Mr.Dong: Tribute to the First Recipients of the ATA!

Respected Teacher Lin Jiamei and all honorees:  

Congratulations to you, the eleven outstanding individuals, for receiving the inaugural Hans Christian Andersen Teacher Award! Early childhood education is vital not only for the healthy growth of children but also for the happiness of every family, social harmony, and even world peace. Today, those who understand this simple truth and excel in practicing it have gathered here. I salute you!  

The Big Dipper guides people through darkness, and the Beidou Satellite Navigation System can lead you to the ends of the earth. When speaking of the most idyllic regions on our planet, the world’s gaze turns to Northern Europe. Within Northern Europe lies the beautiful nation of Denmark. Over a century ago, Hans Christian Andersen and his fairy tales made Denmark globally renowned. Today, modern Danes have created new wonders: despite having a population of just 5.8 million, Denmark consistently ranks among the world’s happiest nations, with a transparent government, highly educated citizens, social harmony, and unmatched creativity. It has gifted the world iconic brands like LEGO, insulin, and Maersk, as well as luminaries such as 13 Nobel laureates, educational reformer Grundtvig, fairy tale writer Andersen, and philosopher Kierkegaard.  

Why has Denmark achieved such enviable success? A key reason lies in its exemplary education system, particularly its outstanding early childhood education. Apart from Danish principal Mette, why have you nine kindergarten principals and primary school headmasters earned this inaugural award? The answer lies in your educational philosophies and practices, which align profoundly with Denmark’s values and deserve global emulation.  

In the radiant smiles, sparkling eyes, and vibrant energy of your students, we witness the beauty of life flourishing in your schools. Imagine: these children will embrace a joyful, fulfilling, and promising future. They are the new hope for building a civilized and harmonious society. Denmark rejects shortsighted exam-driven education; instead, it prioritizes children’s lifelong well-being. What kind of education shapes a lifetime? It is one that "starts with nurturing humanity and aims to enrich life"—an education that cultivates truth, kindness, beauty, curiosity, creativity, and a spirit of adventure in children.  

Our planet faces grave crises. The nuclear weapons humanity has created could destroy Earth a hundred times over. How do we protect this blue planet from self-destruction? I am reminded of a story shared by Teacher Guo Wenhong about a "famous elementary school graduation photo": Young Adolf Hitler, struggling academically, stood in the back corner of the photo, his face etched with resentment, while his high-achieving Jewish classmate Ludwig Wittgenstein basked in the teacher’s favor. Wittgenstein later became a renowned 20th-century philosopher, nearly driven to suicide, while Hitler channeled his bitterness into destructive "passion," nearly plunging the world into ruin.  

Had Hitler encountered a compassionate teacher in his youth, a seed of love might have blossomed within him, averting a global tragedy. Perhaps he might even have won a Nobel Peace Prize!  

The foundation of a nation’s prosperity is laid in its kindergartens, and its hopes for greatness are forged on the podiums of primary school teachers. Exceptional kindergarten principals and school leaders understand how to plant seeds of love in children’s hearts. In critical moments, these seeds—like the legendary Little Julien, the First Citizen of Belgium—may extinguish the flames of destruction and prevent catastrophic crises.

Groups of young " Little Julien " are happily living, joyfully learning, and healthily growing on your campus. Through them, people will witness your noble educational philosophy and practices. Your award is truly well-deserved. Named after Hans Christian Andersen, I believe even Mr.Andersen in heaven would pay tribute to your excellence! The prestige of an award is not determined by administrative hierarchy but by its guiding core principles. The world’s most renowned economic forum was not created by the United Nations or a major nation but by Swiss economist Klaus Schwab’s unofficial Davos Economic Forum. Elon Musk’s rocket technology surpassing NASA further illustrates this point. We are confident in shaping the Hans Christian Andersen Teacher Award into a globally influential accolade like the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

By the way, the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award was initiated by Mr. Benny Nybo and several literary figures—it, too, is a non-governmental, grassroots award without official backing. Mr. Benny is also one of the founders of the Hans Christian Andersen Teacher Award. The white swan on the Teacher Award’s medal mirrors the one on the Literature Award’s certificate, beautifully linking the two honors. Recipients of the Literature Award include Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, and British author J.K. Rowling. Paying homage to the Literature Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Teacher Award will likewise become a globally impactful preschool education accolade.

The fairy-tale characters on the Teacher’s Award medal are illustrations from Andersen’s stories. His tales empower people to bravely confront reality, understand kindness and embody it daily, appreciate beauty’s allure and persistently pursue it in life, all while adding wonder to existence. The Chinese characters for "Hans Christian Andersen Teacher’s Award" were handwritten by Mr. Wang Qiliang, former Chinese Ambassador to Denmark. Mr. Benny notes that the Award blends Chinese and Danish elements, building a bridge of friendship between the two nations. Its recipients will become ambassadors of Sino-Danish friendship and disseminators of human civilization.

Denmark boasts a fairy-tale figure: former Danish princess and Protector of the Hans Christian Andersen Teacher’s Award, Countess Alexandra Christina Manley. Her message to us—“Fly with the swan in the sky!”—captures the poetic Chinese essence: “Soar with childlike wonder, nurturing the world with early education.”May every child dance with white swans and grow into “white swans” of their fields! Mr. Li Zhenxi, Chairman of the ATA board, states: “Andersen’s name has long transcended Denmark through his enchanting tales, belonging to all humanity. His stories embody compassion, sincerity, purity, imagination, and romance—qualities that define true education. May Chinese education flourish with poetic wonder!”

Finally, on behalf of all members of the Hans Christian Andersen Teacher Award Council, I salute the recipients! You will inspire countless early childhood educators and enhance the happiness of Chinese children. We are actively seeking public-spirited foundations, hoping to one day guide everyone into Andersen’s fairy-tale world to experience its beautiful educational ideals and amplify their impact. Years ago, the Lao Niu Foundation fueled the “ATA Boat” navigating human civilization, ferrying China’s finest preschool educators to Denmark and bringing back Danish educational philosophies. The seeds of truth, kindness, and beauty planted then have taken root, blossomed, and borne fruit, spreading like dandelions across China. From my heart, I thank Mr. Niu Gensheng, who deserves a Special Contribution Award from the Hans Christian Andersen Teacher Award.  

Founder of the Hans Christian Andersen Teacher’s Award

Dong Ruixiang