Asian Woman Receives Global Recognition in International Education

BATH, England, July 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A highly inspirational and innovative Hong Kong educator has achieved global recognition on three continents.

Dr. Betty Chan Po-king, Director and School Supervisor of Yew Chung International School (YCIS), a leading international school network in mainland China and Hong Kong, has been awarded honorary degrees in North America, Asia and now Europe.

Continuing from honours in the United States and in Hong Kong, Dr. Chan, whose keen specialty is in early childhood and through-train international education, completed what may well be a unique hat-trick of honorary degrees. In early July she collected her third continental award and was presented with an Honorary Doctoral Degree of Laws at the University of Bath (UK).

Dr. Chan was initially honoured for her consistent advocacy for excellence in global education in 2010 with an Honorary Doctoral Degree of Humane Letters from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in the U.S. She was the first Chinese woman to be honoured by UIUC in the field of early childhood education.

In March 2014, in recognition of both her recent and long-standing contribution to education, Dr. Chan received an Honorary Fellowship from the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Dr. Chan completed the notable treble in global awards when the University of Bath announced its bestowing of their honorary degree, adding Europe to the already impressive recognition.

Honorary degrees are the most prestigious accolade granted by the University of Bath and reserved only for "individuals of conspicuous merit" recognising Dr. Chan's distinguished career developing and promoting international education with the emphasis on greater understanding between East and West cultural backgrounds.

Dr. Chan is recognised as an innovative leader who drives educational excellence and is also acknowledged for her advocacy of and contribution to the best practices of both East and West in education through Yew Chung schools, through government positions and international conferences she has organised. She has been lauded for her vision of helping to build a generation of future leaders who understand both Eastern and Western cultures.

Since assuming leadership of the Yew Chung Education Foundation, founded by her mother Madam Tsang Chor-hang more than 80 years ago, Dr. Chan has developed Yew Chung schools in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Qingdao and Silicon Valley in the U.S.