近日，深圳曼彻斯通城堡学校执行校长Ben带队，9年级学生开启了一场特别的香港探索学习之旅。

一天之内，同学们走进香港大学，在曼校毕业生、现就读于港大的Vivian带领下感受世界**大学的学术氛围；走进香港立法会，了解公共事务与议会运作；又来到国际和平日研讨会现场，以“小记者”的身份，与来自不同国家和领域的嘉宾展开面对面交流。

这不仅是一场参访，更是一次围绕学生未来发展而设计的沉浸式学习体验。

对于9年级的学生而言，大学似乎仍有一段距离。

但曼校希望做的，是让“未来”变得具体。

在香港大学校园内，同学们在曼校毕业生Vivian的热情接待下，走进这所具有深厚学术传统的高等学府，近距离感受校园环境与浓厚的学术氛围。

从校园建筑到学习空间，从大学生活到未来发展，同学们通过亲身体验，对“大学”有了更加真实、立体的认识。

比起告诉孩子：

“未来要考一所好大学。”

更重要的是让他们真正走进大学，看见未来的自己。

当大学不再只是成绩单上的一个目标，而成为眼前真实可感的学习场景，孩子也开始思考：

我未来想成为什么样的人？

我希望在哪里学习？

我现在应该为未来做些什么？

这正是曼校希望在学生成长早期帮助他们建立的大学意识与长期规划意识。

离开港大，同学们来到香港立法会。

在工作人员的详细讲解下，同学们进一步了解香港立法会的运作方式，并围绕议员选举、投票机制及议会工作等内容展开学习。

对于9年级学生而言，这是一堂不同于传统课堂的“社会课”。

课本中的制度、公共事务、社会治理等概念，在真实的空间中变得更加具体。

同学们开始理解：

社会是如何运转的？

公共事务如何影响我们的生活？

一个议员需要承担怎样的责任？

不同观点又如何在公共议题中进行交流与表达？

教育的价值，不只是让孩子获得知识，更是帮助他们逐渐理解自己与社会、与世界之间的关系。

下午，同学们来到香港都会大学李嘉诚专业进修学院，参加首届国际和平日研讨会暨展览——“和平之桥”。

本次活动由香港都会大学李嘉诚专业进修学院主办，活动围绕人道主义精神、和平建设、跨文化交流及联合国维和贡献等主题展开。

论坛以苏格兰籍人道主义者李爱锐（Eric Liddell）的和平与人道主义精神为重要内容，通过主题演讲、跨国嘉宾交流及专题展览等形式，连接香港、内地与海外，为青年学生提供了一个了解不同文化与观点的交流平台。

而曼校的同学们，并没有只是作为“听众”坐在现场。他们化身小记者，带着自己的思考，与乌拉圭驻香港总领事Federico Lage Cabeza先生、英国爱丁堡李爱锐社区行政总裁Megan Veronesi女士等多为嘉宾展开交流。

当学生真正站到一位外交官、一位大学教授、一位国际教育工作者面前时，他们所练习的已经不仅仅是英语表达。

曼校小记者与与乌拉圭驻香港总领事Federico Lage Cabeza先生（居中）合影。

对于9年级学生而言，大学申请似乎还在几年之后。

但真正有价值的大学规划，从来不是到了申请季才开始。

它应该发生在更早的时候。

从认识大学开始，

到发现自己的兴趣；

从理解不同专业开始，

到思考未来想解决什么问题；

从一次真实的交流开始，

到逐渐形成自己的观点。

这也是曼校所强调的个性化、长期化成长路径。

每一个孩子都有不同的兴趣、优势与未来方向。

因此，教育不应该只是让所有学生沿着同一条道路前进，而应该尽可能为他们创造更多真实的体验，让孩子在一次次探索中发现自己。

香港大学，让学生看见未来的大学；

香港立法会，让学生理解社会如何运行；

国际和平日论坛，则让学生有机会在真实的国际交流中，倾听不同声音、表达自己的观点。

对于今天的9年级学生而言，这或许只是成长路上的一次香港之行。

但未来某一天，当他们再次走进大学校园、站在国际舞台之上时，也许会记得：

曾经有一天，他们**次认真思考过——

我想去哪里？

我想成为什么样的人？

以及，我希望为这个世界带来什么？

Recently, Ben, Executive Principal of Shenzhen Merchiston International School (MIS), led a group of Year 9 students on a special educational journey through Hong Kong.

In a single day, the students visited The University of Hong Kong (HKU), where they experienced the academic atmosphere of a world-class university under the guidance of Vivian, an MIS alumna who is now studying at HKU. 

They then visited the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, where they learned about public affairs and how the legislature operates. 

Later, they attended the International Peace Day Seminar and Exhibition, taking on the role of young reporters and engaging directly with guests from different countries and professional backgrounds.

This was more than a school visit. It was an immersive learning experience designed to help students explore their future and develop a broader understanding of the world.

At HKU, students were warmly welcomed by Vivian, an MIS alumna, and explored the university campus, gaining a close-up view of its distinctive academic environment and vibrant student life.

From campus architecture and learning spaces to university life and future opportunities, the visit gave students a more vivid and authentic understanding of what university could be like.

Rather than simply telling students,

“You should aim for a good university in the future,”

it is far more meaningful to let them step onto a university campus and begin to imagine themselves there.

When university becomes more than a goal on a future application and instead becomes a place they can see, experience and connect with, students naturally begin to ask:

What kind of person do I want to become?

Where would I like to study?

What can I start doing today to prepare for my future?

These are precisely the questions MIS hopes to help students begin exploring from an early stage, as they develop a sense of university awareness and long-term planning.

Leaving the university campus behind, the students continued their journey to the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Through detailed explanations from staff, they learned more about how the Legislative Council operates and explored topics including legislative elections, voting mechanisms and the work of legislators.

For Year 9 students, this was a different kind of social studies lesson—one that brought textbook concepts into a real-world setting.

Ideas such as institutions, public affairs and social governance became more tangible through first-hand experience.

The students began to consider:

How does society function?

How do public affairs affect our everyday lives?

What responsibilities do legislators have?

How can different perspectives be expressed and discussed on public issues?

Education is not simply about acquiring knowledge. It is also about helping young people gradually understand their relationship with society and the wider world.

In the afternoon, the students visited the Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, where they attended the inaugural International Peace Day Seminar and Exhibition, “Bridge of Peace”.

Organised by the Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, the event explored themes including humanitarianism, peacebuilding, intercultural exchange, and contributions to United Nations peacekeeping efforts.

The forum centred on the legacy of peace and humanitarianism embodied by Scottish humanitarian Eric Liddell. Through keynote speeches, international dialogue and a special exhibition, it connected Hong Kong with the Mainland and the wider world, providing young people with a platform to explore different cultures and perspectives.

The MIS students were more than just members of the audience. Taking on the role of young reporters, they brought their own questions and perspectives to conversations with distinguished guests, including Mr Federico Lage Cabeza, Consul General of Uruguay in Hong Kong, and Ms Megan Veronesi, CEO of the Eric Liddell Community in Edinburgh, UK.

Standing face-to-face with a diplomat, a university professor, or an international education professional, students are developing skills that go far beyond English communication.

△MIS student reporters pose for a group photo with Mr Federico Lage Cabeza, Consul General of Uruguay in Hong Kong (centre).

For Year 9 students, university applications may still be several years away.

But meaningful university planning does not begin when application season arrives.

It begins much earlier.

It begins with getting to know universities.

With discovering personal interests.

With exploring different academic disciplines.

With considering what kind of problems they may one day want to solve.

And sometimes, it begins with a real conversation that encourages students to develop perspectives of their own.

This is part of MIS's commitment to personalised and long-term student development.

Every student has different interests, strengths and aspirations. Education should therefore not simply ask every child to follow the same path. Instead, it should create opportunities for students to experience the world first-hand, explore different possibilities and gradually discover who they are and where they want to go.

HKU gave students a glimpse of their future university experience.

The Legislative Council helped them understand how society works.

The International Peace Day Forum gave them an opportunity to engage with the wider world.

For today's Year 9 students, this may have been just one day of exploration in Hong Kong.

But one day, when they return to a university campus or step onto an international stage, they may remember the day they first began to ask themselves:

Where do I want to go?

Who do I want to become?

And what do I hope to contribute to the world?