Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Top high school teams from across China were recently in Shanghai for the three-day "China Thinks Big" competition hosted by Harvard Center. Participating students conducted research and gave bilingual presentations on culture, business, charity, medical and other fields under the challenge of implementing their study and plans to make a better life.

One team from Beijing, for example, did their research on many well known Chinese landmarks. Those students realized that too many historical locations are only a name to youngsters, with many people forgetting their origins. "Why is Zhong Guan Cun (中关村) called by this name? What is the story behind it?" the students asked. With the rich culture behind these names, the team did research on the location, recorded audio introductions and had them adopted by the local transportation system, which can now be heard playing on Beijing's bus No.5.

Another team, from Shanghai, found that tea farmers in Yunnan were selling their premium tea at the minimum price and therefore unable to afford school tuition for their children. With new designs in packaging, new printing with the farmers' stories and new marketing, they were able to create a new business plan and turn the previously unprofitable tea farm into a branded, money-making business.

The "China Thinks Big" competition requires all presentations to be a China-related topic from the perspective of the students' eyes, analyze related issues and come up with a plan to make life better for those involved.

Among the top participating high school teams, unfortunately I did not see many students from international schools such as Shanghai American School, Dulwich or the International School of Beijing. Some international school students showed initial interest in this event but withdrew after they learned that their presentation had to be in both English and Chinese.

As it turns out, many international school students in China have trouble understanding and participating in Chinese at the level required to compete in the contest. As a parent with children currently attending international schools in Shanghai, I see the challenges that international school students face, as many are still relatively unfamiliar with Chinese language and culture despite living here.

In the past few years, there's been a significant increase in the number of Chinese students applying to US colleges along with more and more opportunities being given to Chinese high school students instead of to students from international schools.

We are witnessing an elite generation of Chinese students who are mastering both Chinese and English languages. They know Chinese culture well, and their research and projects during the "China Thinks Big" competition demonstrated that they are able to care about their society.

For international school Chinese parents, maybe it's time to redirect our children's attention back to where we live, China. There's an old saying in Chinese接地气("connect the qi from the land"), meaning knowing and connecting to the local culture. Other than English, we need to emphasize Chinese language and culture. Utilize their years living in China to really understand China and get connected to the local people.

The next generation will be a global generation - a generation in which East and West will work closely together. No matter what school our children are attending or what college they are going to abroad, the real winners will always be the ones who can appreciate both cultures and are willing to utilize their knowledge and devote their effort to make the world a better place.

Cathy Chiang Williams is a former San Francisco channel 66 Chinese news anchor. She was a judge for "China Thinks Big."

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Global Times.