The sun rises over a plateau middle school

On a winter morning in Lhasa, when the temperature drops below -10 C, Principal Qiu Xiaoqiang walks from classroom to classroom at Lhasa-Jiangsu Experimental Middle School, his breath visible in the thin air.

High altitude makes every step laborious. Yet Qiu, in his 40s, arrives early and stays late, moving through classrooms and dormitory blocks to interact with teachers and students and attend lectures. It's a routine he rarely breaks.

Before coming to Xizang, Qiu worked as a deputy principal in Jiangsu province. Back then, the towering plateaus in western China were little more than poetic sentimentalism to him. Now, he is on a three-year mission to play a pioneering role in its education aid initiatives.

In 2014, Lhasa became the first city in Xizang to launch a structured, group-based education aid model, leveraging the educational strengths of Beijing and Jiangsu. Under the approach, each team is deployed to support a school by disseminating effective practices and leaving behind a sustainable local teaching workforce.

"Upon arrival, poetry turned into responsibility, and the distant land gradually became a second home," Qiu said. His optimism is admirable considering the strenuous transition he faced.

The school faced long-standing challenges, and Qiu saw specific opportunities in institutional framework, management, and teacher training. Two areas that would be easy to measure were water and power supplies.

As if these weren't obstacles enough, Qiu had to adapt to the altitude. Lower oxygen levels in the air meant he fatigued easily, a moment-to-moment test of his resolve. "There were times when I felt overwhelmed," he admitted. "Sometimes frustration and exhaustion came together, and I wondered if I could really keep going."

What steadied him, he said, were the people he saw every day. "The warm smiles of the students and their cheerful greetings renewed me. Supported by a dedicated administrative team, all my frustrations, difficulties, and pressures would vanish."

Qiu began his development approach with these interpersonal relationships. The mind is the first step of his vision for the school's future. He introduced educational philosophy, pedagogic strategies, and management practices long used in Jiangsu's schools, adapting them to local conditions and needs.

In October, he initiated a project to modernize campus policies with a new school charter and management manual. To encourage broader participation from faculty, he introduced bi-weekly administrative meetings. The aim, he said, is to help staff sharpen management and educational concepts, iterate planned and scientific approaches to daily work, and develop skills. Along the way, he uses these meetings to instill a sense of responsibility and cultural identity.

As the new norms take shape, Qiu has also moved forward with a training program to jumpstart the teaching staff's professional development.

"Experienced teachers and subject experts from renowned inland schools are invited to conduct lectures and demonstration lessons at our school," said Rigzin Gyatso, a Tibetan physics teacher and deputy head of grade 12. "Now, we have access to cutting-edge educational philosophies and firsthand experience of efficient teaching models without leaving Xizang."

As the minds sharpen, so too must the campus's physical infrastructure. A school-level subject research center has been set up, where teachers can propose and undertake research projects. Regular workshops foster a culture of professional learning.

"Over the past months, the school has changed dramatically," said Zhang Jiaojiao, a 37-year-old teacher and head of grade 12. "We're finding more satisfaction in our work as we begin to see the infrastructure problems getting fixed."

Improvements include a stable supply of clean and hygienic tap water, upgraded bathrooms and showers, and a backup power supply. A Phoenix Bookshelf reading program has brought numerous books to campus, and study tours to inland areas have also been organized.

Funding has helped make these changes possible. Apart from approximately 9 million yuan (about $1.3 million) secured from the Jiangsu Aid Xizang Working Group and the Lhasa education bureau, Qiu also raised tens of thousands in donations from Jiangsu and Xizang through personal efforts. The funds have been used to reward teaching excellence and support scholarships.

"The study tour to Nantong and Yangzhou led by our principal allowed us to experience the development and cultural richness of inland cities," said Ngakwang Tsegyen, a 12-year-old Tibetan student who joined a trip to Jiangsu during the National Day holiday last October.

For students, these material changes translate into opportunities that didn't exist before. In the face of these achievements, Qiu is quick to acknowledge that this progress is not the work of one person.

He works with a team of 19 teachers from Jiangsu who arrived with him, group-based education aid program. In addition to teaching fulltime, they take on administrative responsibilities, conduct research, and mentor local teachers to support their growth and solidify teaching standards.

For many educators, Qiu said, professional satisfaction extends beyond test scores. It comes from moments that reaffirm why they came, such as helping a student from a remote farming and herding family return to school after being at risk of dropping out.

As the winter sun rises over the plateau, the campus fills with voices. Qiu continues his morning walk, prepared for another day.

Contact the writers at guoyanqi@chinadaily.com.cn