A world-class K-12 Harrow school providing high-quality international education for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will open in Hengqin New Area in September 2020.

Eric Leung, executive director of Harrow International Management Services (HIMS), stated that the Innovation Leadership Academy (ILA) Hengqin in Phase II of Novotown would also promote integration of Chinese and western cultures in the region.

The boards of directors of eSun and Lai Fung provided details of the agreement in a statement to shareholders and investors released on Nov 22. It states that a wholly owned subsidiary of Lai Fung has arranged with Harrow International (China) Management Services Ltd and ILA Holdings Ltd to bring Harrow International China Group to set up ILA Hengqin.

Specific arrangements were confirmed in a cooperation agreement between Novotown and the China branch of HIMS, with the latter responsible for the academy's administration.

Signing ceremony [Photo courtesy zh51home.com]

The school will offer education from kindergarten to Grade 12 (Year 13), with both Chinese National and International Curriculum available for local Chinese and overseas students. The school's gross floor area will cover approximately 52,500 sq m with a capacity to accommodate 1,500 students.

Kindergarteners will receive early childhood education courses prevailing in the UK while students in higher stages will follow courses integrating Chinese national and classic Harrow curricula. The high school schedule will be based on the internationally recognized General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (A-Level), an entry qualification for universities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

A team of high-level faculty comprised of Chinese and foreign teachers will ensure quality instruction as they apply their expertise in specific subjects.

The cooperation aims to enhance the general education experience across the region, catering to learning needs of local and overseas families within the Pearl River Delta. Discussions between Lai Fung and the Hengqin government regarding the land concession and the Phase II development of Novotown are ongoing.

The announcement statement calls this another output of Harrow's successful educational history. Harrow School was established in London in 1572 and is one of the most recognized education brands worldwide. Outstanding graduates include UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Jawarlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India.

HIMS was established in 1997 by Harrow School and Asia International School Ltd (AISL), an education organization managing Harrow International Schools outside the UK. There are currently Harrow International Schools in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai.

The management company's wholly owned subsidiary in China is undertaking the Hengqin project and will build more private Leadership schools in China featuring bilingual and bicultural education.