As the semester draws to a close, the campus brims with a pleasant laid-back vibe. At a Monday morning exchange meeting, teachers from various national backgrounds and teaching departments looked back on fruitful work and shared plans for the upcoming holiday. One teacher noticed faint signs of fatigue on Principal Felix Dou’s face. When asked, he revealed he had endured an extremely packed weekend—and brought thrilling news: at the 2026 Shenzhen Primary and Secondary School Principals’ Go Tournament held over the weekend, Principal Dou secured the individual championship with an immaculate record of five wins across all five rounds.

His jam-packed weekend schedule kicked off early Saturday morning. Eight pre-booked families visited the academy for admissions consultations, and Principal Dou personally received every group, patiently addressing parents’ questions about the VMA’s educational philosophy and home-school collaborative growth. Right after the consultations, he headed straight for Dapeng New District to compete in the one-and-a-half-day Go tournament. After finishing all matches by Sunday evening, he rushed to One Shenzhen Bay for the graduation concert hosted by VMAA. Distinguished guests including representatives from Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and Shenzhen Senior High School were in attendance. Principal Dou sat down to exchange ideas with guests from all walks of life, holding in-depth discussions on campus aesthetic education development and cross-school sharing of art resources until late at night. 

Juggling heavy responsibilities across multiple fields left him visibly worn out during Monday’s meeting, earning deep admiration from colleagues for balancing administrative work, competitive tournaments and aesthetic education exchanges.

Upon further conversation, colleagues discovered Principal Dou is a hidden master holding an Amateur 5-Dan rank in national Go competitions. His passion for Go took root in his teenage years. With no professional coaches to guide him, he taught himself the game by studying Go game records and reading dozens of theoretical books on the sport. Starting in middle school, he signed up for municipal and district-level Go tournaments, consistently winning awards. After stepping into educational management, he integrated Go into campus education. While serving as Vice Principal of Tangshan No.1 High School, he led the establishment of a school team for Go specialty students. In 2017, he personally coached the team to compete in the 2nd National "Alliance Cup" Middle School Go First Division League, where they claimed the national runner-up title and garnered widespread acclaim.

Through years of exchanges over Go, Principal Dou formed a close bond with Xiaochuan You, Associate Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, co-founder of StarTiger Go—the world’s champion Go AI. The two first met through work and grew closer over their shared hobbies and educational aspirations. Principal Dou has been invited to serve as a director of the Tsinghua University Go Culture Exchange and Research Foundation, participating in academic seminars on Go and public welfare promotion of the game across university campuses.

Ever since AlphaGo defeated the legendary player Lee Sedol, the wave of artificial intelligence has transformed the world of Go, bringing revolutionary shifts to traditional Go theories. In his spare time, Principal Dou has read more than a hundred monographs on Go theory to continuously refine his professional knowledge. Decades of consistent learning have kept his game skills aligned with cutting-edge modern play styles.

A veteran mathematics teacher, Principal Dou has discovered a fascinating connection between Go and mathematics. The ever-shifting game board perfectly illustrates mathematical concepts including probability analysis and logical reasoning. The interplay of two modes of thinking complements and reinforces each other, granting him a unique perspective during matches. In Principal Dou’s view, the black and white stones carry abundant nutrients for young people’s growth: the game broadens horizons and cultivates holistic thinking, calms the mind, boosts mathematical literacy, and teaches teenagers rational planning and efficient execution. The rigorous step-by-step deduction required in each match serves as an exceptional tool to sharpen logical thinking, and regular play tangibly improves students’ comprehensive abilities.

Go, a millennia-old cultural treasure of China, embodies core spirits of ritual, perseverance and broad-mindedness—values that align perfectly with the academy’s educational mission: “Cultivate global citizens and leaders with Chinese identity.” VMA has established a Chinese Traditional Culture Center, hosting regular cultural events throughout the year such as Mid-Autumn Moon ceremonies, Dragon Boat Festival gatherings and Chinese New Year celebrations. Principal Dou disclosed plans to launch a school Go club in the near future, rooting traditional Go culture within this international campus in Shenzhen. He aims to guide more young people to engage with the black-and-white board, appreciate traditional Chinese heritage, embrace this national treasure, and grow through the art of Go.