致敬深圳精神，铭刻于SAIE前行的每一步

Dear SAIE Community,

As Shenzhen marks the 45th Anniversary of its Special Economic Zone, we at Shenzhen Academy of International Education (SAIE) pause to reflect on how deeply the Shenzhen Spirit has been woven into our story.

值此深圳经济特区成立45周年之际，深圳市博纳学校（SAIE）也停下脚步，回望一路走来，深圳精神是如何深深融入我们的故事。

I remember vividly, ten years ago around this time, sitting with Mr. Donny Xie, Class of 2016, guiding him through his college application. He wrote a line that has stayed with me: “Growing up in Shenzhen, it is hard not to feel inspired.” That inspiration propelled Donny to SAIE’s historic first U.S. college acceptance at Lewis & Clark College—an institution itself named to honor the pioneering spirit of discovery under Thomas Jefferson. From there, Donny advanced to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—alma mater of SAIE teacher Mina—and onward to Yale University Graduate School of Engineering. His journey reflects Shenzhen’s DNA: pragmatic, resilient, pioneering, and forward-looking.

我至今记得，十年前的这个时节，我在周末辅导2016届毕业生谢同学准备大学申请。他写下的一句话至今让我难忘：“成长在深圳，很难不被激励。” 这种激励推动他拿下了SAIE历史上首个美国大学录取通知书——路易克拉克大学（这所学院本身就是为纪念美国西部开拓者刘易斯和克拉克而创立）。此后，他又先后进入伦斯勒理工学院（我校教师何敏老师的母校）和耶鲁大学工程学院深造。他的经历正是深圳基因的体现：务实、坚韧、敢闯、向前。

▲ 2016届毕业生谢同学，本科毕业于伦斯勒理工学院，耶鲁大学硕博连读（全额奖学金）

Since that moment, SAIE has never looked back. Just as Shenzhen itself, in the years leading up to 1992, faced existential challenges—when many doubted whether the Special Economic Zone would survive—yet was reinvigorated by Deng Xiaoping’s Southern Tour Speech that declared, “Whoever does not reform must step down”, SAIE too has faced moments when our very continuity was questioned. We endured those existential challenges, weathered the storm of COVID-19, and emerged stronger.

自那一刻起，SAIE从未回头。正如深圳在1992年前夕所面临的生存性挑战——当时不少人怀疑经济特区能否延续——最终因邓小平的南巡讲话而重获新生。 SAIE同样曾经历过关乎存续的时刻，但我们挺过了这些生存性挑战，经受住了新冠疫情的风暴，并因此更加强大。

Like Shenzhen, SAIE has written its own story of transformation—without billion-RMB campuses, yet side by side with them, carving out history with our own bold, pragmatic vision. Guided by the spirit of “空谈误国，实干兴邦” (Yuan Geng: “Empty talk harms the nation, practical action builds it”), SAIE has thrived not through grandiose promises, but through steadfast work—teachers fulfilling classroom duties, staff upholding integrity, and a community committed to “all for one, and one for all.”

如同深圳一样，SAIE书写了自己的蝶变史——没有动辄数十亿投入的校园，却能与它们并肩前行，凭借的是我们大胆而务实的愿景。秉持“空谈误国，实干兴邦”（袁庚语），SAIE不是靠空洞的承诺，而是靠踏实的努力：教师坚守课堂职责，员工恪守诚信准则，整个社区秉持“人人为我，我为人人”的精神。

Whether in upholding our shared agreements on professionalism, safeguarding our students’ welfare, or building bridges of trust with parents, SAIE has embodied Shenzhen’s ethos at every step.

无论是在维护专业形象、守护学生福祉，还是在搭建与家长之间的信任桥梁方面，SAIE都在每一步践行着深圳的精神。

▲深圳市博纳学校教职工团队

Today, as 12,000 drones light up Shenzhen’s sky in honor of the SEZ’s 45th anniversary, we too look upward. Our students’ aspirations, our teachers’ dedication, and our families’ trust all converge into one collective light, carried forward by the spirit of Shenzhen: bold, pragmatic, and unstoppable.

今晚，当一万两千架无人机点亮深圳的夜空，庆祝特区45周年之时，我们也一同仰望。学生的理想、教师的奉献、家庭的信任，汇聚成一束集体的光，承载着深圳精神：勇敢、务实、不可阻挡。

·

我们将继续开拓、服务、启迪。

Warm regards,

Dr. Xiaomin Chen

此致敬礼！

陈晓民博士

深圳市博纳学校 校长