Our people

The multilingual Hutong School staff consists of both foreign and Chinese employees, always available to make your stay in China truely unforgettable.

I was born and raised in Flanders, Belgium. After obtaining my Master Degree in Economics at the University of Leuven, I left for Wuhan, China to study the Chinese language. I returned to Belgium to get a Bachelor in Chinese studies in Leuven, and then continued studying Chinese at Xiamen University and Fudan University (Shanghai). In 2005 I co-founded Hutong School in Beijing and acted as Marketing Manager and later General Manager. In 2008, I returned to Belgium to obtain an MBA at Vlerick. As a Managing Director, my goal is to further promote the Hutong School worldwide, by establishing a wide network of agents, universities, Chinese language schools and companies doing business in China.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Jan Wostyn

Brussels Managing Director and Co-founder

Hi! I'm Jeremie from France. I arrived in China in 2002 for an internship. These few months in Beijing changed my life. After graduating in Law and Politics in 2004 I returned to China and co-founded Hutong School. Since then, I am devoted to developing an organization driven by human values and offering young people from all over the world an experience that will impact their life durably.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Jeremie Rossignol

Paris Co-founder

Hi There! I am from the Netherlands and a year after my studies in the United States, I moved to China. I work for Hutong School for many years already and enjoy the dynamic and interesting environment that we offer to students. China is an interesting country and it will challenge you every day in a positive way! Experience it yourself and join our student network in China!

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Anne Hak

Beijing Director of International Relations

Ni hao, my name is Ida and I am from Denmark. I have lived all over the world but in 2015 China drew me back with its incredible cuisine, culture, people and diversity. Shanghai offers an exciting mix of old and new China, making sure that you are always experiencing something new wherever you go. I believe everyone should come and see China for themself as it really is impossible to explain it all in words.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Ida Speyer

Shanghai Marketing Director and General Manager

Hello, I’m Wei Ming Virasami, Financial Director and Branch Manager at Hutong School and I’m based in Shanghai. I am originally from Shandong Province - home of Lai Yang Pear and Tsingdao beer! I studied in the UK where I majored in accounting and finance before I settled in Shanghai. I was a senior auditor at Ernst & Young for several years before I joined Hutong School three years ago. I enjoy traveling and learning about other cultures. Thanks for stopping by our website and hope you get a chance to visit our school located in the beautiful Former French Concession

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Wei Ming Virasami

Shanghai Financial Director and Branch Manager

Ni hao! My name is Xiǎo lì (小丽). I'm from the Province of Anhui. I graduated from Anhui Nomal University, and since then I have been teaching Chinese for over 6 years in Shanghai. I have specialized in teaching Chinese and I have studied the history of Chinese language, both modern and ancient. In these 6 years I had the honor to teach Chinese to over 200 students, from any part of the world. I really appreciate the time I spend with my students. In my free time I like travelling, cooking and reading.

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Sang Rongli

Shanghai Education Director

Welcome to Hutong School! I love having the opportunity to meet so many new students every month. As an Englishman, I hadn’t learnt another language before Mandarin, so I know how daunting the task ahead can seem. However, irrespective of education, age or background anyone can succeed in learning Chinese! Feel free to ask me anything about life in Shanghai, I play lots of football (Soccer, the one that you actually use your feet) here and keep myself busy with other activities around town. Maybe you would like to get involved too?

Find out more about me or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Joseph Williams

Shanghai Program Manager

Ni hao! I'm Astrid and I was born and raised in Belgium. I studied Intercultural Relations Management and International Business and was always fascinated by Asia. I started my China adventure with Hutong School by doing an internship in Beijing and Shanghai. I had the best time of my life! China is such an exciting country that learns you how to grow on a professional level but also on a personal level. As a Program Consultant, I hope to share this great experience with individuals from all over the world who are curious about what China can offer them. I'm happy to guide our students through their China adventure and help them overcome any doubts or challenges. Every day in China is an adventure. If you live like a local, living expenses are quite cheap, good food, feels very safe in the streets, it’s easy to meet new people and there are lots of places to travel to!

Find out more about me or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Astrid Soetanto

Shanghai Program Consultant

Hi everyone, my name is Robert, and I’m from the UK. I have a passion for learning Mandarin and getting to know Chinese culture. Beijing is a city that has so much going on! I love live music and playing in bands, so I was surprised to discover Beijing has an amazing music scene. Besides music, I have spent a lot of time getting to know Beijing, and I enjoy showing others the great things the city has to offer.

I understand that it is a big step to “take the plunge” and move to China and it is a pleasure to be able to help new students prepare for their trip. Learning Chinese while being surrounded by the language 24-7 is an amazing experience. The more Mandarin you learn, the more the world comes alive around you which is vital for actually understanding the people and culture.

Upon arriving in Beijing, I quickly realized that the Mandarin that I had learnt in class back in the UK, only scraped the surface of how people communicate here. I especially like the Beijing dialect. They have a bizarre errr twang on the end of many words that makes them sound like pirates when they talk!

There is something new to learn and experience every day here. Although I have lived in Beijing for a while now, I am still learning and finding new things I like about the city.

I hope you can join us soon and I look forward to meeting you!

Find out more about me or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Robert Warman

Beijing General Manager

Hello everyone! My name is Judith and I'm from the Netherlands. About 10 years ago, I was strolling to Chinatown in Amsterdam one day, trying to figure out what I wanted to study. I saw a Chinese lantern and well, let's say that I saw the light! I thought it would be so awesome to know what those pretty Chinese characters meant. So here I am today, living in Beijing for almost 3 years now. Even though I majored in Chinese language and culture, I feel that I truly learned the language after my arrival here. A language is something you need to experience, and I can't agree more. It is an amazing and creative language, and I assure you: you will find that out when you are here! It won't be long before you cannot live without 'stinky' tofu, OFO bikes and Wechat pay. Let alone living without the crazy gigs and awesome events each city has to offer in China. Whether you are a typical foodie, an artist, a bookworm or just, you know, you, I'd be happy to assist you in finding your place in this amazing country like I did!

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Judith Teunissen

Beijing Program Consultant

你好! My name is Kelly and I’m a program consultant based in Beijing. In search of broadening my mind and my stomach, I left the Chicago, Illinois in 2008 and I haven’t looked back since! I’ve spent extended periods in Yunnan and Xinjiang, then found myself back in Beijing and am happy to call this my home away from home! I love traveling and expanding my knowledge of Chinese cuisine. So much that my first priority upon arriving in a new place is to source the best local restaurants. In my humble opinion, there’s no better way to improve your Mandarin than over a cold beer and donkey burgers with a Beijinger. My fondness of food groups and people alike to drew me to the Hutong School team where I’m happy to help hungry students explore all the regional dishes China has to offer (and prepare them with the Mandarin skills to do so!)

Kelly Kluvers

Beijing Program Consultant

Hi! My name is Megan, and I’m from the US. I’m now based in Shanghai working at Hutong School as the Community Manager. I originally came to China to visit as a kid and thought it was really great experience but I didn't really understand the history and didn't appreciate it as much. I came back again in college and saw it in a whole different light. I wanted to reconnect with my roots, be with family, travel around China, and learn more about the history and the culture. I’m an avid photographer and love exploring the city and discovering something new each time. Come and join us soon, we look forward to meeting you!

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Megan Wang

Shanghai Community Manager

Our people