Principal Yin Liping, Mr. Excellence of Our Times

Chinese School Dubai "Good Stories of Entrepreneurship" Presentation Ceremony and Launch of the First Lecture

Speech by Consul General

    Mr. Li Xuhang, the Chinese Consulate General in Dubai, delivered a speech and announced the opening of the "Good Stories of Entrepreneurship in Chinese School Dubai" campaign.

    Consul General Li fully affirmed the success of the CSD, which is a "miracle in Dubai" from scratch, and described Principal Yin Liping as a pioneer, entrepreneur and leader of the overseas school. Mr. Yin led a group of like-minded, dedicated and pioneering people to run the world's first full-time overseas Chinese school, which has been a wonderful success. This has once again deepened the impression on the world about China: "They can do it and they can do it well". It is also a good platform to accumulate and precipitate the history of CSD, which will enable the dedicated, hard-working and innovative spirit of CSD teachers to flourish and become a banner to inspire the successors, thus giving a spiritual force for CSD's sustainable development and glory.

      In order for every teacher to shoulder the important mission of education and conscientiously fulfill the sacred duty of educating students overseas, Consul General Li expressed three hopes: First, to earnestly study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress, and strive for excellence in practicing politics and loyalty; second, to adhere to the original intention of serving the country through education, to take up the mission of cultivating people with moral character, and to contribute wisdom and power to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; third, to adhere to the role of responsibility bearer and strive to go deeper and further in career development. He encouraged every teacher to cherish this great era and the opportunity to work abroad, to constantly pursue excellence, to achieve the broadest and the most sophisticated, to be the front-line educators of the new era, to be the builders of high-quality overseas Chinese education, to be the exemplary model of students' learning and behaving, to adhere to the unity of cultural and educational self-confidence, and to adhere to the unity of global and educational self-confidence. We will strive to create one "good story of entrepreneurship" after another by adhering to the unity of cultural confidence and educational confidence, and the unity of a global perspective and Chinese characteristics.

      Chairman of China, Xi Jinping once said, "Teachers should have the consciousness that their words are the rules for students and their behaviors are the models of the world; they should constantly improve their own moral cultivation, influence and drive students with exemplary behaviors; they need to become great teachers for students in terms of learning, working and behaving, become models to be respected by the society and become role models for the world to follow."

       Principal Yin Liping is such a great gentleman!

      The touching stories of Principal Yin Liping's founding of the school in Dubai are too many to be narrated simply. If these touching images are brought together, it is a romantic poem of the individual home and the vast country condensed with injury and perseverance; it is a painting drawn with the reluctance and gratitude of leaving his homeland; it is the courage to make the characters of "Chinese School Dubai" erect in the vast desert; it is the persistence and commitment of the spirit of Zhejiang Province in the new era. This courage and wisdom has deeply influenced his colleagues around him, so that even the third batch of teachers, who have just arrived in Dubai for only two months, can deeply feel this intangible educational influence and charismatic call. During the first session of the "Good Stories of Entrepreneurship" campaign, the third batch teacher, Mr Tan Chao, recited his poem wirtten by himself "Remembering the beginning and Creating the Future - Celebrating the First Person of China's Overseas Basic Education". "Working overseas, my heart is for the motherland, Chinese people should stand on their own feet; the great mission falls upon my shoulder, no one but me shall face the adversity, all hardships can be leveled!" The condensed words are a true portrayal of Principal Yin Liping's entrepreneurial journey, unveiling his silent struggle.

Mr. Excellence’s educational Pursuit

     The third batch of Hangzhou teachers, Mei Qing, carefully complied the entrepreneurial stories of Principal Yin written by the first batch of Hangzhou  teachers, Zhang Dan, Mao Jianhe, Jiang Juhua and Zhang Wenhao. On behalf of all the contributors, with the title of "Education Dream Chaser, Mr. Excellence", Mei Qing narrated to everyone the arduous entrepreneurial history of Principal Yin Liping's overseas experience.

     In March 2020, Principal Yin Liping travelled to Dubai amid the rampant epidemic, without telling his pregnant daughter and frail mother. Due to the epidemic, he worked over 12 hours a day in a single dormitory with only one bed and one table, during which he completed the task of writing nearly 110,000 words of materials in English and Chinese for submission to the relevant national authorities for review in just about a month. The "Dubai Miracle" was created at "Chinese speed" because of six-month’s nonstop work. In August 2020, the Chinese School Dubai opened as scheduled, achieving a breakthrough from 0 to 1 in the operation of Chinese basic education overseas.

    The school has been established, but how to achieve the leap from existence to excellence has become an important issue for Principal Yin Liping. Faced with the great individual differences of students, he abided by the teaching philosophy of "all for the students", and led teachers to innovate teaching, explore and practice the "synchronous classroom"; he introduced the teaching model of one class with two rooms and one lesson with three teaching approaches. He also revolutionized the teaching management method by assigning three tutors for one class and differentiating teaching contents. In order to meet the developmental needs of each student as much as possible, he had led a team to structure the school's three-tier curriculum system which consists of the national, school-wide and Dubai-local requirement. In order to promote the sustainable development of students, he has boldly innovated the assessment system, using the "School Treasure" platform to design the assessment regulations and implementing the MAP examinations, so that the strengths of Chinese basic education can be fully utilised with an international perspective. Although, as principal, he already had huge volumes of work to do, he also personally taught the course of Chinese Morality and Rule of Law and UAE Moral Education. He organised and participated in the translation of the English textbooks for Moral, Social and Cultural Studies for Grades 1-7, took the lead in the teaching practice of curriculum integration, and actively participated in the writing of research papers and projects.

     Over the past two years, he had authored 300,000 words of school declaration materials, policy compilations and research reports, providing a great deal of first-hand information for the reports  “Programme for Promoting the Construction of Overseas Chinese Schools" by the Chinese Ministry of Education and  "Opportunities and Challenges for the Construction of Chinese Schools in Dubai" by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, which played a leading role in building overseas Chinese schools.

    Behind the success of the school, what we couldn’t see is the itchiness caused by the eczema suffered by Principal Yin Liping due to the unsuitable climate; what we couldn’t see is the anxiety of the Principal Yin Liping tossing and turning at midnight to prepare for the school; what we couldn’t see is the risk of being infected at any time during the severe time for Covid-19; what we couldn’t see is his keen fondness for his mother and wife. Every day for more than two years, we have been greeted by this warm, beautiful image: when the first rays of light from the Persian Gulf Strait are shining in the Deyhna desert, at the entrance gate of the Chinese school Dubai, there was always a sturdy figure, a thin face mostly covered by a mask, a steely gaze with a smile, greeting every child, helping open the car doors for children, and organising the children's bags. This is our beloved Principal Yin Liping, who is dedicated to serving the teachers, students and parents, doing his best for the school. This is our beloved Principal Yin Liping, a dreamer of education and a great man of the times who is dedicated to the development of China's basic education overseas and has devoted all his efforts to it!

The Consul General Presents 

the Certificate of Appreciation

    Mr. Yin deserved to be respected. With the introduction of the host, Consul General Li Xuhang steadily walked up to the podium, slowly opened the certificate and solemnly read out the award speech: "Principal Yin Liping, with lofty ambitions, has led the way in running overseas school to nurture elites; with iron shoulders of morality, he has written a new chapter of education for the country." The award speech fully affirmed the achievements of Principal Yin in running the overseas school and conveyed the true voice of the staff of Chinese School Dubai. Principal Yin respectfully accepted the certificate and the flowers presented by Consul General Li and expressed his sincere gratitude.

  Principal Yin said that the establishment of the Chinese School Dubai had achieved a breakthrough from 0 to 1 in Chinese full-time overseas basic education. The school had overcome many difficulties and achieved rapid development in all aspects of education and teaching, cultural communication, etc. All these achievements could not be achieved without the correct leadership of the Chinese Ministry of Education, the Department of Education of Zhejiang Province, the Hangzhou Education Bureau and Hangzhou No.2 Middle School, as well as the consistent and strong support from the embassy, the consulate general, Chinese enterprises abroad, and the hard work of Hangzhou's selected teachers, all of whom are entrepreneurs of overseas Chinese basic education; he himself was merely an ordinary member of this big family. 

     Principal Yin is a great man who has grown up in the tide of the times. He has lived up to his mission, his commitment, his innovation and his ambition, and he has played the strongest voice in the new era of overseas Chinese basic education! For us all, President Yin's good story of entrepreneurship is a valuable spiritual mine, which is a concrete action to respond positively to Chairman of China, Xi's "One Belt, One Road" initiative. His entrepreneurial story is the most vivid interpretation of the school motto of Hangzhou No.2 School "determination, endeavor and fairness". His story is the secret of how Chinese School Dubai developed from zero to one and from growing steadily to progressing apace. 

     The Vice Principal of Chinese School Dubai, Zhou Jianfen, concluded her speech by expressing her hope that all teachers would learn from Principal Yin Liping. To learn his spirit of Zhejiang, which is characterised by perseverance, innovation and effectiveness, his kindness and care for every teacher, his warmth and his deep sense of family and country. She also hoped that they would be as courageous, loving and committed as he is, remembering the sacred duties of overseas teachers and taking the building of Chinese School Dubai as their mission. All the teachers should work for the educational cooperation model between China and the UAE, and for the integration of Chinese basic education into the world.

     Dreams are made eternal by persistence, and even stronger by courage. For the common dream of education, Chinese educators have come together and gone out of the country. Led by Principal Yin Liping, in the future, we will continue to join hands and work together, steadfastly writing a good story of the entrepreneurship of Chinese School Dubai with our actions, and unswervingly telling and spreading the good story of overseas Chinese basic education.

 Listening to Good Stories, 

Carrying on the Mission

      After witnessing the launch of the "Good Entrepreneurship Story" and listening to principal Yin Liping’s touching story of building overseas Chinese school, all the staff were touched and expressed their admiration for such a great man. Here are a few testimonials from our teachers.

     This old man built the first overseas Chinese school with his own hard-working hands and from scratch,linking the hearts of overseas Chinese expatriates to the motherland through the bond of the Chinese school. After listening to the good stories, what surges in my heart is that the Chinese School Dubai, led by Yin, is gradually moving from "nothing" to "something" and from "something" to "everything". The school is moving forward to an even brighter future! Principal Yin is a great man of the times, a role model for all in all aspects of learning, working and demonstrating. --Yang Haonan

     The hardships of his beginnings did not stop him from his dedication to running the school overseas, and he poured his heart and soul into the Chinese School Dubai. His simplicity, selflessness, dedication and commitment all add up to a spirit that is far-reaching and long-lasting. Reading his story touches our hearts and cleanses our souls. I was deeply impressed by his practical work in pursuit of his dream of education and his dedication to education with sincere love. As a teacher at Chinese School Dubai, I will continue to improve myself, strive to cultivate outstanding overseas students in the new era, and contribute to the development of education in Chinese School Dubai ! --Ma Yingying

     Today, I was touched by the wisdom, dedication, humour and amiability of Principal Yin, who is the founder of the overseas Chinese school. The adversities at the beginning, achievements at the present, and the unknown stories all witnessed the history. The hardship of building overseas school can only be savored by himself. In this life, one has to make something happen; one has to work hard to do something; and if one is serious and persistent, he will have no regrets! --Du Chaoqun

     I was really touched by the story of Principal Yin today! As the  pioneer to run a school overseas, his hands, covered in blood and mud, have already told the story of more than 700 days and nights of hardship. Within two years, the number of students that has grown fast to nearly 500 testifies the rapid development of the school and the success of the road to truth-seeking and innovation. It is a courageous choice to start afresh at an age when most of people choose to retire. What is most valuable is the affinity and open-mindedness that he brings with him, which is truly admirable. In Dubai, it is a pleasure to be in our school, a warm community, despite all the hardships! --Fang Lifang

     On 28 October, the opening ceremony and the first lecture of CSD Entrepreneurial Storytelling Campaign was held with great excitement and enthusiasm. As the founder and leader of the Chinese School Dubai, Principal Yin Liping, the first person in overseas Chinese basic education, has been forging ahead with his team at an elderly age and with an ailing body. He fulfilled the ambition of looking up to the stars and the practicality of overcoming difficulties, feeling his way across the river. In just two and a half years, from scratch, the Chinese School Dubai was founded overseas and has gained a good reputation. All this is a credit to Principal Yin Liping, a great man of the times, a man of duty with iron shoulders and a dreamer of education.

     A good story warms the heart and inspires the mind. The story of Principal Yin Liping's entrepreneurship started a beautiful chapter of the Good Stories of Entrepreneurship in Chinese School Dubai. Those who are touched by nobility will surely march with it. We look forward to more good stories by Chinese School Dubai and the most sparkling, warm and beautiful sharing, so that we can pass on our love with love, deliver our warmth with warmth, gather the majestic power of unity, and strive to create a brilliant future for Chinese School Dubai.--Shi Xiaojun 

     The first time I heard about Principal Yin was a year ago, and I already knew about him. Today, after learning more about his founding experience, I was deeply impressed by his conviction and sentiment, his perseverance and his ability to take actions. This is the principal who truly integrates education into his life; the principal who has the future of the children at his heart; the principal who treats the staff like his family members. Without a sense of responsibility, running a good school in competitive Dubai is a long shot; without a sense of mission, running a Chinese school overseas is just empty words. The difficulties and challenges involved in turning a school into a reality, a school with a high level of parental satisfaction and social recognition, were experienced by Principal Yin and the first batch of teachers who founded the school. Only after we came to Dubai could we imagine how difficult it was. The founders, with Principal Yin at their core, did in just over half a year what would normally taks two or three years. In 2020 when Covid-19 was raging, a miracle in the UAE impressed the world. Principal Yin was the first person to make Chinese basic education take root overseas and is a worthy role model for our times. Today, the beloved Yin has reached the point of retirement, but he still  greets teachers and students as usual with his painful back. He is always concerned about the growth and lives of students and staff, and is still planning for the long-term development of the school. Now, everyone is full of energy, but I hope that Yin will pay more attention to his own health and have the happiness of a normal person in his old age. -- Pan Keyu