DR AHMED MITWALLI, Chief Strategy Officer for Esol Education, oversees the American School Hong Kong (ASHK), the first Esol school in East Asia. With a focus on advancing K-12 education, he reflects on two major milestones and the success of the school’s recent graduating cohort.
ASHK is a part of the Esol Education group; tell us a bit about Esol, for readers who may not know.
Esol Education is a global leader in K-12 education and one of the world’s largest operators of American international schools. It specialises in establishing and managing high-standard international schools across three continents, currently educating over 12,500 students across its network.
What does it mean for the school to be part of this network? How do students and families benefit?
Being part of the Esol Education network means ASHK benefits from nearly five decades of institutional knowledge, a proven blueprint for academic excellence, and deep expertise in top-tier international curricula (US Common Core and the IB Diploma Programme).
For families and students, it provides global connectivity, access to high-calibre North American trained educators, and a strong track record of graduates entering leading universities worldwide – including, in the US, Stanford, MIT, Yale and Columbia.
We heard that a sister school of ASHK had alumni playing in the FIFA World Cup this year – is that right?
Yes! We’re proud to celebrate the achievements of Esol Education alumni from our sister school, American International School in Egypt: Omar Marmoush, Class of 2017, and Hamza Abdelkarim, Class of 2026! They represented Egypt on football’s biggest stage at the FIFA World Cup, and we’re proud to see them building on their journeys with Manchester City Football Club and FC Barcelona, respectively. It’s a proud moment for all Esol Education schools, and for Egypt.
Esol Education turns 50 this year. Will ASHK be involved in celebrations?
The school will actively participate in network-wide celebrations, collaborative events and special community activities to honour half a century of educational impact and shared heritage across its global campuses.
Speaking of anniversaries, ASHK has just wrapped its own 10th anniversary year. Could you reflect on some highlights of this milestone?
Over the past ten years, ASHK has grown from just 87 students to nearly 600. Along the way, it has earned the WASC and MSA accreditations, achieved full IB authorisation, and received numerous awards recognising its excellence in education and student care.
The 2025-26 school year also proudly marked the graduation of its fourth cohort.
How did the cohort perform in terms of results and university acceptances?
The Class of 2026 received an outstanding array of global university offers, including:
- US: New York University, University of California San Diego
- UK: University College London (UCL), King’s College London, The University of Edinburgh
- Canada: University of Toronto, The University of British Columbia
- Australia: The University of Sydney, The University of Queensland
- Asia: Peking University, University of Hong Kong
Our students achieved a 100 percent pass rate with an average score of 34.4, while 70 percent of students earned the Bilingual Diploma.
New and notable at ASHK for 2026-27
ASHK has upgraded its learning and recreational spaces with major renovations, including a new indoor cafeteria and new flooring for the outdoor playground to enhance student safety and play.
The school is also expanding its programmes with a brand-new Design elective offered to Grade 8 and 9 students from this year. This innovative course incorporates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) principles, encouraging hands-on problem solving, creative thinking and real-world applications.
American School Hong Kong is at 6 Ma Chung Road, Tai Po, New Territories.
3919 4100 | ashk.edu.hk
This article first featured in the Autumn 2026 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest mag or an annual subscription, or read the digital version for free now.
