Sir YK Pao built his empire from scratch, starting his shipping business in the 1950s. Two decades later, his calm business style had earned him the title of 'World Shipping Magnate.' Sir YK Pao then extended the scope of his business, purchasing holdings in the then Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co. Ltd and Wheelock Marden, and later served as HSBC’s first Chinese director and vice chairman. He established Dragonair with KP Chao, writing an important chapter in Asian business.
Deng Xiaoping met with Sir YK Pao several times at the Great Hall of the People, speaking on the return of Hong Kong to China, and exchanging views on the situation in Hong Kong and abroad. Sir YK Pao leveraged his close ties with the British government, acting as a point of liaison between China and British governments.
Sir YK Pao's dedication in building our homeland played an important role in the formation of one nation, two systems.
– Deng Xiaoping
Sir YK Pao dedicated himself to supporting the development of his country. After achieving success in business and politics, he focused his energies on cultivating talent. In all parts of the world, particularly in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, Sir YK Pao generously donated over USD 100 million in support of education, including the establishment of schools, scholarships and libraries. In June 9, 1986, the signing ceremony for the Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Programme took place on 10 Downing Street, UK. The programme eventually funded over 1600 Chinese students to pursue their studies in the UK.
Learn more about YK Pao
● YK Pao School is founded by Anna Sohmen Pao, Madam Tan Fuyun and Philip Pao Sohmen.
● Primary School opens for Years 1-3 in the June 1 Building on the campus of Shanghai No 3 Girls High School in Changning District.
● Founding Headmistress Ni Guyin establishes the Mentors Group, made up of renowned Chinese and British educators, to ensure a high standard and quality of teaching.
● First cohort of students graduates from Primary School.
● The Wuding Campus in Changning District opens as the permanent home of the Primary School.
● The YK Pao School Foundation is established to support the long-term development of YK Pao School.
● The Songjiang Campus in Thames Town is inaugurated as the Secondary School campus.
● YK Pao School celebrates its 5th anniversary. Guest of honour Nobel Prize winning physicist, Professor Yang Zhen Ning names the Learning Centre at Songjiang Campus.
● Pao School is approved by the Municipal Education Commission as one of the first batch of Shanghai private primary and secondary schools with unique characteristics.
● YK Pao School is recommended by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission to the national Ministry of Education as an “independent school of outstanding achievement with unique characteristics”.
● YK Pao School is accredited by the Cambridge International Examinations Board to offer the IGCSE curriculum.
● YK Pao School qualifies as a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS).
● YK Pao School is accredited as a member school of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).
● YK Pao School and Shanghai Jiao Tong University sign an academic cooperation agreement.
● The first cohort of Pao School students graduates, entering renowned universities around the world.
● YK Pao School is fully accredited by Council of International School and WASC.
● Hongqiao Campus in Changning District is established as the new Middle School. Songjiang Campus becomes the High School, with a residential programme.
● The Pao School Professional Learning Centre (PLC) is established. The PLC aims to build an academic exchange platform for outstanding teachers and deepen Pao School’s professional development training capabilities.
● YK Pao School celebrates its 10th anniversary.
● Pao School hosts the inaugural Global Education Forum.
● Pao School celebrates Sir YK Pao’s 100th Birthday.
● Pao School hosts the 2019 ISCMS (International Schools Choral Music Society) XII Festival, themed “Spirit of Peace”
● Pao School holds the first ever graduation ceremony for students who attended the school since Year 1. They are the first "Pao School Pioneers" and successfully completed their 12-year studies at Pao School.
● Pao School becomes one of the experimental schools for Shanghai’s three-year action plan to utilise project-based learning in compulsory education.
● Pao School’s Songjiang campus is approved by the Shanghai Municipal Education Bureau for a grant to develop a special STEM curriculum.
● The four-year renovation of the Hongqiao campus’s main teaching building is completed over the summer holidays.
