James Ke

Children at ISB: Kindergarten 2825112354@QQ.com

1.	Please provide a brief statement of interest as to why you want to run for the Board.
	I was born in China and left for the U.S. in my early teens, spending the next 27 years there before moving my architectural practice to China since 2010. Having experienced kindergarten and grade school in China, high school and college in the U.S. (leaping junior high), I know first hand the challenge and benefits of growing up bi-cultural and bilingual. I can relate to growing up in an environment both as a majority and as a minority. I wished there was a school like ISB while I was growing up, with an active learning environment that is both open-minded and supportive, with endless opportunities and various interests. Our family feel so lucky that our son and daughter can grow up in such a place. I truly believe in ISB as a rare institution that will make our children citizens of the planet, not only understanding and adapting to this complex world, and also growing up with the heart and ability to make it a better place. Having the chance to make a difference at such an unique school, is both rare and exciting. I wish to contribute in my own way, small as it might be.
2.	In what ways have you supported ISB and/or other schools your children have attended?
	My daughter and I are both new to the school, having just finished one semester. My son is enrolling in the fall of 2018. Previously, both of them were at New Talent kindergarten. I arranged several art and design education tours for the entire kindergarten children (about 300 kids). They visited the Red Brick Museum in Shunyi and the 751 art and design district, with talks given by the chief curator of Beijing Design Week, Audi design staff and various artist. The kindergarten at New Talent also went under a major renovation lasts year. I volunteered my time as a design consultant for the school, working with the principal and staff to make the best and most ecological renovation possible under the budget. Sometimes it required design input from me, other times I served more as an expert "set of eyes" on the school's behalf. Often I made recommendations to the type of material and construction method that is more suitable for a school environment. It is extremely satisfying to see the results. It also helped to set an example for my own children, as in "You see, if you just try, you can make your place more beautiful".
3.	How will your skills and prior experience (volunteer or paid) benefit the Board of Trustees and ISB?
	Through my career as an architect, I have always combined practice with teaching. (New York Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Seoul City University). I am currently a visiting professor at Tongji University, with a very international student body. For 4 years I co-directed the joint studio between NYIT and Tongji University, with a 50-50 ratio of Chinese students and students from NYC. The last few years I also taught students from Europe and Asia. I not only had to teach in both English and Chinese, but also think and relate with a sensitivity to various cultures. My own projects often are international and cultural in nature, having worked on several embassy projects, and designed the NYC's Lincoln Jazz Center in Shanghai, and the BlueNote Jazz Center in Beijing. We also completed several large university campus expansion projects. I think this constant ability of inventing new realities and solving problems, is something that I can lean on to make my contribution to ISB. My work and teaching requires me to be open-minded and resourceful, passionate and positive, diligent and resilient. And I hope to bring the same qualities as a potential candidate for a board member at ISB.

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