What Kind of School is SIFC?
SIFC is an international high school dedicated to cultivating well-rounded individuals. We provide a comprehensive liberal arts education that seamlessly integrates Chinese and Western cultures, balances both liberal arts and sciences, and considers physical education and the arts as essential components.
Legacy & Prestige
SIFC belongs to Shenzhen’s first cohort of veteran international schools. Founded in 2004, it was proposed by a team of professors from Shenzhen University led by Professor Fu Tengxiao, former Executive Vice Dean of the Normal College of Shenzhen University. It is a full-time international school officially approved by Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau and filed with the Provincial Education Department and China Scholarship Council. With more than 20 years of operation, SIFC enjoys high reputation in international education across Shenzhen and nationwide, ranking among Forbes China Top 20 International Schools nationally and top 3 in Shenzhen for consecutive years.
Academic Excellence
Run by educators, academic rigor is embedded in SIFC’s DNA. We have refined a distinctive curriculum and teaching management system, assembling world-class faculty to deliver premium educational resources. We hold multiple authoritative international accreditations and authorizations: Cognia (the world’s largest international school accreditation agency), WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), and membership of CIS (Council of International Schools). SIFC is among the rare schools in the Greater Bay Area and nationwide holding all three major accreditations: WASC, Cognia and CIS. We are authorized by College Board for AP courses and qualified to deliver AP Capstone, with dual accreditation from the UK’s two major exam boards: Pearson Edexcel and Oxford AQA.
Personalized Education
SIFC has a mature and complete curriculum system, embedding the philosophy Treat every student as one of a kind throughout the whole educational journey. We offers a diverse range of curricula, including American, British, Arts, and Innovation pathways, and implement the multi-dimensional "SIFC + X" collaborative education model and run multiple signature programmes. The multi-mentor system and favorable student-teacher ratio ensure full attention to each student’s individual needs. Personalized teaching inspires students to explore passions fully and helps them find suitable growth pathways. We nurture every young person, enabling them to discover their best version at SIFC.
Innovation & Future Focus
Benchmarked against top innovative high schools on the U.S. East Coast, the school takes "AI Empowerment" as its brand-building pathway, with STEAM education and interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning (PBL) serving as core pillars of its "Personalized Excellence" educational feature. Leveraging its self-developed AI learning platform, it launches the AI School Elite Program to build a Chinese version of Alpha School. The AI system drives efficiency, while in-person mentors preserve human warmth, upholding the philosophy: one student, one bespoke education plan.Home to the only Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy (CMRA)-certified Robotics & AI Institute in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the school embeds PBL throughout its curriculum. Every student may dive deep into a personalized project for two years or longer. A dedicated Venture Grant offers incubation funding to help students turn innovative ideas into reality.
Top-Tier Placements
From post-80s and post-90s cohorts to post-00s and post-10s generations, SIFC has educated four generations of students heading worldwide, gaining admissions to top universities in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, Switzerland and more. In 2024, the Victory Class earned 6 interview invitations from Oxford and Cambridge. In 2025, it secured 3 Cambridge offers, ranking No.2 in Shenzhen with an impressive 100% interview-offer success rate for Cambridge Mathematics. In 2026, the Victory Class continued its Cambridge success. Since its launch, the Victory Class has led the industry with outstanding strength, achieving 100% admissions to US Top30 universities, UK G5 and Hong Kong’s top 3 universities for every cohort.
SIFC 2027 admissions are now fully open.
Please read the brochure below for details.
Welcome to SIFC —
a pioneering international high school in Shenzhen, founded by educators, with 22 years of commitment to holistic education. Here, you will experience the unique charm of an educational philosophy crafted with care and vision.
Why Choose SIFC?
SIFC, founded in 2004, was among the first international schools approved by the Shenzhen Education Bureau. For over 20 years, we have been committed to building a "personalized excellence" brand, guided by the belief that “choosing a school is not about rankings, but about finding an ecosystem where students can grow continuously." Behind our 100% overseas university admission rate—from our first Ivy League offer to three Cambridge offers in 2025 (second in Shenzhen),and continuing our Cambridge glory in 2026—lies not a "college admissions factory", but a steadfast commitment to treating every student as unique. Through exceptional teaching support and AI-powered personalization, we uncover each student's potential and foster lasting growth. This “one student, one plan" approach is our core strength, and the reason families choose SIFC for long-term development over short-term results.
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Educators Leading Education
| Professor Fu Tengxiao, Founding Principal of SIFC,
delivering a speech at the Forbes Awards Ceremony
02
Global Authorizations, Accreditations & Awards
| In 2004, Li Hao, former Secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee
and former Assistant Secretary-General of the State Council,
and Cao Nancai, former Assistant
Secretary-General of the Guangdong Provincial Committee,
officially inaugurated SIFC
Upholding holistic education, SIFC builds a teaching team with solid academic competence and humanistic care. We have 9 PhD teachers; about 85% of teachers hold master’s or doctoral degrees, and 80% are overseas returnees, with an average teaching experience of over 10 years. Our educators hail from ten countries worldwide, graduating from top universities including Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, UCL, Nanyang Technological University, Peking University, HKU, CUHK and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Chinese-foreign teacher ratio has remained 6:4 for years. Coupled with a refined small-class student-teacher ratio of 1:5, we balance local humanistic warmth and diverse international classrooms, delivering personalized, thoughtful and long-term mentoring for every student.
Accreditations & Recognitions
Rankings：
2019: No.24 nationwide (U.S. undergraduate track), No.3 in Shenzhen — China International School Competitiveness Ranking
2020: No.26 nationwide, No.2 in Shenzhen — China’s Top 100 International School Brand Value Ranking
2023: Top 100 Most Competitive International Schools in China — HKPEP
2024: Top 20 nationwide, No.3 in Shenzhen — Forbes China Annual Ranking of International Schools; also awarded Forbes China Outstanding International School and Forbes China Annual Innovation in International Education Award
2025: Hurun·2025 Annual AI-Featured Education Brand
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World-Class Faculty
Under the leadership of educator-principals, our campus culture of Teacher, Friend and Family takes deep root among all teachers and students. Our educators hold pure educational aspirations, noble ideals and a strong sense of mission. The school encourages teachers to practice empathy and educate students with parental compassion, caring for every child as we care for our own. Beyond classroom instruction, we attach great importance to students’ mental wellbeing, interests and wholesome personality development. We truly live out the philosophy of Treat every student as one of a kind in daily life, helping students grow into confident, courageous, expressive, passionate individuals who embrace challenges, love learning, share ideas and excel at critical thinking and inquiry.
Upholding holistic education, SIFC builds a teaching team with solid academic competence and humanistic care. We have 9 PhD teachers; about 85% of teachers hold master’s or doctoral degrees, and 80% are overseas returnees, with an average teaching experience of over 10 years. Our educators hail from ten countries worldwide, graduating from top universities including Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, UCL, Nanyang Technological University, Peking University, HKU, CUHK and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Chinese-foreign teacher ratio has remained 6:4 for years. Coupled with a refined small-class student-teacher ratio of 1:5, we balance local humanistic warmth and diverse international classrooms, delivering personalized, thoughtful and long-term mentoring for every student.
04
Personalized & Innovative Curriculum System
As a prestigious international high school in Shenzhen, SIFC offers a diverse range of curricula, including American,British, Arts, and Innovation pathways. The school proudly hosts the AI Robotics Academy-the only one in the Greater Bay Area certified by Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy (CMRA). It is also equipped with a Sci-Tech Innovation Lab certified by the MIT FabLab, as well as an Art&Design Center renowned across theGreater Bay Area for its interdisciplinary approach. Furthermore, the school features distinctive programs such as the PBL Innovation Education Center, the Tencent Al Innovation Lab, and the Student Personalized Development Center. Through this diverse academic ecosystem, SIFC empowers every student to realize their unique potential.
Highlights in Innovation
Aligned with top innovative high schools on the U.S. East Coast, SIFC places strong emphasis on STEAM education and interdisciplinary project-based learning (PBL). The school has established a dedicated STEM Innovation Center and a Art & Design Center, equipped with cutting-edge resources, where teachers and students co-create tangible innovations. The AI-powered hardware device "Teacher Xiaoyan" – a study-abroad communication assistant – exemplifies this spirit, positioning SIFC as a leading STEAM and interdisciplinary arts education brand in the Greater Bay Area. More than just a tech product, this device is an intelligent extension of our "one student, one plan" philosophy, generating personalized academic profiles and tailored application roadmaps through an individualized data hub, truly designing the future for every unique learner.
| 深国预自主研发的“小言老师”AI留学对讲机
Committed to "heritage and innovation," SIFC cultivates the creative thinking and practical skills essential for the AI era, forging a path as a "Super Innovative High School":
- The first international high school in Guangdong Province certified by MIT and admitted into the global FabLab Network
- The first international high school in China to independently develop a generative AI product ("AI Study Abroad Circle")
- The first high school globally to introduce the Fab City Challenge and launch metaverse-based digital collectibles
- The only school to receive the *Forbes China Annual Innovative International School Award
- The first international high school to launch an AI agent hardware device dedicated to the study-abroad sector
- The first international school to offer Al School, providing students with 24-hour online learning opportunities.
Academic programs：
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Well-Rounded Campus Life
Over 50 student clubs cover academics, arts, sports and innovation. New clubs launched this year include Astronomy Club, French Culture Club, Japanese Club, Psychology Competition Club, Advanced Economics Competition Club and Boxing Club. Students can dive deep into academics while unleashing their passion in sports, art and STEM clubs. Balancing study and hobbies, they explore themselves through diverse campus experiences and find their unique growth paths.
06
Outstanding University Outcomes
SIFC boasts a 100% university admission rate for overseas higher education. From the post-80s and post-90s cohorts to post-00s and post-10s generations, SIFC has educated four generations of students heading for top universities across the UK, US, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland and more. Destinations include Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, LSE, UCL, University of Edinburgh, University of Toronto, Australian National University, National University of Singapore, HKU, UAL, RISD, Parsons and Berklee College of Music. Adhering to long-term educational values, many alumni continue postgraduate and doctoral studies at elite universities. The transformation of every generation is a vivid testament to our philosophy: Treat every student as one of a kind.
As a benchmark for university admissions, SIFC Victory Class delivers extraordinary results: In 2024, its first cohort earned 6 interview invitations from Oxford and Cambridge. In 2025, 3 Cambridge offers were secured, ranking No.2 in Shenzhen, with a remarkable 100% interview-offer success rate for Cambridge Mathematics. In 2026, the V Class continued its Cambridge success. Since its launch, the V Class has led the industry with outstanding strength, achieving 100% admissions to US Top30 universities, UK G5 and Hong Kong’s top 3 universities for every cohort.
07
World-Class Facilities & Thoughtful Services
SIFC commits to building a premium campus environment and delivering thoughtful services for a comfortable and safe living and learning space.
1）Teaching Spaces & Equipment
The campus has multiple multi-functional classrooms equipped with cutting-edge innovation facilities, including creative product workshops, the AI Robotics Academy and the MIT-linked Fab Lab digital fabrication lab. These spaces expand the boundaries of students’ learning and exploration and bring them closer to technological frontiers. Mecha-style door frames with illuminated bilingual signs mark the educational mission of each area. The entire innovation floor carries a futuristic aesthetic, set against deep space grey, with icy blue lights tracing circuit lines, and an interstellar innovation corridor running through the whole zone.
（2）Sports & Boarding Facilities
Sports facilities: swimming pool, fitness gym, golf simulator room, basketball courts and more
Boarding: cozy, fully furnished hotel-style apartments blending features of traditional UK and US boarding schools, creating a "home away from home" atmosphere
（3）Exceptional Dining Services Campus Restaurant
School-operated, providing high-quality buffet meal scrafted by a professional culinary team with five-star hotel expertise. Time&Taste Bistro (New Semi-Open Café): Offers specialty dishes and beverages in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere—perfect for socializing and unwinding.
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Victory Program: “Vitory” for the Future
Scholarships up to 2.7 million RMB
Our education ensures outstanding young talents are never blocked by financial barriers. Drawing on over 20 years of school-running experience, SIFC launched the NAYUN Programme / High School Entrance Exam Honor Roll. It is not merely an exam-focused admission programme, but a complete elite training system integrating personalized mentoring, cutting-edge innovative curricula and top-tier faculty resources. Exceptional students may be selected for Victory Class with multi-mentor support. A team of PhD educators, Oxford/Cambridge/Ivy mentors, Silicon Valley AI R&D specialists and STEAM experts tailor a full growth pathway toward world-top universities.
We have established a generous scholarship framework: the maximum total scholarship for the 4-year programme reaches RMB 2.7 million; for Grade 9 graduates joining the 3-year fast-track programme, the maximum total scholarship is RMB 2.4 million.
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Application Information
Notes: Application & exam fee: RMB 800 (non-refundable upon payment)
深圳国际预科书院
Shenzhen International Foundation College
Address：No. 8 Fourth Yizhan Road, Baoan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518000 China
Phone number：400-926-1666
Mailbox：info@sifc.net.cn
