Students act out a banking scenario during a math class.[Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Li was not the first parent in China to decide to establish a school, but for people with no track record of running such a venture, setting one up is easier said than done.

From the beginning, she kept asking herself where she would find the key elements, such as funding, a venue, the requisite permits and a source of teachers and students.

"We were really lucky, because we received so much assistance and support that all the difficulties were overcome one by one," she said.

Having reached an agreement to cooperate with the Beijing No 80 High School, Li and her co-founders opened ETU just 170 days after the idea first occurred to her.

The initial plan was to recruit 24 students for the first semester, but ETU received more than 150 applications. Thirty-one students were finally accepted.

Despite their different educations and professional backgrounds, the first batch of ETU parents shared one thing in common－a desire to find an education that would help their children achieve their personal goals. Moreover, they want the school to not only cultivate globally competent talents, but also instill a true appreciation of Chinese culture, especially at a time when East and West are becoming increasingly intertwined.

In addition to selecting students, Li said the parents' trust and belief in ETU and the personalized education the school tries to offer counted greatly during the admission process, especially during the first year.

"After all, in China's current position, and in many people's eyes, sending one's children to a school like ETU may seem like a big risk," she conceded.