About Us

Home > About Us > Meet the Principal
Meet the Principal
Meet the Principal

Joseph Hearn

Academic Principal
International Department,
The Affiliated high school of SCNU

Hello HFI prospective/current students, parents and alumni,


Over a number of years living and working in China and various cities, I have yet to encounter such a great and overachieving school. HFI is one that stands out among many and holds a reputation of excellence in not only academics but also preparing students for the world after high school. That is why I view my first year here at HFI a true honor and privilege.


The love I have for education began when I was a boy. I had the ability to attend my father’s law classes that he taught at the University of Michigan. I also had multiple teachers and coaches who were like mentors and helped guide me along my educational journey. Having these individuals in my life helped me gain an inside view of what education should be for students today. 


When I finally was ready for University, I decided to attend Oklahoma State University, where I would gain my undergraduate and master’s degree in the education field. There I was able to learn from some of the top new minds in education and learn new knowledge that could best suit each and every student in the classroom. This knowledge was put into practice during my internship in both big city and rural high schools. 


Over eight years I have been lucky enough to learn from various administrators and teachers in schools such as HengShui No. 1 High School, RenDaFuZhuang Beijing and HangZhou No.4 High School. Through working closely with these professionals, I have gained insight and brought new innovations and ways to approach education to every school I have gone to. The one thing that I have always stayed consistent with and preached to every teacher is that every student has the capacity to learn. It is up to us, the teacher, to bring innovative and challenging ways to catch the student’s attention and minds. To present the material to them in a different way, so that they can better understand and apply the knowledge to their everyday life. 


This year, I truly believe that HFI will continue to grow and reach new levels in the realm of education because of the commitment we have from our administration, teachers and students.