In Wenxi County, Shanxi Province, nestled in the loess mountains of northern China, children in a cave-like classroom are connecting live with teachers from Shanghai, Shenzhen, and overseas through Mercury Forum, an interactive teaching platform developed by Mercury Academy. Unlike prerecorded video lectures, the system enables real-time participation: students raise virtual hands, scribble notes on a shared whiteboard, and earn instant recognition—one child’s avatar even lit up with a digital crown for answering correctly.
This pilot session is part of a broader experiment led by Tang Yingxi, the 19-year-old founder of Mercury Academy. Drawing comparisons to Salman Khan—who launched Khan Academy from his home computer more than a decade ago—Tang is applying new tools to the same mission: expanding education access. The difference lies in the medium. Where Khan harnessed the internet, Tang is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI).
From Khan to Tang: Two Generations of Education Reform
Salman Khan’s journey is widely known: a hedge fund analyst recording math tutorials for a cousin that grew into Khan Academy, now serving over 100 million learners worldwide.
Tang’s trajectory was less linear. He dropped out of elementary school after toxic encounters with teachers and later failed Beijing’s high school entrance exam. His turning point came through Future Literacy, a project-based curriculum created by his father, which restored his confidence and sense of purpose.
By 17, Tang had developed photovoltaic glass technology that won the Zayed Sustainability Prize at COP28 in Dubai, becoming the first Chinese high school student in 17 years to receive the award. The experience reinforced his belief in adaptable learning systems. He has since taken a leave from Minerva University, one of the most selective institutions in the world, to establish Mercury Academy. His stated mission: promoting education equity aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The AI Era: Addressing a 2 Million-Student Gap
Analysts estimate that at least two million Chinese students currently fall outside traditional schooling—whether due to illness, flexible learning needs, or artistic and athletic pursuits.
For years, prerecorded video courses were promoted as a solution but often failed to engage learners. “The issue is not access to content, but the lack of interaction and feedback,” Tang explained in a statement.
Mercury Academy’s Mercury Forum platform introduces several innovations:
1. Real-time interaction allowing students across geographies to participate in live discussions.
2. AI-driven analytics producing post-class reports that track participation and flag disengagement.
3. Curriculum redesign combining Harvard case studies, Stanford design thinking, and Chinese traditions such as calligraphy, martial arts, and music to foster holistic thinking.
The approach has already begun to close the gap between rural and urban classrooms, enabling students in remote areas to experience the same lessons as peers in major cities.
A Distinctly Chinese Path
Observers note that if Khan Academy symbolized the internet era of education—content at scale, Mercury Academy represents the AI era—interaction at scale.
Tang emphasizes that technology is only part of the story. “China has 5,000 years of culture,” he said. “Education in the AI age must not only transmit knowledge but also preserve and reinvent thought.”
To that end, Mercury offers an East-West Thinking program, which distills Tang’s “image–logic–craft” framework—an effort to merge Confucian traditions with global strategy and problem-solving methods.
Influences: From Khan to Bruce Lee
While comparisons to Salman Khan abound, Tang cites another figure as his personal inspiration: Bruce Lee. “Bruce Lee was not just a martial artist but a cultural educator who bridged East and West,” Tang said. “Today, AI allows us to transcend geography, time, and hardware. Our goal is flexible learning for all.”
Lighting the Fire of Equity
The experiment in Wenxi County reflects the broader vision of Mercury Academy: to bring flexible, AI-powered education to millions of underserved learners.
Educational experts suggest the project could position Tang as a pivotal figure in the next wave of global education reform.
As one student asked him after class, “Can I also grow up to help the world?” Tang’s response was simple: “Of course. The moment you start your project, you are already on your way.”
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