At Nord Anglia Education, we believe the best way to prepare students for the future is to connect them with the minds shaping it. That’s why we’ve partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - one of the world’s most pioneering universities - to bring a spirit of innovation, experimentation, and creativity into every Nord Anglia classroom.
Through this collaboration, students don’t just learn about science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) - they live it. They explore the power of ideas, the thrill of discovery, and the mindset that innovation is not about memorising facts, rather asking “what if?” and daring to find out.
From its founding, MIT has championed learning by doing - an approach that values curiosity, creativity, and real-world problem-solving. Together, Nord Anglia and MIT bring that philosophy to life in our schools, helping students understand that the world’s biggest challenges are solved not by one discipline alone, but through collaboration across many.
Through our STEAM Programme with MIT, learning becomes a dynamic, hands-on experience. Students design chain-reaction machines, build robots, and explore innovation in sustainable design and creative engineering. They learn to combine analytical thinking with artistic creativity - discovering that innovation lies at the intersection of logic and imagination.
These experiences develop essential, transferable skills: flexibility, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. Most importantly, they nurture the confidence to experiment, the courage to fail, and the resilience to try again - traits that define tomorrow’s leaders.
Every year, students across nearly 90 Nord Anglia schools participate in three global MIT STEAM Challenges, inspired by cutting-edge MIT research. These cross-curricular projects invite students to apply scientific inquiry and creative design to real-world issues - from sustainable architecture to kinetic motion and environmental technology.
Unlike traditional classroom exercises, these challenges don’t have a single “right answer.” Instead, they spark curiosity, perseverance, and collaboration, showing students that innovation often begins where certainty ends.
Each MIT Challenge reflects MIT’s distinctive learning culture, making world-class research accessible and relevant to every Nord Anglia student. In the process, students learn to see themselves not just as learners, but as problem-solvers and creators capable of shaping meaningful change.
Every year, students from our school are selected to join the MIT academic exchange program. In the annual challenge projects, they demonstrate exceptional creativity and execution—qualities that make them stand out and reflect the core of our educational philosophy. Inspired by their experience at a top-tier institution like MIT, these students return to NAIS Pudong with new insights and perspectives, continuing to inspire their peers. This positive cycle has become an enduring tradition within our school community.
Innovation begins with inspired teaching. Every year, Nord Anglia’s STEAM educators travel to MIT for intensive professional development workshops. There, they collaborate with MIT professors, scientists, and engineers, gaining firsthand insights into the latest breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, bioengineering, sustainability, and space exploration.
Our teachers then bring that knowledge back to their classrooms - co-creating lesson materials with MIT experts and developing new approaches that encourage curiosity and experimentation. This ensures that Nord Anglia classrooms remain vibrant ecosystems of discovery, constantly evolving with the world around them.
During his visit to MIT with our student delegation, our science teacher, Mr. Mapfuwa, not only gained deep access to MIT laboratories and observed cutting-edge projects up close but also participated in interdisciplinary workshops with engineering teams from the Institute. Upon his return, he shared thoughtfully: "What struck me most was not a specific technology, but the culture of ‘boundless collaboration’—seeing biologists, programmers, mechanical engineers, and experts from unexpected fields sitting together to solve a problem. It made me reflect: how can we, even at the secondary school level, help students develop the mindset to break down disciplinary barriers and experience real-world problems as they truly are—never confined to a single subject."
“We are not just teaching science,” Mr. Mapfuwa added. “We are nurturing a way of thinking—to stay curious, to dare to connect knowledge across fields, and to believe that their exploration can bring positive change to the world. That is the most valuable gift the MIT journey has brought to our classrooms.”
Today, classrooms at NAIS Pudong continue to evolve into a dynamic, globally-connected learning ecosystem, shaped by such experiences and educators. Here, inspiration never ceases, and innovation unfolds every day.
For some students, the partnership becomes even more tangible through the opportunity to visit MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Each year, selected Nord Anglia students immerse themselves in MIT’s culture of hands-on innovation - joining workshops, building robots, coding algorithms, and meeting the researchers and engineers redefining the future.
Students also attend the Cambridge Science Festival and visit both MIT and Harvard University, experiencing the energy of world-leading academic environments. These experiences ignite ambition, showing students what’s possible when curiosity meets opportunity - and helping them envision their own path as future innovators.
The Nord Anglia–MIT partnership transforms education from a process of memorisation into a journey of discovery. By questioning, exploring, and building, our students learn that knowledge is not static - it’s something they can shape, apply, and expand.
They graduate not only academically accomplished but also equipped with the mindset of innovators - curious, courageous, and compassionate individuals ready to lead change in a rapidly evolving world.
In today’s world of constant transformation - where technology evolves faster than any generation before - the ability to innovate has become one of the most valuable skills a young person can possess. Artificial intelligence, automation, and global connectivity are reshaping every aspect of society, demanding thinkers who can adapt, create, and solve problems that don’t yet exist.
At Nord Anglia, we believe that innovation is not only about inventing new technologies, but also about cultivating new ways of thinking. It’s about teaching students to see possibilities where others see limits - to approach complexity with curiosity, and to turn challenges into opportunities. This mindset ensures that wherever their future takes them, our students will not only keep pace with change - they will help define it.
Discover our schools and book a visit to experience the MIT collaboration in action.
At Nord Anglia International School Shanghai, Pudong we offer a truly global experience with outstanding teachers and exceptional learning opportunities. Our students achieve academic excellence and learn all the skills they need to make a difference in the world outside the classroom.
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