We are thrilled to share the remarkable achievements of Year 6 YCIS Beijing students Alvin Xu and Ain Ryu in the 2023 World Scholar's Cup (WSC). After impressive results in the WSC Regional Round in Beijing, the AAA team of Alvin, Ain and their friend Alfred proceeded to win third place in the Junior Division Global Round in Xiamen in August, competing against 1500 participants from 25 different countries. Their outstanding accomplishments qualified the AAA team for the final round of the ‘Tournament of Champions’ held at Yale University in November, where they met the top 15 % of all worldwide participants from 70 countries.

Conquering Champions

Their almost one-year-long dedication, hard work, and passion for learning over two exciting WSC rounds were rewarded with great success at the ‘Tournament of Champions’. Within the Junior Division (8-13 years), the AAA team secured the team award ‘10th Gold - Cria Top Team‘. In addition, Ain and Alvin both received individual silver awards as Cria Scholars. Furthermore, Ain was awarded Silver in the ‘Writing Champions‘ category, and Alvin achieved the highest score award, the ‘10th Gold - Asimov Award‘, in the Scholar's Quiz, which covered an extensive syllabus.

Exceptional Perseverance and Collaboration

The champions have proven their exceptional perseverance in the daily hour-long learning sessions they started in March and continued until November. Together, they practised and developed comprehensive knowledge and abilities covering various topics such as science, literature, history, art and social studies. Their ultimate goal was to accomplish the diverse components of the World Scholars Cup, including team debates, collaborative writing, and the Scholars' Quiz. The competition engages with individual and collective efforts, which are embedded in our students' learning experiences, from group learning presentations and debates to topic research, writing, and reading challenges in every topic of subject learning.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Ain and Alvin for their exceptional success. Their hard work and dedication have provided them with a unique opportunity to showcase their intellectual abilities and creativity and allowed them to learn and connect with other talented students from diverse cultural backgrounds at one of the world’s leading universities. We are thrilled that Ain and Alvin, with their unwavering commitment to learning and critical thinking, serve as an inspiration to all of us. They are role models who promote global citizenship, encourage meaningful discussions, and develop a deeper understanding of global issues in a rapidly changing world.

More about Alvin and Ain

Alvin and Ain are exceptional students with a similar interest in language learning, reading and writing, who also complement each other perfectly as a team. 

Alvin has outstanding maths skills and has already demonstrated his abilities at national and international maths competitions such as the UKMT (United Kingdom Mathematics Trust) in the Primary and Intermediate Challenge, the PMC (Primary Mathematics Challenge) and Math Kangaroo, earning numerous Gold and Silver Awards. He is a creative mind that enjoys problem-solving. Alvin is a dedicated pianist who won Gold at the 5th  International Liszt Ferenc Piano Competition in the China National Grand Finale 2022. Alvin joined YCIS Beijing as a Year 3 student in 2020.

Ain is originally from Korea and joined our school in Year 5, new to a bilingual English and Chinese learning environment. Ain quickly adapted and improved her language skills as she passionately participated in many school activities. She is an active member of the student council leadership team and the school choir, and she also took part in this year’s school musical. In recognition of her well-rounded personality and outstanding academic achievements over the school year, she received the YCIS Beijing Excellence Award at the end of Year 5.

Ain is also an avid gymnast and displayed her abilities in Gymnastics at the talent show in the WSC Global Round. At the same event, she also operated the Korean booth at the Culture Fair, introducing Korean culture and history.

About the World Scholar’s Cup

Founded in 2006, the WSC is a globally recognised academic competition that aims to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and interdisciplinary learning among students from across the world. It provides a unique platform for students to engage in a series of events that challenge them to develop their cognitive, analytical, and interpersonal skills.