The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) and GEMS Education (GEMS) jointly held a topping up ceremony for the Tianjin GEMS World Academy (GWA) school located in the Start-Up Area of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. The Tianjin GWA is a joint venture between SSTEC and GEMS Education with an estimated investment amount of RMB 140 million.
The topping up ceremony marks the structural completion of the Tianjin GWA school building. The ceremony was witnessed by Vice Chairman of the Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) Mr Meng Xian Zhang, Tianjin Binhai New Area Education Bureau Director-General Mr Jing Hong Yang, Policy Research Bureau Director of ECAC Mr Wang Xue Wei, CEO of SSTEC Mr Ho Tong Yen, Deputy CEO of SSTEC Mr Ng Ooi Hooi, Chairman of GEMS Education (Pacific Rim, East Asia and China) The Honourable Mark Vaile (also former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia) and CEO of GEMS Education (Pacific Rim, East Asia and China) Mr Srinivasan Krishnan.
The Tianjin GWA is GEMS’ first flagship greenfield international school in China and will offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The school started its physical construction in Jul 2010 and is on schedule to be completed in mid 2011. It is the first school to be built and completed in the Eco-City. It is designed to achieve the Tianjin Eco-City’s Green Building Evaluation Standards silver certification. The school will have many eco-features such as solar and geothermal heated swimming pool, solar PV panels on roof-tops and a greenhouse. One interesting eco-feature is the Energy Wall at the main entrance lobby with display and interactive monitors. These monitors will not only provide real-time information of electricity consumption of the school and renewable energy harnessed, but also analyse and manage building energy performance of the school to improve its overall energy efficiency. SSTEC and GEMS Education also engaged Singapore-based CPG Consultants and Beijing-based Mochen Architects & Engineers to develop the architecture and design of the school.
The CEO of SSTEC Mr Ho Tong Yen said, “The topping-up ceremony marks a significant milestone in the development of the Tianjin GWA. The school has included many eco-friendly features, which will provide students with an exciting and interactive learning experience – one that is very different from that provided by other conventional international schools. We see much value in cultivating a green and eco-friendly mindset from young, and the Tianjin GWA will be a part of this important effort. The school will also complement the many other world-class features of the Tianjin Eco-City and contribute to making this a very vibrant and pleasant home, where both Chinese and expatriate residents can work, live, study and play.”
The CEO of GEMS Education (Pacific Rim, East Asia and China) Mr Srinivasan Krishnan said, “Today we celebrate a milestone in the life of Eco-City’s first school. We are now at a point where we are just eight months from opening this premium international educational facility. Like other schools around the world, Tianjin GEMS World Academy will play a major role in engaging with the Eco-City community. Tianjin GWA will open its halls in 2011 to more than 2,000 foreign students, ranging from pre-school to high school levels”.
Apart from GWA, the Tianjin Eco-City will also be home to other top education institutions. For instance, the Nanyang Technological University from Singapore has announced its plans to build an overseas college in the Eco-City. These institutions will help to build a world class environment for learning in the Eco-City.
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