HONG KONG, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In a defining moment for Hong Kong’s educational landscape, the YK Pao Education Foundation officially announced the forthcoming opening of YK Pao School Hong Kong at a launch ceremony on 29th May, 2026.
Welcoming its first cohort in August 2026, the pioneering school is conceived to meet the growing demand for international bilingual education. Rooted in the philosophy “Learning with Joy, Living with Purpose,” the school’s mission is to develop the whole person, passing on traditions of Chinese culture and fostering an international perspective. Building upon the success of YK Pao School Shanghai, the Hong Kong school will offer a highly structured, integrated educational model—establishing a new paradigm for bicultural education in Hong Kong.
YK Pao School Hong Kong celebrated its launch ceremony at the Asia Society on 29 May, with Dr. Christine Choi, JP, Secretary for Education, Mr Thomas Wu, Deputy Secretary for Education, Education Bureau, and the founders and Board of Trustees from YK Pao School Hong Kong.
New Chapter, New Legacy- YK Pao School Hong Kong Launch Event
The launch ceremony at the Asia Society on 29 May was graced by Dr. Christine Choi, JP, Secretary for Education, Education Bureau, and other distinguished guests. The event drew more than a hundred guests, including members of Sir YK Pao’s family, the Board of Trustees, leading educationalists, entrepreneurs, industry and association leaders, and student representatives from both the Shanghai and Hong Kong schools.
The evening commenced with a spellbinding musical performance—a fusion of Cantonese melodies and Western symphonic repertoire—delivered by students from the Chinese fusion orchestra of YK Pao School Shanghai.
Left: Opening performance by the Chinese Fusion Orchestra of YK Pao School Shanghai. Right: Aina and Andrew, Year 12 students from YK Pao School Shanghai opened the event by sharing their university destinations.
Two Year 12 students from YK Pao School Shanghai opened the event, sharing their university destinations—Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Northwestern University—mapping the pathway forward built over 12 years at YK Pao School Shanghai.
The Education Bureau’s support has been instrumental in the school’s successful launch, through both the allocation of the campus at 4 Rose Street in Kowloon and backing the development of its educational offerings.
In her keynote speech, Dr. Christine Choi underscored the Bureau’s commitment to enhancing education quality, fostering students’ all-round development, and nurturing talented individuals—all in service of building Hong Kong as an International Education Hub. She articulated a clear vision for international bilingual education and conveyed her warmest wishes for YK Pao School Hong Kong’s pioneering journey.
Dr Christine Choi, JP, Secretary for Education, Education Bureau, emphasised the vision for building Hong Kong as an International Education Hub.
A Vision Set Sail Two Decades Ago, Now Embarking on a Journey Anew
Professor Anna Pao Sohmen, eldest daughter of Sir YK Pao and founder of the YK Pao Education Foundation and both schools—began by reflecting on the original impetus behind the school’s creation: “I aspired to establish a school in China that was unlike any other—deeply anchored in Chinese values and culture, yet vibrantly open to the world. The YK Pao Schools stand as the finest continuation of Sir YK Pao’s philanthropic vision for education.”
Prof Anna Pao Sohmen expressed her gratitude to the guests for their continued support to sustain Sir YK Pao’s philanthropic vision.
Mr. Philip Pao Sohmen, Co–founder of the YK Pao Education Foundation and both schools, emphasised the profound significance of opening a new school twenty years later: “We are advancing with the precision of a proven educational model—one that equips students with the cultural agility to navigate an increasingly complex world. Our vision and mission have not wavered; they have only grown more urgent and relevant.”
The evening reached its zenith with an official kick–off ceremony, heralding the school’s August 2026 opening and unveiling the design of its future campus in Kowloon Tong.
Upper Left and Upper Right: Dr Christine Choi, JP (Secretary for Education, Education Bureau); Prof Anna Pao Sohmen and Mr Philip Pao Sohmen (both founders of YK Pao Schools), together with the Board of Trustees of the YK Pao Education Foundation, officiated the launch ceremony of YK Pao School Hong Kong. Lower Left: The four Pao sisters—daughters of Sir YK Pao—unveiled their father’s motto as a gift to YK Pao School Hong Kong. Lower Right: Mrs. Cathy Braithwaite, Founding Head of YK Pao School Hong Kong, with student representatives from the school’s first cohort.
A Community of Purpose. A Legacy of Bridges.
The launch event paid tribute to Sir YK Pao for his immense role in bridging Hong Kong and Mainland China to the world, and for his profound legacy that rests within the halls of learning he helped erect—including founding Ningbo University in his ancestral home and establishing the Sino-British Friendship Scholarship to enable generations of young scholars to cross borders and broaden their horizons. His generosity endowed libraries, universities, countless institutions, swimming pools, and other facilities and centres, enabling generations of young people to pursue their dreams and the public to maintain their well-being.
The YK Pao Education Foundation continues his legacy with a new focus on primary and secondary education, bringing together educators, entrepreneurs, and distinguished leaders who believe in the transformative power of education. The YK Pao Schools stand as a living embodiment of his vision, and we look forward to a future where young learners are fueled by compassion, integrity, and a joyful learning experience with purpose.
Enrolment for the 2027–28 academic year will open this August. For admissions details, please visit www.ykpaoschool.edu.hk, or contact +852 9720 2661 or admissions@ykpaoschool.edu.hk.
About YK Pao School Hong Kong
YK Pao School Hong Kong is a non-profit institution founded in the spirit of Sir Yue-Kong Pao. The school cultivates whole-person growth, emphasising character education, Chinese culture, and global understanding. It offers a rigorous IB PYP and MYP curriculum, with a strong focus on developing two first languages—English and Chinese—alongside an advanced mathematics programme. The immersive bilingual environment balances academic, social, emotional, physical, and ethical development through an experiential journey.
The school will offer a Year 1 to Year 9 programme for international families, following a foundation and summit “9 + 3” education model, with students having the option to pursue the IB Diploma at the Songjiang boarding campus of YK Pao School Shanghai. Opening in August 2026, the school will welcome its first cohort at its Kowloon East Campus in Yau Tong, with plans to move into the brand-new campus at 4 Rose Street in Kowloon Tong in August 2028.
