Good News | CISS Once Again Honored as “China’s Best International School”: A Two-Time National Champion Setting a New Benchmark for International Education in Northeast China

Good News | CISS Once Again Honored as “China’s Best International School”: 

A Two-Time National Champion Setting a New Benchmark for International Education in Northeast China

On June 16, 2026, at Beijing, the Fourth China’s Best International Schools Awards Ceremony was grandly held at Peking University. At this highly anticipated industry event, the Canadian International School of Shenyang (CISS) stood out among outstanding international schools nationwide, earning a place in the National Top 50 and once again receiving the prestigious title of “China’s Best International School” in recognition of its educational excellence and rich cultural heritage.

This marks CISS’s second time topping this authoritative national ranking since winning the inaugural award in 2020. Six years later, the school has once again claimed the honor, becoming one of the very few international schools in Northeast China to receive the distinction twice. This achievement not only represents a strong endorsement of CISS’s educational accomplishments but also reflects the growing prominence of international education in Liaoning Province and Northeast China on the national stage.

A Rigorous and Authoritative Evaluation: The Only School from Shenyang Selected

The awards program was jointly organized by the School Principals Forum Organizing Committee, Brand Times International Media, and major national media outlets. Widely recognized as one of China’s most authoritative and credible educational evaluations, the selection process lasted nearly six months. Moving beyond a singular focus on academic outcomes, the evaluation assessed schools across seven core indicators and nine detailed dimensions. Following multiple rounds of data verification, expert assessments, and comprehensive reviews, fifty schools with both outstanding educational quality and brand influence were ultimately selected nationwide.

Among the final Top 50 schools, CISS was the only international school from Shenyang, Liaoning Province to receive this recognition. In an exceptionally competitive field, CISS not only earned a place on the list once again but also won unanimous praise from the expert review panel for its strong educational foundation and regional leadership in international education.

A Highlight of the Awards Ceremony: Education as a Cultural Rainforest

On the day of the ceremony, the organizing committee hosted a grand press conference and awards presentation in Beijing. CISS Executive Director  Ms. Duan Yuna and Vice President Ms. Josephine Sha attended the prestigious awards ceremony. Ms. Josephine Sha, the Vice President also delivered an inspiring keynote address. She remarked: “Today, we gather not merely to celebrate an honor, but to answer a question of our time: as civilizations increasingly intersect and borders become less defined, how should education illuminate the lives of young people?” In her speech, Ms. Josephine Sha offered a profound reflection on the essence of international education. “A truly international school is never a one-way export of a single culture. Rather, it is a cultural rainforest. Here, English is not the only language that matters; the language of the host country is equally valued. Dumplings for Chinese New Year and turkey for Thanksgiving can share the same table, while the moon of Eid and the lights of Christmas can illuminate the same playground.” She emphasized that the mission of CISS extends far beyond academic instruction. “How do we help children from dozens of countries live under the same roof without losing their cultural roots, while genuinely learning to appreciate one another’s differences? This is the challenging question CISS strives to answer every day.”

A Fully Authorized IB World School: “Curriculum provides the framework, but culture is the lifeblood. Internationally recognized programmes such as IB, AP, and A-Level are important tools. Yet the true purpose of education is to cultivate globally minded individuals who respect cultural diversity while maintaining confidence in their own identity.”

A Grand Vision Within a Miniature “Global Village”

“In a world too often divided by misunderstanding and separation, international schools serve as miniature global villages.” Ms. Josephine Sha then concluded, “children bring their unique cultural identities with them, yet they learn to tell humanity’s shared story in a language the world can understand.”

She added that the most remarkable achievements of internationally minded schools are often not their impressive university admissions statistics, but the everyday moments that embody intercultural understanding: dozens of national flags displayed side by side in school hallways, dining services thoughtfully accommodating diverse religious traditions, and students of different backgrounds delivering graduation speeches in multiple languages. These meaningful details, she noted, represent the most inspiring and powerful expressions of international education.