Hiba Academy Shanghai hosted teachers under UNESCO program

Hiba Academy Shanghai, a leading bilingual school in Shanghai for primary, junior high and high school students, hosted more than 30 participants on May 13 for the 2026 Shanghai Learning Events for Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad Teachers.

Experts said that the event not only introduced Shanghai's math education methods to Latin America but also showcased Hiba Academy Shanghai's strengths in curriculum design, personalized teaching and research. These efforts aim to enhance students' academic performance and holistic development while bridging the educational excellence between East and West.

The Shanghai Learning Events for Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad Teachers, initiated in 2024, is a program hosted by UNESCO's Teacher Education Center, focusing on advancing high school math education between Shanghai and Brazil.

A key feature of the program is inviting participants to leading high schools in Shanghai to engage in demonstration math lessons and exchange experiences in teaching math to top students. In 2024, only high-profile public high schools, such as the High School Affiliated to Fudan University and High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University Jiading Campus, were included in the visiting list.

In the 2026 training program, high-profile public high schools continued to dominate, with Hiba Academy Shanghai becoming the only private school in Shanghai included in the visiting list.

Well-designed approach

"I was impressed by Hiba's approach to demonstrating and interpreting math concepts for students," said Huang Xingfeng, a professor at UNESCO's Teacher Education Center and one of the program's organizers.

"Hiba has integrated complex math concepts with problems commonly encountered in daily life, which can help to spark students' interest in math. We also observed strong student engagement in class discussions. These are all worth promoting and learning from on a broader scale. I believe Hiba Academy Shanghai could represent and showcase Shanghai's private-school educational practices to the world," Huang added.

José Antônio Puppim de Oliveira, a professor at Fundaçao Getulio Vargas Sao Paulo School of Business Administration in Brazil and a visiting chair professor at the Institute for Global Public Policy at Fudan University, echoed Huang.

"Our objective in organizing this learning event is to expose our teachers to the methods used in Shanghai. It's not just about how math teaching is organized in general; it's about addressing issues at the classroom level, school level and policy level," said Oliveira.

"Some of the experiences (of Hiba Academy Shanghai) can actually be transferred to Brazil. The class plan is based on starting with a practical problem and then introducing the math concepts. They work with the concepts and later return to solving the practical problem using those concepts.

"In addition, instruction here is tailored to students' needs and levels through grouping, enabling them to be engaged and learn effectively. This approach helps students see the real-world application of what they learn," added Oliveira.

Bilingual education and small class sizes also set Hiba Academy Shanghai apart from its peers, according to Huang and Oliveira.

"Mathematics itself is a language of science, making language and culture crucial in learning math. Learning math in English offers a different perspective than learning it in Chinese. Combining these perspectives can provide a more comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of mathematics," said Huang. "Small class sizes enable student-centered and personalized support, allowing students to become active thinkers with critical thinking skills and initiative," Huang added.

"It is interesting to hear the school emphasize the importance of drawing the best from both Western and other cultural blends. I like this approach because it helps students become more globalized and exposes them to diverse ways of doing things. As they begin their careers, they will likely join great companies and need to learn how to work not only in the Chinese way but also in ways that suit different contexts. This exposure to various cultures enables them to integrate the best aspects from those cultures while contributing the strengths of their own culture to their organizations," said Oliveira.

Research empowerment

At Hiba Academy Shanghai, an independently developed and integrated curriculum has been developed for primary and junior high students, grounded in the Chinese national curriculum and enriched by interdisciplinary extension programs, project-based learning and selected practices drawn from outstanding international education models. This enables students to experience the strengths of both Eastern and Western educational philosophies and approaches.

Over the past few years, Hiba Academy Shanghai's independently developed curriculum has received recognition from local education authorities. To date, two math projects have been acknowledged by the education authorities in Shanghai's Pudong New Area. Additionally, another project, focusing on learning progressions in math education, is underway and awaiting government approval, according to Hiba Academy Shanghai.

"In Shanghai, it's competitive for schools to gain endorsement of research projects," said Huang.

"We care deeply about students' academic performance, which is why we are dedicated to research. We have a talented team of educators from within China and abroad who use their expertise to ensure the provision of high-quality education which we have set out to achieve," said Coco Zhu, head of Primary Math and Research and Development at Hiba Academy Shanghai.

"Our course is not merely a translation from Chinese to English or vice versa. We strive to integrate the strengths of both Western and Eastern education while prioritizing students' well-being," said Zhu.

The first cohort of Hiba Academy Shanghai's high school graduated in 2025. Across the first two graduating classes in 2025 and 2026, more than 80 percent of graduates received offers from institutions ranked in the U. S. News Best Global Universities rankings.

"These strong outcomes are a testament to our bilingual education model and the journey we began in 2018. Carrying Hiba's values and the 'Be You. Be More.' slogan, our students are set to explore a wider world," said Stella Zhou, master of Hiba Academy Shanghai.