"Don't be afraid to dream big. When you dare to begin, you've already won half the race." Reflecting on his fearless decision ten years ago to start a business in Myanmar and build an international education brand from scratch, Yu-Nan Chen does not dwell on the hardships during this interview. He believes that action is the compass for turning dreams into reality.

Growing up in Taipei's Minsheng district, Yu-Nan ran for and was elected as a model student in junior high school, winning strong support from his classmates with his lively and humourous speech. That early recognition broadened his horizons and inspired him to challenge himself further. At just 13 years old, he embarked on a life-defining adventure and set off alone to study in Canada.

From Model Student to Global Explorer: The Courage to Take the First Step in Life

"I'm good at discovering my strengths in different environments. When there's something I want to pursue or understand, I go straight to others and learn from them," said Yu-Nan. While studying in Canada, he was exposed daily to an overwhelming influx of information. Rather than feeling intimidated, he transformed his curiosity into action, boldly trying every possibility. He began learning street dance, founded a hip-hop dance club at his university, and successfully grew it into the largest dance club on Canada's west coast. He fully immersed himself in both academics and life, embracing each experience and living in the moment.

After completing his studies, Yu-Nan chose to explore different countries and cities. His first stop was Beijing, where he worked in the telecommunications industry. He later returned to Taiwan to manage import distribution channels for mobile phone products. During this period, he became keenly aware of the limitations of building a business around other people's products. "I needed to develop new markets," he reflected. This realization led him to once again leave Taiwan, this time turning to Southeast Asia, where he unexpectedly discovered the growth potential of the education sector in Myanmar.

Building an International Education Brand in Myanmar Through System and Execution

In 2015, the political party led by Aung San Suu Kyi won the general election. More than 400 people gathered in a dark, unlit plaza beneath a bridge simply to listen to the speeches. Witnessing the Myanmar people's deep hunger for knowledge, Yu-Nan realized that "major transformation inevitably brings major opportunities." As the country opened up to the world, its population of nearly 80 million generated enormous demand for English education and training.

Recognizing this opportunity, Yu-Nan did not venture out alone. He partnered with his wife, Wei-Ning Tsai, who had experience in education across Southeast Asia, and his cousin, Yen-Hsiang Cheng, a specialist in early childhood education. They formed a strong "education trio" and set out for Myanmar to start a business. In February 2017, they founded Myanmar's first Canadian international school—Stanford Canadian International School.

As a Taiwanese entrepreneur with a strong Mandarin-language advantage, Yu-Nan initially focused on the overseas Chinese community in Myanmar and carefully designed curricula that aligned with students' daily lives. To establish a stable foothold, generating revenue became the first critical goal. He began by adapting proven school models, observing which courses were most popular across different age groups, hosting information sessions, and running small-scale market tests through various class formats. This allowed him and his team to better understand students' learning needs and parents' expectations for education in Myanmar.

During the school's first three years, Yu-Nan worked from early morning until late at night, often teaching classes himself on weekends. Starting from scratch, he planned and built the entire operational framework—personally designing management systems, financial structures, curricula, and teacher training processes—while also coping with everyday challenges such as frequent power outages and flooding.

Challenging conventional perceptions of how schools are run, Yu-Nan chose to position himself as a "CEO" rather than a principal. "A school's division of departments should function like a large corporation. I'm proud of our efficient management model," he said with confidence. This approach not only helped establish the school's core institution and culture, but also ensured that every operational detail could be standardized, digitized, and scaled sustainably.

"The very first class had just five students; today, we have more than 400," Chen noted. What began as a small preschool has since grown into an internationally accredited education brand spanning kindergarten through high school, with multiple campuses.

Helping Students Discover Their Passions, Cultivating the Next Generation of Talent

"If there's something you love, love it wholeheartedly and immerse yourself in it completely," Yu-Nan often tells his students. He understands that universities seek individuals with talent—people who have their own views on what they are passionate about, the persistence to see it through, and the ability to turn ideas into action. This is the spirit he strives to instill through education.

Observing the growing interaction between the humanities and technology and the profound changes it will bring to the future, Yu-Nan and his teaching team have developed new types of courses, such as programming and 3D printing, to spark students' potential and open up limitless learning possibilities. The school has also introduced cross-grade collaborative courses, including joint discussions of science fair projects, ensuring that its educational approach meets the needs of modern society while cultivating students' abilities in interdisciplinary communication and teamwork. Over time, students have become frequent winners in a wide range of competitions, from academics and public speaking to dance and more. "A school's achievements and validation ultimately come from students' learning outcomes," he said.

As a well-regarded international school in Myanmar, the school's curriculum is centered on the Canadian education system, with Mandarin, English, and Burmese designated as the three primary languages. The goal is to equip students with multilingual skills for global engagement. Yu-Nan has also supported the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) in promoting the "3+4 Vocational Education Program for Overseas Compatriot Students." He noted that as Mandarin has become an essential skill for students across Southeast Asia, Taiwan has increasingly emerged as an attractive destination for them with its rigorous Mandarin learning programs and and technical and vocation education system.

Slowing Down to Go Further: Safeguarding the Original Purpose of Education with Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

"I'm a Taiwanese at heart!" says Yu-Nan. Having spent nearly two decades building his career abroad, he is grateful to Taiwan for giving him a solid foundation, one that allows him to approach different societal systems and educational frameworks with pragmatism and clear logic. Through his travels, he has seen many Taiwanese small and medium-sized entrepreneurs leave home, build successful businesses overseas, and embody the resilience that defines the Taiwanese spirit.

Looking back on his early days, Yu-Nan reflects that his greatest change over the past decade has been learning to slow down. For example, when responding to changes in Myanmar's education system or when students' learning outcomes fall short of expectations, curriculum adjustments often take a full year to take effect. This requires patience. He must integrate perspectives from different departments, filter what is truly useful, and combine them into new strategies. "Without the process, you may end up only chasing results—and that's not sustainable," he said. Yu-Nan believes good strategies need time to be tested, and he has come to appreciate the value of what he calls "delayed execution."

After overcoming the initial turbulence of running the school, Yu-Nan's expectations shifted from "generating revenue" to creating "educational value." He openly acknowledges that if the school were focused solely on increasing profits, it would lose its founding purpose. "Education is a pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty—and it's my responsibility to safeguard that," he said. He continues to explore new opportunities beyond the campus and engage in commercial partnerships related to educational technology and financial literacy. Through mentorship provided by the Global Young Entrepreneur Stars Award program, he has also gained insight into how Taiwan's technology sector influences the development of traditional industries, inspiring him to further explore new intersections across fields.

Yu-Nan believes that challengs are inevitable in any industry; hwat matters is one chooses to overcome them. It is the process of unlocking potential and uncovering new possibilities and answers that truly captivates him.

He often reminds himself with a saying often attributed to American actor Denzel Washington: "Without commitment, you'll never start; but more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish." For Yu-Nan Chen, only by daring to try can one uncover new opportunities and experiences in whatever they pursue.

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