Wellington Today Wellington Today 2018 en | Page 25
2018
EDUCATION FOR LIFE
WELLINGTON COLLEGE CHINA COMMUNITY
A NEW YEAR WITH A NEW START -
CELEBRATING THE WELLINGTON COLLEGE
CHINA COMMUNITY NEW LUNAR YEAR
COCKTAIL RECEPTION
The day before the Chinese Lantern Festival, over 120 guests
from all over the world gathered at Grand Kempinski Hotel
Shanghai to celebrate the first cocktail reception held by
Wellington College China Community. The attendees included
representative parents from member schools, school leadership
teams, teachers and as well as guests from our sister school at
Berkshire, UK. Mr Murray Lindo, Head of Wellington Community
joined the event and brought the best wishes for this special
occasion from Wellington College.
In fact, the community of Wellington College China has existed
for a while, but it is the first time that the group has been
officiall y announced as a cross-school organisation, supported
by the Wellington community in the UK. With a long-respected
history, the Wellington Community serves as a platform where
all members are invited to meet up, build friendships, rediscover
old friendships, share ideas, make contacts and create business
opportunities. As Murray Lindo, Head of Wellington Community
explained, ‘You all represent an extraordinary pool of talent and
experience - and in many ways, you can see my work as being
rather like a match-maker – to match interests, passion and skills
to the areas where Wellington needs support. To harness the
talents of the Wellington Community we have created a number
of programmes where we feel members of the Community can
get involved in and benefit from a wide range of programmes /
services such as educational pastoral support, careers, business,
social, cultural and philanthropic.’
Within just eight years, Wellington College China has grown
rapidly, with over 1500 pupils and 600 staff across the group.
Recognised as a leading international and bilingual education
provider in China, Wellington College China is perceived as a
brand of quality and progressive education. In addition to the
academic excellence, tradition and prestigious reputation, what
makes Wellington College China truly proud is the strong and
active community formed by our Wellington pupils, parents,
teachers and staff, as well as old Wellingtonians.
As Ms Joy Qiao, Chair of Governors of Wellington College China
said,‘The Wellington values of Courage, Respect, Integrity,
Kindness and Responsibility apply not only to the education
we offer, but also to who we are and what we represent as a
community. The Wellington community is also a special one
because it is a truly international one, closely and deeply linked to
Speech by Ms Joy Qiao, Chair of Governors, Wellington College China
47
the Wellington community in the UK. The thousands of pupils
and parents of Wellington College China are now part of a global
network formed by tens of thousands of current and former
pupils and parents of The Wellington College, with its 158 years
of history. That is a prestigious and powerful network!’
Speech by Mr Murray Lindo, Head of Wellington Community
The Wellington College China community aspires to be a caring
community that imbues the Wellington values and identity.
Dr Ahmed Hussain, Director of Schools of Wellington College
China introduced Wellington College Bilingual Hangzhou,
which is the latest addition to the Wellington College family of
schools in China. It is planned to open in 2018. As he said, ‘The
Wellington College China Community will be enhanced through
the introduction of our latest member which is Wellington
Speech by Dr Ahmed Hussain, Director of Schools, Wellington College China
College Bilingual Hangzhou, that will build on the success of the
International schools in Tianjin and Shanghai and also the launch
of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai.’
Launched in Shanghai, Wellington College China community
is expected to create a diverse and vibrant environment with
multiple opportunities and challenges as it develops. As the
Executive Master of Wellington College Shanghai, Gerard
MacMahon gave his special wishes to the future of this new
community. ‘Already, after just two and a half years, Wellington
College International Shanghai is being talked of as one of the
best international schools in the city. Those of you who are close
to the college will be aware of the very many ways in which we
wish to continue to improve, but we already have a community
to which people are proud to belong.’ He also welcomed OWs in
Shanghai, and visiting Shanghai, to the College to take advantage
of the College’s outstanding facilities to host a meeting, a
charitable function, a sports event, or a performance.
Chinese Lantern Festival symbolises the end of the Lunar New
Year holiday and a brand new start of another prosperous year.
The cocktail reception resulted in a forging of friendship across
the representatives of the Wellington College China Schools.
Speech by Mr Gerard MacMahon, the Executive Master of Wellington College Shanghai
48