The Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network (YCYW) Professional Development Days event was held on February 24-25, 2023, with the theme “Learn. Grow. Empower”. Over 70 webinars across 20 campuses in 2 days, more than 2000 faculty and staff members from various disciplines and departments participated in this annual professional convergence, steadfastly promoting YCYW’s unique "Learning Community" campus learning model, honing educators’ teaching skills and quality by encouraging knowledge sharing, communication, and collaboration.

In the event’s opening address, YCYW CEO Dr. Betty Chan Po-king reaffirmed that it was YCYW’s unwavering goal to prevail as a leading education provider, and was confident that this vision will be carried through the entire network. YCYW's remarkable 90-year history was not only a source of inspiration for all, but also testament of the mission and dedication to lifelong learning in the pursuit of sustainable development and accomplishments.

Prof. Paul Yip Kwok-wah, Chairman of YCYW, delivered the keynote speech and requested all YCYW staff to stand by the educational goals of inspiring knowledge and nurturing citizens for the nation, deepen understanding of the country and keep pace with her progress. He also encouraged faculty and staff to study historical chronicles and learn from the past, and as teachers they should guide students to a better grasp of history and understanding of their duty to the country and the nation.

This year's Professional Development event broke participation records with over 2,000 staff attending, a superb example of the unique "learning community" that YCYW fosters, encouraging both teaching and non-teaching staff to learn, uncover and share knowledge, and to advance their skill sets just as their own students do. Everyone was committed to their own role in creating a supportive learning environment for students.

During the Professional Development event, Dr. Betty Chan Po-king announced to all staff about another major achievement in the 90 year journey of YCYW, the global publication of the “Yew Chung Approach to Early Childhood Education” by Routledge, the leading academic publisher. Prof. Kathy Sylva, an early childhood expert from Oxford University, highly acclaimed the Yew Chung Approach in offering the world a unique and innovative perspective in the field of education. It combines traditional Chinese Confucianism with Dewey's progressive education theory, reiterates the importance of international education, provides a learning environment inclusive of both Chinese and Western cultures, and has laid the foundation for innovative development of early childhood education curriculum in the 21st century.

In addition to seminars and training sessions by renowned experts from China and abroad, the Professional Development event also included themed workshops by the YCYW’s internal team of specialists, and participants attended according to their specific personal professional development goals.

The two-day event also featured speakers including Jennifer Zhu Scott’s discussions in “Future-Proof Education in the AI Age”, where she examined the impact of technology to education and urged educators to be like "shepherds" in the era of ChatGPT, guiding students the right use of technology in learning and become responsible digital citizens.

In addition, guest speaker Rushton Hurley from the education sector shared the art of narrating “Stories of Success”, drawing on his experience in education around the world in promoting professional development, dynamic learning and community relations among schools and administrators.

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