The DGS Model United Nations (MUN) Team had the privilege of participating in the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) Model United Nations once again this year, with six members of the DGSMUN team travelling to Singapore in March.

After a night of rest upon arriving in Singapore, we went to SCGS for a one-day exchange programme. Student ambassadors of SCGS played various ice-breaking games with delegates and shared their snacks with us. They also led a school tour and introduced their school facilities and clubs to us. We were able to learn about their architecture, hobbies, and clubs, which varies from our experiences in Hong Kong. We also got to learn about their scrumptious snacks as we went back to the meeting room for a brief sharing on our school and local cultures. The programme was extremely enjoyable as we all had similar interests and had lively conversations while having snacks.       

The next two days proved to be the most challenging yet most exciting part of our trip – the MUN conference. After the opening ceremony, we were sent to our council rooms and debates commenced. The biggest uncertainty was its unique procedures and required the ability to quickly adapt to their practices. Nonetheless, throughout the two days, the six of us were already familiarized with the Singapore MUN circuit procedures and actively participated in debate. One of the overwhelming things was the number of speeches that could be made throughout the conference as there were so many opportunities to speak up. This change in environment certainly built up our agility and flexibility as delegates.

Despite the challenges, four of our members were awarded with Honourable Mentions and the Outstanding Delegate award. We would like to thank the Chairpersons of our respective councils for their recognition and the Secretariats for providing the exhilarating experience we had at SCGS MUN.

The conference ended with the highly anticipated social dinner night. We were able to eat to our heart’s content and socialize with our council members. There was also a photobooth with various gadgets and trinkets to use and we all took some snapshots to remember this special trip. We danced and sang along with our council members and friends as the music blasted through the hall. The Secretariats and Chairs even went up on stage to challenge each other into a rap battle!

This SCGS exchange programme has truly become an important aspect of our secondary school lives. Three days of exchange may feel short, but we experienced a lot. We established new overseas friendships and had an enjoyable time debating with our fellow Singaporean council members, and share deeper about the different practices we have in Singapore and Hong Kong with respect to MUN. Most importantly, we got to know our MUN team peers even more after this trip as we prepared for the conference together and also stayed in the same hotel together. We looked out for each other and provided assistance whenever needed. This trip is truly memorable and unforgettable for the years to come.

We would like to express our gratitude to the SCGS student ambassadors for showing us around and for their hospitality as we got to know about their school and culture more. We would also like to thank our Chairpersons and the Secretariats for inviting us to participate in their wonderful conference. Their hard work and effort is evident in how they have provided us with such a pleasant experience since the moment we have received their invitation till the social dinner night. Our deepest gratitude also goes to Mrs. S. A. Leung, our MUN teacher-in-charge, who looked after us through this trip and whose guidance made our trip safe and memorable for all of us. Lastly, we would like to thank our headmistress Mrs. Lau, for providing us with such an opportunity to exchange with SCGS. It is only with the unwavering support and efforts from all the aforementioned that our trip was carried out so successfully and has left a lasting impression in our hearts.