【爱莎武汉】校长专访 | 带你走进牛津剑桥“学霸”校长的真实生活

牛津大学文学本科+硕士

 B.A., M.A. at Oxford University

剑桥大学教学专业资格

 PGCE at Cambridge University

28年本地和国际教育经验

28 years in Education

7年上海牛津&剑桥校友会主席

Ex-President of Shanghai Oxford 

& Cambridge Alumni (7 years)

82%的学生被世界前1%的大学

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82% of G12 students enrolled at

World's Top 100 universities

Q: 您毕业于牛津和剑桥大学。请问您在大学进行了怎样的学习？您是如何与中国牛津剑桥的校友建立联系的？他们是什么样的人？

A：我在牛津大学是本硕连读，我毕业于牛津大学，拥有拉丁语、古希腊语和古典学的学士和硕士学位。这大概是英国最古老专业之一。之后我在剑桥大学继续攻读了教育管理专业，在那里我学习了教授拉丁语、希腊语和戏剧的专业培训。

这些学习经历让我感觉在一个开放包容、精英荟萃的大学中，任何青年人的格局和眼界都可以得到最深最广的提高。

我在牛津和剑桥那时候，还并没有很多中国同学，但是当我成为上海牛津剑桥校友会会长时， 我结识了许多中国毕业生们，而他们大多都是牛剑的研究生。他们大多都来自中国顶尖的高中和大学，他们强烈的创新意识、毅力、终身学习以及回馈社会的意识一直给我留下深刻的印象。

这些能力也深深扎根在每一位牛津和剑桥大学的学子心中。他们拥有宽广的胸怀和世界观，我希望在未来，我们武汉爱莎的学生在也能成为这样优秀的人。我为我自己能结交到这样一群志同道合的校友感到无比幸运。 

Q：We heard you studied at Oxford and Cambridge. What did you study? How did you connect with Chinese alumni from those universities in China and what were they like？

A: I graduated from Oxford University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Latin and Ancient Greek or Classics as it is otherwise known. This is one of, if not, the oldest, continuous degree in the United Kingdom. Then, I took my PGCE at Cambridge University, where I received professional training to teach Latin, Greek and Drama This learning experience made me feel that in an open, inclusive, elite university, any young person’s life vision and outlook can get the deepest and widest improvement. At the time I studied at Oxford and Cambridge there were not many overseas students from China but when I became the President of the Oxbridge Alumni group in Shanghai, I met hundreds of Chinese graduates who had mainly postgraduate degrees at those two outstanding universities. They all did very well. Many of them were from top Chinese high schools and universities, and I was always impressed by their strong sense of creativity, perseverance, resilience, lifelong learning, and a sense of giving back to society. These aptitudes were deeply ingrained at Oxbridge. They had a broad-minded, world view, which I want to enable future ISA Wuhan students to experience in their personal growth journey. Considering we had so much in common, I made many lasting friendships from that alumni group.  

Q：您在来武汉之前对这个城市有什么了解呢？

A：我差不多13年前第一次来武汉生活和工作，我爱吃火锅，所以我就报名参加了一个从重庆出发的三峡邮轮之旅，那个旅游团大多都是中国游客，旅途在武汉结束，我当时住在汉口一个离我现在办公室不远的宾馆。从那里，我可以看见汉口江汉路附近的老建筑。我当时对这种历史和未来相互辉映的对比感很着迷。

我看到有些建筑就像琥珀般可以被历史封存，但与此同时却难以掩盖城市发展的蓬勃动力。这也是武汉最吸引我的一点，充满丰富的历史文化遗产，又富有赶超一线城市的朝气，真的太有趣啦！

Q: Before you come to Wuhan, have you heard anything about this city? 

A: I came to live and work in China 13.5 years ago. I had heard about the world-famous Three Gorges River Cruise so I signed up on a ship for mainly Chinese tourists, departing from Chongqing, since I loved hot-pot! At the end of the trip, I disembarked at Wuhan where I stayed at a hotel not far from my current office near Jianghan Road in Hankou District. I was fascinated then by the contrast between history and the future. That fascination still resonates with me today. I see elegant, historical buildings such as in the former British and other concessions that are preserved in time. At the same time, I can see the dynamism of the city’s development. This is also the most attractive point of Wuhan, full of rich, local and international historical heritage.

Q：您7月就来武汉了，在周末有没有去探索一下武汉有哪些好玩的地方啊？

A：周末我喜欢去博物馆。在武汉我最喜欢湖北省博物馆和武汉博物馆！两家博物馆的展品相得益彰。我甚至可以说，前者是中国最杰出的博物馆之一。很难想象中国居然在3000年前就已经有如此精湛的制作工艺。武汉的“楚”文化底蕴也非常深厚，我相信武汉一定还有许多故事和历史迫不及待的想要被展现在世界的舞台上，这也是我不断引导和激励所有学生迈向世界名校的动力之一。

荆楚大地的历史古迹和环境资源正是学生进行社会实践时最好的课堂，我们也会将楚文化元素融入进武汉爱莎的校园中。我相信武汉未来一定能成为世界了解中国的新窗口，新地标。

Q：之前听说您说自己有一个“中国胃”，来武汉有吃到什么特色美食嘛？

A：我很喜欢武汉的热干面，湖北的排骨藕汤也很好喝，我之前也有和我的中国同事冬天去吃火锅，我很爱吃辣，还有武汉的莲蓬也很有特色,吃起来很清爽，和火锅很配。

Q：您觉得武汉比较像英国的哪一座城市呢？

A：那应该是英国城市Warwick。我曾在那座城市工作了7年半。同样在地缘上都处于国家腹地，在Warwick和武汉这两座城市里的人都非常热心友善，乐于助人。我想可能是因为武汉城市的向心力很足，大家也就更团结，习惯互相帮助。Warwick和武汉一样也有纵横发达的江河湖泊，不过说到这里我回想了一下，好像我的工作总是在和水打交道，在伦敦我的家乡有Thames河，在Warwick有Avon河，当我在上海的时候有黄浦江，在广州的时候还有珠江，在武汉有长江，所以在武汉，眼前的风景总能带给我一种熟悉的亲切感，让我感觉我回家啦!

#日光下静谧的Avon河

#River Avon in Warwick Britain

Q: You’ve been in Wuhan for about two months. Have you been to any tourist attractions or interesting places in Wuhan? 

A: I like to visit museums on weekends. In Wuhan, I am a particular fan of the Hubei Provincial and the Wuhan Museums! The exhibits at both museums complement each other. It is remarkable that such exquisite craftsmanship was in evidence here 2,500-3000 years ago. The “Chu” Dynastic culture has made such a deeply positive impact on civilization in China and the world. This is why we at ISA Wuhan will reflect some of the artistic and architectural features of this venerable civilization in our campus interior décor. Moreover, a really pleasant, unexpected surprise was when I discovered the Art Museum opposite the Hubei Provincial. The exhibition shows the creativity that developed and flourished in Wuhan over the past century. The excellent commentary that goes with it makes for an educational and impressive experience.  

Q: I heard you said you like Chinese food a lot. What special food do you like to eat in Wuhan?

A: Obviously, I am a great fan of the famous ‘Re gan mian’! I like broths in Chinese cuisine very much and particularly here, then, spareribs, lotus root soup as well as hot-pot during winter. I like to eat spicy food too. 

Q: Which city in Great Britain reminds you most about Wuhan? A: That would be Warwick, the British city where I worked for seven and a half years. Like Wuhan, it is geographically in the centre of the country. People in the cities of Warwick and Wuhan are all very warm-hearted and helpful. I think it might be because both populations live inland, so we are more supportive to and used to helping each other. Warwick, like Wuhan, has its rivers and lakes, but now that I think about it, it seems like I have always been drawn to live by water. In London, my hometown, there is the Thames River, while in Warwick we have the River Avon. When I lived in Shanghai, there was the Huangpu River of course, while in Guangzhou, the Pearl River is world-famous. In Wuhan we have the well-known Yangtze River, certainly a prominent feature of this fine city. So, in Wuhan, the scenery makes me feel at home.

Q：您在中国的很多城市也工作过，比如上海，厦门，广州，请问武汉和这些城市有什么特别之处吗？

A：武汉的天气与我居住过的其他地方很相似。不过先说在前面哈，我还没有经历过武汉严寒和潮湿的冬天！但这里的人更坚韧，可能是因为武汉的冬天冷得很厉害吧。不过也造就了武汉人热情友善，勤奋团结的珍贵品质。武汉拥有庞大的国际教育发展潜力和实力，会在世界全球化进程中发挥重要作用。

Q：是什么让你选择来到武汉作为下一份工作的新起点呢？

A：能够被任命为ISA历史上最大的教育项目投资的负责人，对我来说是一种莫大的荣幸。我曾在中国的许多一线城市生活过，这些城市在短短十年的时间就有了突飞猛进的变化，我希望能在一个即将成为中国“伟大城市”的地方工作。

武汉拥有成为一个伟大城市的所有属性，我对这一点毫不怀疑。就像今年无数个奋战在武汉抗击疫情一线的医疗团队，是他们日以继夜地努力才能让孩子们安全的来到学校学习。我们武汉爱莎国际学校特别感谢他们维护了我们的城市的健康和安全，让大家可以快乐的生活。我也想在武汉激动人心的城市成长故事中扮演一个属于我的角色。

Q：您对今年接下来在武汉爱莎的工作有什么展望呢？

A：我的目标是将武汉爱莎打造成为华中地区标志性的国际学校，向更多家庭共享“全人教育、终生学习及培养具备全球竞争力的世界公民”的教育理念，从而构建起一个多元文化交融的国际化社区。湖北是一个教育名省，爱莎作为一个全新的品牌进入武汉，我也同时非常希望向当地的公办、民办教育界同行学习取经，共同合作发展。所以我真的非常期待未来的工作！

Q: You have worked in many different places in China, like Shanghai, Xiamen and Guangzhou. Comparing these cities, what makes Wuhan a special place? 

A: The weather is quite similar to other places I have lived – Traveller Warning: I have not experienced the bitterly cold and wet Wuhan winter yet! People here are more hardy, given the harsh winters! But that might be the reason for Wuhan people being very friendly, harmonious, hardworking and full of team-spirit. As a rising star in the urban development scene, Wuhan has huge potential for its ever-expanding international education sector to become even more diverse. This will make it become a major player in the process of world globalization. 

Q: You’ve been the Head of School in Shanghai for many years, what made you choose Wuhan as your next working destination? 

A: It was a great privilege for me to be appointed to the Head of ISA’s largest investment in educational in their history. Having lived in Tier 1 cities that had developed significantly during my time there, I wanted to work in a city that had ambition to become the next great success story in China. Wuhan has all the attributes to be that next city. I have no doubt about it. An example for this is the amazing achievements of Wuhan’s medical teams during the current pandemic. Their determination and heroic efforts have made it possible against the odds for children to study in safe environments at school and continue to do so. We at ISA Wuhan are especially grateful to them and the authorities for keeping our city happy, healthy and safe. Now, it is back to business as usual, I want to play my small part in Wuhan’s exciting growth story. 

Q: What’s your vision of the development of international education in Wuhan?

A: My goal is to build ISA Wuhan into a landmark international school in Central China, to share the educational philosophy of “Whole-person education, lifelong learning and global competitiveness” with more families, thus creating a multi-cultural diverse international community. Hubei is a province famed for its long legacy of high-quality education. ISA is still a new brand, so I very much hope to learn from the local, public and private education sector counterparts, through mutual cooperation and development. Therefore, I’m really looking forward to working here in the future!

图片分别是（顺时针）:

1. James最优秀的学生之一获得学校年度读书奖

2. James和之前西班牙语系的同事聚餐 

3. James和武汉爱莎初创团队一起参加集团培训大会

4. James在就任上海牛津剑桥校友会主席时，将自己当时所在的学校引荐给牛津大学副校长

Swipe for English

Pictures clockwise starting from top left:

1. One of James's top Primary students winning the school's annual storybook prize. 2. James joins the Spanish Department on their Tapas-tasting activity at one of the foremost authentic Spanish restaurants in Shanghai. 3. The inspiratonal ISA Wuhan Founding Team in training! 4. James introduces his former Shanghai school to the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Professor Andy Hamilton, when he was President of the Oxbridge Alumni Society. 

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