speed rail network.

    I wake up every morning with a smile on my face! Thank you for giving me my dream!

    Michael S, 2023 EwC Scholar

    Find out more about what a life-changing experience this scholarship programme from a recent video featuring our scholars in China. There is plenty of information in the brochure below to help you as you consider applying. Complete an application form to give yourself the chance to change your life! Interviews will take place in mid April. Departure to China at the end of August.

    NOTE: Please send a copy of the application submission by email to us via info@engagewithchina.org

    2024-02-02-engage-with-china-scholarships-for-2024_brochureDownload
    2024-03-19-ewc-sholarship-application-form-2024Download

    Good luck and we look forward to receiving your applications.

    Follow and like us on social media platforms to keep up to date about this and other opportunities. Invite us into a school you know today!

    If two years seems too long – why not consider joining one of our two summer camps in July 2024? This action-packed itinerary will delight curious young minds and build cultural and language skills, enhance STEM learning and build global perspectives. Find out more here. Use code HJ2024 to benefit from £50 off per pupil.

  • Students’ climate change conference seeks consensus

    More than 200 pupils from twenty-three schools and from four continents took part in a climate change themed Model United Nations Conference on Friday 02 February 2024. Using their best negotiation skills, pupils debated and negotiated to find consensus on the resolutions from COP28 as well as on single-use plastics, fast fashion and food waste. 

    This student-led ‘Good Cop Bad Cop’ event was the third organised by Engage with China, a UK registered educational charity which works in UK schools to build China understanding amongst young people. Pupils from countries including the UK, Sri Lanka, Brazil, China, Zambia, Nigeria, Hong Kong and Dominica participated in the conference giving them all an opportunity to come face to face with students their own age from very different backgrounds and life experiences. Each school delegation spoke from the perspective of another country enabling them to develop research skills, team-work and empathy. One of EwC directors, Theresa Booth, said,

    By representing another country at the conference students experienced a flavour of what real global negotiations are like and appreciated that respect and good listening skills are essential if consensus is to be achieved.

    Conference President and A-level pupil at The Grange School in Cheshire, Remi Livesey, aged 18 highlighted that,

    The beauty of this type of MUN debate is the chance to speak from another perspective. This ability is a great 21st century soft skill. Everybody absolutely did an amazing job and it was a really good debate with some great points and some high-level thinking. I was privileged to be this year’s President.

    This annual Model United Nations Conference is unique in three key ways, namely the decision to remove the competitive element usually integral to MUN conferences; giving pupils an opportunity to share the lived reality and impact of climate change in their own country or local area during the opening plenary session and inviting participation from schools in both the independent and state sectors.

    Three schools from Worcester in the West Midlands in the UK took part including The King’s School Worcester (KSW) and Christopher Whitehead Language College (CWLC) and Bishop Perowne College. They represented China, Vietnam and Brazil respectively.

    Riya Mayilvahanan, 18 years old and from KSW chaired a debate on financing vulnerable communities. She said,

    The quality of the debate was excellent. Thank you to Engage with China for enabling us to compete on this unique, international level.

    Another student from CWLC who gave a vote of thanks said, “it was really helpful to debate together and acknowledge that climate change is really happening. We learnt today that we do need to change.” CWLC is a state school with very little MUN experience. Despite this, its delegation was applauded by the chairs of three of the breakout debates for their excellent debating skills and overall contribution to the event.

    Dr Lorraine Earps, Headteacher at The Grange School said,

    “as a school we value this conference for its ability to bring another dimension to learning for our students.  It is important that all our young people are able to develop the skills of diplomacy, understanding how to work towards consensus and finding ways to overcome the challenges that we face globally now and in the future.   This is our third year hosting the event and we are committed to growing it as a platform to enable young people from across the world to come together building relationships and finding shared solutions to global issues. There is a real magic in seeing our future leaders joining in the discussions from across so many time zones sometimes even given up their own holidays for the chance to be involved.

    Chair of Governors at The Grange, Cheshire, Trevor Brocklebank, was also very excited about the school’s involvement in the annual Good Cop Bad Cop conference and how it might expand in the future. He said,

    Today we live in a global society where time zones and travelling distances no longer significantly impact worldwide activities such as trade and communications. As we all strive to retain our individual identities, cultures and beliefs,  as part of this vast community we must be mindful that we don’t put up invisible barriers. We need to stay open-minded and receptive to all points of view, especially when debating the big issues. This MUN Conference is an outstanding example of how we can actively encourage students to adopt this inclusive and empathetic approach to take with them into the working lives. Good Cop Bad Cop provides a platform where they can develop the leadership, negotiating and diplomacy skills that ensures future generations work together. As a school we are delighted to host this event and will explore opportunities to grow participation and increase the reach, potentially looking to involve businesses and other key stakeholders.

    Senior figures were also invited as guest speakers to encourage the students to develop skills and to take climate action seriously. These included Dame Caroline Wilson, UK Ambassador to China, herself a fluent mandarin speaker, and Madame Zhang Jin, Minister Counsellor from the education section at the Chinese Embassy in London. Also speaking included Julian Hobbs from Vestas, producers of wind turbines and George Harding-Rolls from Eco-Age, an agency seeking to create a post-plastic system and reduce individual plastic footprint.

    Engage with China recently founded a Scholarship Programme thanks to the support and funding of Wycombe Abbey School in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, in China. The programme started in September 2023 enabling ten British students to study their A-levels for two years there. Many of those Scholars also participated in the conference and were able to welcome their Chinese counterparts and wish them a Happy New Year of the Dragon in perfect mandarin. Applications for the 2024 cohort of Scholars will open later this month with interviews in mid April.

  • Building critical China expertise

    In a recent article in The Knowledge, Roy Truex, Assistant Professor at Princeton University’s Department of Politics, is quoted as saying, “the vast majority of PhD candidates for Chinese politics are Chinese themselves, and very few are American.” He continues,

    To compete with Beijing, “we must do more than invest in weapons and semiconductors. We must invest in understanding.”

    Roy Truex, quoted in The Washington Post

    Here at Engage with China we are proud to be ahead of the curve in the UK on doing just this. Since 2018, the mission of this charity is to educate young people in the UK about the relevance, rise, innovation, impact, influence and culture of China on the rest of the world through immersive, engaging and fun curriculum enrichment activities, mandarin language learning, summer camps and partnerships. 

    Through fresh knowledge & interactive programmes in the classroom pupils learn about China’s size, culture, modernisation and global links. It does this through China Challenge Days,’ annual, global Model United Nations climate-change Conference, cross-cultural initiatives and our EwC Scholarship Programme.

    Our inaugural cohort of British 16-year old scholars on our EwC Scholarship Programme at Wycombe Abbey School, Changzhou, China, is a critical part of our national infrastructure to attract creative thinkers, build ambassadors and develop global citizens who understand China.

    Whatever one’s opinion of China, it will undoubtedly have a huge impact on all our lives. EwC addresses a huge gap in China capabilities building a pipeline of future ambassadors who understand it better.

    EwC was founded in 2018 by two British educational entrepreneurs who have studied, worked and lived in China over the last 30+ years. To date, the charity has enabled more than 3,500 pupils across the UK to encounter China for themselves.

  • Consumerism=climate change?

    At the heart of our annual Good Cop Bad Cop Model UN Conference is negotiation around climate change, the biggest challenge of our times. Pupils aged 15-18 from 10 countries, including China, UK, Brazil, Dominica and Sri Lanka, will speak at our upcoming conference on 02 February 2024 from the perspective of another country whilst developing their understanding of the challenges and complexities, the consequences of (in)action and the clean-up required. Resolutions include those negotiated by national leaders and delegations at COP28 but also our own resolutions focusing on single use plastic, food waste and fast fashion. The idea that consumerism leads to climate change is likely to be at the heart of the discussion – and who should be responsible for the clean-up to a greater or lesser degree.

    Now in its 3rd year, our conference has become an annual fixture for many participating schools. Zooming in online from across multiple time zones, pupils come face to face with the realities and the human stories behind climate change.

    This student-led conference hones multiple skills from cross-cultural communication to presentation, listening, empathy, research and leadership. It also forces pupils to confront their own behaviour, prejudices and understanding of the world. Hearing from inspirational VIP speakers, they are also encouraged to think how they can bring about change and make a positive difference in the world. This year’s speakers include UK Ambassador to China, Dame Caroline Wilson and Minister Counsellor, Education at the Chinese Embassy in London, Mme Zhang Jin.

    Open to schools from the state and private sectors, this unique platform brings together a diversity of pupils and experiences.

    We look forward to welcoming back our Conference President, Theo Innes, and thank The Grange School, Cheshire, for being our Host School for the third year.

    See more about our previous conference here.

    Our Good Cop Bad Cop conference certainly captured the interest of the China Daily who covered the event. Read more

    Do get in touch if you or a school you know would be interested to participate in 2025.