Following the Dragon Boat Festival, it is harvest time again. The Class of 2024 at Shenzhen Merchiston International School (MIS) is also celebrating a bountiful harvest in June. On June 6th, the 2024 Greater Bay Area Education Integration and Innovation Development Seminar and the Five-Year University Admissions Achievement Exhibition of Shenzhen MIS were held at the MIS Longhua campus. This exhibition not only provided the audience with an inspiring display of the graduates’ achievements but also motivated students to strive for excellence and pursue their dreams with youthful vigor.
Over 200 leaders, guests, experts, and scholars from the education sector in the Greater Bay Area were invited to the exhibition. They participated in keynote speeches, thematic discussions, and interactive tours, sharing ideas and experiences on education integration and innovation. They explored trends and directions for high-quality, future-oriented education development, contributing to making the Greater Bay Area a model for educational integration and innovation in the new era.
Five Years of Abundant Achievements
35 Offers from G5 Universities
The exhibition focused on two main themes: the development layout of MIS as “one school with four campuses” and the five-year university admissions achievements. The “one school with four campuses” theme, presented through a timeline, allowed participants to immerse themselves in the rich history and culture of MIS, highlighting its century-old legacy and its relentless pursuit of excellence.
The five-year university admissions achievement exhibition showcased the consistent adherence to the educational philosophy of "academic excellence and warmth." Since its establishment in 2018, MIS has empowered five cohorts of graduates, nurturing them into future-oriented international talents with a patriotic spirit, international vision, and scientific mindset. MIS graduates have excelled not only in academics, securing offers from top international universities, but also in arts, sports, and technology, standing out among international schools in the Greater Bay Area and becoming a leader in the region.
The impressive university admissions results and honors are reflected in a series of remarkable statistics. This includes 35 offers from G5 universities (6 from Imperial College London, 28 from University College London, and 1 from the London School of Economics and Political Science). Additionally, there were 3 offers from the University of Hong Kong, 1 from Tsinghua University, 1 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, 4 from the University of Manchester, and 7 from the University of the Arts London, among others.
Collaborating for Industrial Development
Promoting Educational Integration & Innovation
At the seminar, Luo Weiqi, advisor to the Guangdong Provincial Government and former Party Secretary and Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, stated in his speech that in this era of innovation, educators need to create a better educational ecosystem to cultivate more individuals who will change the future and are suited for future development. As the first pure British boarding international school in Shenzhen, MIS has integrated the spirit of innovation into its development since its inception. Over the past five years, it has achieved remarkable university admissions results, becoming a bright card in the Greater Bay Area’s international education circle.
In her speech, Guo Yurong, former Party Secretary of the Southern University of Science and Technology, summarized her remarks with keywords like "moved" and "expectation." She expressed that MIS's journey from a barren land to a uniquely international, world-renowned school is truly moving. She looks forward to the future where everyone will work together to form an innovation advantage, jointly walking the path of diversified integration and innovation, and cultivating more outstanding innovative talents for the Greater Bay Area.
Wang Dianjun, President of the Special Committee on International Characteristic Schools of the China Association for Non-Government Education and former Principal of Tsinghua University High School, emphasized in his keynote speech that international education, as a supplement to mainstream education, can offer children more opportunities and help them find their own "light." However, international education should not devolve into a form of Western-style exam-oriented education. Healthy international education should be rooted in Chinese soil, integrating the excellence of traditional Chinese culture into the entire talent cultivation process. By blending Chinese and Western education, it aims to cultivate well-rounded talents with a patriotic spirit, global vision, and innovative abilities.
Li Yuzhong, Director of the Longhua District Education Science Research Institute and Party Secretary of the Longhua Foreign Languages School Education Group, delivered a speech titled "Teacher Participation in Constructing Educational Ecology." He shared how the Longhua Foreign Languages School Education Group effectively guides teachers to participate in school educational ecology reforms. He discussed four dimensions: inspiring teachers for mutual growth, empowering teachers through top-level design, building platforms for teacher participation in educational reforms through teaching practice, and exploring practical paths for teacher involvement.
Liao Yongqi, Principal of Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School of Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School, delivered a speech titled "The New Normal in Education and Educational Technology (EdTech)." She shared vivid case studies on how to promote technological education in schools by enhancing students' cross-cultural communication and multilingual abilities.
Cheng Lijin, Principal of Chang'an Yazheng School in Dongguan, spoke on "Inheriting Excellent Chinese Culture and Cultivating Future-Oriented Talents." He shared two educational practices for nurturing new-quality talents under the nourishment of traditional culture.
Mr. Mark, Acting Executive Head of MIS, gave a speech titled "Cultivating Outstanding Talents for the Future: MIS's Vision and Practice." He shared how MIS respects students' individual characteristics, focuses on their personal development and interests, and aims to build an international school characterized by "academic excellence and warmth," thus cultivating future-oriented outstanding innovative talents.
Lyu Jianjun, Chairman of the Lighthouse Education Group and founder of MIS, remarked that over the past five years, the Lighthouse Group has remained committed to creating an innovative international education ecosystem characterized by warmth, height, breadth, density, and depth. Upholding the philosophy of integrating Chinese and Western education and fostering harmonious diversity, the group has dedicated itself to building a school of academic excellence and warmth.
In his closing remarks, Professor Edmund Kwok, Vice Chairman of the Lighthouse International Education Group Board and Chairman of the Merchiston International School Board, expressed that although the attendees came from different schools, they shared the common goal of nurturing outstanding students with healthy bodies and sound personalities. Each presentation was rich in content, sparking intense thinking and discussions, filled with the power of critical thought and a strong academic atmosphere, offering the audience a splendid academic feast.
⬆️LFLS and MIS students are performing⬆️
⬆️LFLS and MIS students are giving the speeches⬆️
Entering a new development phase, the Lighthouse Group will collaborate with all parties to cultivate outstanding scholars with a unity of knowledge and action, inclusive hearts, empathy, and global citizen responsibility, reaping the fruitful results of international education integration and development.
