KinderWorld: At the start of a better skilled workforce

Ricky Tan Chairman of KinderWorld Education Group

East meets West in education

Founded in 1986, KinderWorld Education Group, Singapore, offers through-train education programmes from kindergarten to high school, college, higher education, and continuing education. The group opened its first educational centre in Viet Nam in 2000 and is now the leading international education provider in Viet Nam.

KinderWorld has earned a significant position in the international education market in Viet Nam, where it has been recognised as the best international school system by the Vietnam Economic Times since 2010. KinderWorld believes that education should equip students with the essential knowledge and skills needed for a technology-driven and globalised world, and at the same time preserve and nurture the significant values and cultures of Asia. Students’ excellent achievements reflect KinderWorld’s ability to provide quality education and prepare students for lifelong learning and global citizenship.

On June 25, 2017, KinderWorld chairman Ricky Tan was awarded with the “For the Cause of the Capital City Development” medal by the Ha Noi People’s Committee for his contributions to the development of the city over the years. Ricky Tan is the first foreign investor in education to be accorded such recognition by Ha Noi authorities. KinderWorld will continue its effort in developing educational projects that embrace innovative concept and design.

Through-train education

Singapore International School (SIS) offers an international and integrated education programme for foreign and Vietnamese students. The international programme is a combination of the Singapore curriculum set out by the Ministry of Education in Singapore and the Cambridge curricular from the UK. SIS is committed to continuously ensure the quality of education programmes through international quality assurance and accreditation benchmark standards.

Singapore International School Super School, running from kindergarten to high school, offers an international education programme with accredited global examinations in a complete holistic learning environment for students to gain admission into universities around the world.

To provide quality education beyond high school, Pegasus International College (PIC) was established to offer Vietnamese, ASEAN, and international qualifications in Hospitality, Tourism, Culinary Arts, Business, and Commerce. Through agreements between PIC and Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, TAFE New South Wales in Australia, and Elmhurst College in the US, students who complete the two-year advanced diploma at PIC can articulate into a bachelor’s degree at these partner universities. The establishment of Pegasus International University will complete KinderWorld’s through-train educational pathway from kindergarten to university.

Pegasus Smart Uni-City will feature a media and entertainment and ICT training academy under the umbrella of Pegasus Xperience Labs (PXLabs), a center of excellence in infocomm technology specialising in 3D design programmes. PXLabs is slated to open in the first quarter of 2018. This will be a destination for enterprising and creative individuals and startup enterprises to come together to innovate and develop breakthrough products. Pegasus will be working in partnership with Autodesk and Unity Technologies, as authorised training centres to offer certification courseware and programmes in information technology. Autodesk Inc. provides more than 160 softwares in architecture, engineering, construction, media, and entertainment. Unity Technologies is a multi-platform game engine company with over 20 billion installations of games.

Pegasus Integrated Education and Eco-tourism Development in Ha Long

Unique Education and Eco-tourism development

To meet the increasing demand of well-trained, professional, and innovative human resources for Viet Nam, KinderWorld was awarded the provisional licence in November 2016 to develop Outward Bound Viet Nam (OBV) – an outdoor adventure-based learning programme. OBV is a member of the international network of Outward Bound Schools of 38 countries. OBV’s mission is to help people discover and develop their potential to care for themselves, others, and the world around them through challenging experiences in unfamiliar settings.

OBV will be the first Outward Bound Organisation to have its campus situated within the Pegasus Integrated Education and Eco-tourism Development. To be developed in Ha Long,
Da Nang, Binh Dinh, and Quang Tri, the project will be an inclusive development which integrates outdoor education, eco-tourism, and wellness to provide lifestyle services for learners of all ages, families, and business organisations.

Experiential outdoor learning will be integrated into the academic education in the SIS curriculum when the first OBV site in Binh Dinh is completed. SIS students will spend one week per term at OBV, where leadership, interpersonal skills, and survival skills are fostered through challenging adventure-based activities.

Besides training Vietnamese students, OBV will also welcome foreign students locally and from overseas, and learners of all age groups from corporate clients.

Embracing green architecture

With 15 campuses around Viet Nam, KinderWorld has built up its expertise in developing purpose-built international schools and international colleges, incorporating green architecture as one of its top priorities.

The KinderWorld Super School establishment incorporates sustainability and green architecture, maximising outdoor space for students. With recycled rainwater and school buildings orientated at angles to minimise energy consumption and environmentally friendly building materials, the school provides a sustainable, world-class 21st century education facility.

The first Pegasus Integrated Education and Eco-tourism Development, to be located in Quy Nhon, will be developed in harmony with nature, blending into the diverse landscape of hills and sea. Construction of different components will strictly follow green architecture principles, ensuring the preservation of the natural environment.

In Ha Long, KinderWorld will collaborate with Edinburgh Napier University in an environmental project that involves the assessment and preservation of mangroves within its Pegasus Integrated Education and Eco-tourism 90-hectare site.

Technology-driven CSR

KinderWorld – through its various companies, such as Singapore International Schools, Singapore Viet Nam International School, Pegasus International College, and Outward Bound Viet Nam – has given out numerous scholarships and carried out various charity events to help the disadvantaged in Viet Nam.

The group has stepped up its corporate social responsibility (CSR) by pioneering an initiative to digitalise and create 3D models for popular historical attractions, with the aim of establishing a Heritage Trail for Viet Nam. By adopting advanced technology from Autodesk Remake, the 3D models will be developed based on captured images and videos. This initiative aims to generate a database of heritage sites and artefacts to educate future generations on the heritage of Viet Nam.

Since early this year, KinderWorld has been working with the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture on a pilot project to build up a database of 3D Modelling of over 50 Cham artefacts that date back to the 10th century.