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This is a story of three individuals and their friends who endeavoured to
create meaning of their energy and connections to build a Generation III
institution of higher learning in China. It all started during a farewell
holiday trip between two good friends, former Chairman of Motorola China
P Y Lai and Director of International Division of the Ministry of Electronics,
Yang Shi Liang. After close to three decades of a rewarding career with
two of the world's outstanding information technology company, Intel and
Motorola, P Y was ready to retire from active business. Yang Shi Liang headed
the international cooperation department of China's Electronics Department
under the Ministry of Electronics, in-charge of forging Sino-foreign joint
ventures. During Yang's tenure, he was instrumental in bringing big multinationals
to China and headed the 909 High Technology Project, helping foreign multinationals
to access China's market.
Dato P Y Lai and Director Yang Shi Liang, were both concerned with the acute
shortage of the right kind of talent for China's growing economy. Both of
them deliberated at great length on making effective contribution to China's
higher education and were committed to do something meaningful after their
retirement. P Y discussed this with Foong Wai Fong, the founding director
of Megatrends Asia (a partnership with US Trend watcher and Futurist John
Naisbitt), who has already shifted her base from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai
in 2000, to study up close trends of a rising China. Wai Fong has also been
heavily involved in the sustainable development activities in China by volunteering
in many programs that involves the environment and education.
The trio concluded that higher education is a critical area that is needed
to sustain China's growth, and went about persuading other like minded friends
to join the group. The GEM Group was founded in 2002 with the purpose of
setting up a private, for-profit Generation III higher education. Soon after
incorporation, the group began looking around for a possible location to
site the flag-ship operation. |
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The Suzhou Industrial Park ( SIP), a joint venture
between the Singapore and Suzhou government, dedicated to becoming a new
industrial park for multinationals wishing to set up base in China had
been successful in attracting foreign investors. After more than a decade
of growth, the leadership at the park was thinking about the challenges
of migrating up the value chain. Vice Mayor Wang, an acquaintance of P
Y and Yang, learnt of The GEM Group's plans, immediately offer them to
set up this new education base in Suzhou. There were no shortage of places
in China that have offered land and concession to the group, but Suzhou
was finally picked because of its strategic position in the Yangtze River
Delta. Suzhou has the necessary conditions that the Group feels are conducive
for private education.
Hence on February 27, 2003, a collaboration agreement was signed between
SIP and The GEM Group.
> click to view photo of signing ceremony
Today, The GEM Group, through its subsidiaries, GEM Suzhou in China (The
HKU SPACE Global College, GEM-Microsoft Software Technology Center, Global
Hanyu & Culture College, First Light Institute, GEM English Academy)
and GEM M Sdn Bhd (The Disted Stamford College in Penang and The Confucius
Institute Language Resource Center in Kuala Lumpur) established itself
as a leading provider of higher education programs for undergraduates
and postgraduate students who wish to have an internationalized experience
while pursuing their degree studies. The GEM Group also aims to provide
a contemporary experience on China for international students.
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