TOPIC INSIGHT • 專題探討 2023 UMAGAZINE 27 • 澳大新語 39 students are encouraged to have meals with professors and chat with them about their studies and future development, which helps students and professors build friendships and spark mutual inspiration. Such a home-like atmosphere can help students develop a strong sense of belonging to their RCs and makes the RCs their second home. The RCs adopt a curriculum-based approach in their programmes to provide experiential learning for students and nurture their interests to enhance their soft skills. There are two compulsory courses for community and peer education, namely, ‘RC Experiential Learning’ and ‘RC Community Team Project’. The former guides students in planning their four years of university life, while the latter aims to develop students’ teamwork, communication skills, and responsible citizenship through interdisciplinary projects, as well as to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the needs of society and explore ways to address social issues. Furthermore, the RCs regularly host High Table Dinner and require students to attend. These events aim to inspire students with an elegant environment and formally dressed professors, guests, and peers. Keynote speakers from different fields are often invited to share their life experiences, which helps to broaden students’ horizons. The events also offer opportunities for students to learn proper table manners and etiquette. Attending the first High Table Dinner often gives first-year students a sense of newfound maturity, as if they have grown up in an instant. The experiences also enable them to handle similar social gatherings in the future with ease. According to Prof Mok, the High Table Dinners provide an excellent opportunity for students to learn to communicate and build a network with people from different fields and professions in a formal social setting, which will help them develop their future careers. Two Types of Care The two types of care (pastoral care and academic support) can be seen as the backbone of the system of whole-person education underpinned by the RCs. They also embody the RCs’ unique education objectives of guiding students towards academic excellence, holistic development, and personal growth. In the RCs, academic staff and social workers provide guidance on personal and career development for students to help them cultivate a positive attitude towards life, pursue various experiences in a structured manner, develop the seven competencies, and prepare for their future careers. Each student is assigned at least one residential academic staff member as a mentor, and one-on-one meetings are held between them on a regular basis to establish mutual trust and a communication channel, through which the mentor can effectively provide emotional support and positive values for the student. Mentors also create personal profiles 書院高桌晚宴 A High Table Dinner
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