The mission of UWC is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. 

The mission of UWC is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. As someone who never had the benefit of this transformative education, I look at the students as an outsider and see this in action. But I see more than this. For me, one of the strongest consequences of a UWC education is that students learn to think that they can achieve more than they ever could have believed. In the words of Kurt Hahn "there is more in you than you think". One of the best examples of this is demonstrated here in Changshu by the founders of this very special school. The story starts with one alumnus, Mark Wang. Soon after university he embarked on this long and tortuous journey to today. Whilst many were skeptical, he was driven by a passion and belief that were remarkable. The support provided to him by UWC Red Cross Nordic during this period was invaluable.

Mark just never gave up. Each disappointment seemed to give him extra energy and provided a learning base to be taken forward to the next prospect. He was soon to be joined by Xiaohang Sumner, another UWC alumna. She shared this belief in what could be achieved as shown by the sign-off on all her correspondence which reads "Be realistic, do the impossible". Between the two of them and others, this commitment and passion was a key part in convincing the Changshu City Government and the Suzhou Municipal Government of the benefits of locating a UWC in their region.

Their commitment to this project has been exceptional. When I first heard of the timescale that they envisaged for the construction, I have to say I was skeptical. Over time I came to see the unswerving focus they were prepared to devote to this project and, true to their word, they have delivered. I know how much their efforts have been appreciated by UWC. I would also like to recognize the great contributions made by Dr Barry Drake as interim founding head and Robert Clarence as founding head who both helped to shape the ethos for UWC Changshu China.

Lastly I would like to thank the other members of the UWC China Task Force for their invaluable contributions. They are Julian Whiteley, Francine Fu and Professor Ngok Lee. Seeing the school today as a reality, it is difficult to comprehend the leap of faith that was taken in the early days by Mark Wang and his many cohorts. Hopefully this same belief, passion and commitment will be imparted to the UWC Changshu students of today and tomorrow. This is a great day, not just for UWC Changshu, but for the whole UWC movement.