Six British pupils aged just 16 are the first to Engage (EwC) with China Scholars to embark on a fully-funded A-level programme in September.

The course comes thanks to a new collaboration with Wycombe Abbey School in Changzhou (WASC), China. An additional six scholars are being given a part-funded scholarship.

H-J Colston-Inge, director of EwC a mandarin speaker and wife of the Bishop of Worcester, said: “In the wake of a successful charity fundraising dinner we were approached by William van Bergen, founder of BE Education and a partner in Wycombe Abbey International Schools in China.

"We recognised that our organisations shared a vision to build a vital bridge between China and the UK through education and we wanted to give some British teenagers the chance not only to discover China for themselves but also to equip them to become cross-cultural leaders of the future.

"We are so delighted with the response to the scholarship offer and the number of high calibre applications that we received. The scholarship was originally for only six students, but thanks to the generosity of WASC the pilot cohort will include ten ambitious, intellectually curious, globally-minded young people.

"This will certainly change their lives and job prospects, giving them a huge springboard for their futures. More than that, this programme will contribute to the development of future leaders who can make a positive impact on a global scale.”

One question that all students were asked during the interview was what they thought was the biggest challenge facing the world in 2023 and how they might play a role in solving it. “Many responded that bias and poor communication was the key to many problems,” said H- J.

“We were pleased to hear that all potential scholars felt that they would have a role during and after their A-level scholarship to share their learnings and to encourage young people to discover more about China and perhaps to apply for the scholarship programme in the future.”

The scholars have been selected from a variety of schools from all over the country. Two of the scholars have never studied mandarin whilst others have completed their GCSE in mandarin through a government-funded Mandarin for Excellence Programme offered at their schools.

On hearing the news, Katharine Carruthers, the Mandarin Excellence Programme strategic director, said: “I am delighted that these Mandarin Excellence Programme students have successfully applied to study A-levels at Wycombe Abbey School in Changzhou.

"The students have studied for 5 years in an MEP school, learning Mandarin for eight hours per week, so this will have given them an excellent foundation to take full advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

"I am really looking forward to hearing about their progress over the next two years as they continue on their journey to fluency in Mandarin.”

There will undoubtedly be culture shock for all of the students on a number of levels as they take up residence in the city of Changzhou in Jiangsu Province. The city has a population of five million people and none of the EwC Scholars have attended boarding school before.

Stephen Phillips OBE who until recently was director general of Invest HK (Hong Kong) and was also former CEO of the China-Britain Business Council is very supportive of the Scholarship programme.

He said: “If I had my time again, I would be on that aeroplane tomorrow.

"This is a fantastic opportunity and a way for the next generation to understand China in an immersive way. They will undoubtedly learn some vital cross-cultural skills that can used in their working life in the future.”

Students and their families are now preparing for the start of term on September 1.

EwC will deliver a pre-departure cultural workshop to help the scholars to get to know each other prior to departure and to prepare for their life in China.

Assuming the success of this pilot programme, EwC will be looking for more scholars next year and Worcestershire students will be welcome to apply.