Congratulations! Soft Opening of Causeway Education's First Education Centre in Hong Kong
2017. May. 19
On April 27th, 2017 Causeway Education officially celebrated its Soft Opening with family, friends, students, parents, and teachers, at a ceremony full of food and fun in its brand-new Causeway Bay center.
Ahead of beginning Summer Courses on June 26th, guests gathered to explore the recently completed construction of Causeway Education’s beautifully immersive learning environment, including its spacious classrooms with floor-to-ceiling whiteboards and inclusive conference tables and its incredibly comfortable study lounge, specially designed to enhance every student’s learning experience. Many students even began to claim the first private lockers lining the hallways.
Among rows and rows of fresh flowers sent from well-wishers in Hong Kong, the U.S., and the U.K., a genuine sense of community permeated the entire event. Instead of the impersonal, business-minded approach to functions typical of other tutorial centers, Causeway Education’s Soft Opening was a social gathering celebrating the start of a far more compassionate and informed approach to education – where students are at the heart of it all. Everyone involved showed a keen sense of excitement about the start of an academic center devoted to not only providing the standard spread of preparatory classes but also a diverse range of high-level tutorials and consultation services students in Hong Kong expect and, more importantly, deserve.
Midway through the event, Founder & CEO, Matthew Cheung, shared these sentiments in an inaugural speech, explaining his very personal reasons for starting Causeway Education.
“As a student, there were many times when I felt unsure about what I was doing – lonely in my pursuit for success,” he stated. “I never truly received the personal attention I needed to feel fully confident in myself. That confidence to work and achieve at a very high level is what I want for every student at Causeway Education.”
Mr. Cheung went on to explain how important it is for students to feel they always have someone sincerely engaged in their success and not simply a transactional student-teacher relationship. Certainly, we all remember particularly challenging aspects of our own education and how terrifying they were at the time. Empathy seems to be the essence of Causeway Education – a true understanding of how to achieve academic success, despite any obstacles.
Their teachers certainly have the street credit to back up any claims. Whereas many other tutorial centers tend to employ fresh graduates, Causeway Education’s teachers have years of involvement in private tutorials and consultation services, including subject specialists from elite universities all over the world. And, yes – they’ll actually be available for lessons in-person, not outsourced via videoconferencing.
Causeway Education’s Principal, Emerson Blais, later shared his own experience working in tutorial centers across Asia for over 10 years and how that relates to the center’s business model.
“Students in Hong Kong are no longer satisfied with just the basics,” he said. “Instead, they’re striving to achieve their maximum potential across various international syllabuses and exam boards. Nothing but the best will do, and we’re here to provide that for both tutorials and consultations. We want our students to know that we’re honestly invested in their future.”
Mr. Blais continued by stating how few centers offer a full range of in-house services that aren’t outsourced. Indeed, Causeway Education is unique within the Hong Kong market for private education in that it considers tutorials and consultations equally significant toward determining the outcome of a student’s academic career and life beyond it. Therefore, teachers and consultants work closely together to ensure that every student’s goals are identified and a viable path to achieving them is established as soon as possible. In other words, they focus on outlining and reaching integral steps toward success in both the short-term and the long-term.
After a few more hours of mingling, sharing stories and laughs, guests watched as the ribbon signifying Causeway Education’s Soft Opening was excitedly cut. Amidst the claps and shouts and an entire roasted pig, it became clear that Causeway Education has already established itself as a major provider of academic services in Hong Kong – one with a community of students, parents, and teachers literally cheering for its arrival.
