Herman’s Story & The We Are University Vision

Founder Story | Global Education Platform | Travel, Learning & AI Innovation

Herman’s Story & The We Are University Vision

Founder Story | Global Education Platform | Travel, Learning & AI Innovation

Our Story

Herman’s journey began when he entered the tourism industry at the age of 15. What started as work experience became a part-time job, then a full-time career, then management, and eventually the foundation of a much larger vision.

He did not learn the industry from theory. He learned it by meeting customers, selling experiences, solving daily problems, managing teams and understanding what people truly needed when they travelled. Over time, Herman saw that the best experiences were never only about the destination. They were about trust, access, education, confidence and connection.

That belief became the beginning of We Are Cambridge.

We Are Cambridge started as a Cambridge-based experience company, but the long-term vision is much bigger. The next stage is We Are University: a global platform connecting cultural travel, academic programmes, long-term education consulting, AI technology and international opportunity.

The model is simple but powerful. A family may first discover us through a Cambridge tour. A student may then join a 7+ day academic programme. After that, parents may come to us for long-term education planning, tutoring, applications, visas and university pathway support.

This is not only tourism. It is a complete education and experience ecosystem.

We Are Cambridge is where the story began. We Are University is where the story is going.

Vision

Our vision is to build We Are University into a trusted global platform for education-led travel, university-style learning, cultural exchange and intelligent experience planning.

Under this vision, We Are Cambridge becomes the first chapter of a wider global brand network. The same model can expand into We Are Oxford, We Are London, We Are Hong Kong and future regional brands around the world.

Each region will be led by a trusted local representative who understands the culture, education system, customer expectations and local opportunities of that destination. This allows the brand to grow globally while keeping every experience local, personal and authentic.

The long-term vision is to build a company with multiple layers of value: premium tourism, 7+ day academic programmes, long-term education consulting, AI-powered self-guided tours, app-based bookings, destination partnerships and exclusive access services.

Travel opens the door. Education creates the value. Technology allows the platform to scale.

Mission

Our mission is to connect travel, education and technology into one seamless journey for students, families, schools, travellers and global partners.

For travellers, we create meaningful destination experiences that go beyond sightseeing. For students, we create academic programmes that expose them to university-style learning and future study pathways. For families, we provide long-term education planning with structure, timing and access. For schools, we design international programmes that combine academic learning with cultural exchange.

The purpose is always bigger than a single visit.

We want every client to leave with more than photos. They should leave with understanding, direction, confidence and a stronger connection to the place they have experienced.

Our Team & Structure

We Are University is designed as a regional brand network.

Each destination will have a local representative responsible for maintaining quality, building partnerships and protecting the character of that region. The model allows the company to grow city by city while keeping local knowledge at the centre.

The structure is built around three connected divisions.

Cultural Travel Division

The Cultural Travel Division creates the first relationship with the customer through premium city experiences, university visits, private itineraries and destination planning.

Education Division

The Education Division creates deeper long-term value through 7+ day academic programmes, university-style learning, professor-led sessions, student mentoring and pathway consulting.

Technology & Innovation Division

The Technology & Innovation Division helps the whole system scale through AI itinerary planning, app-based bookings, self-guided audio tours, expert content and digital products.

Together, these divisions turn We Are University from a local service model into a scalable global platform.

Cultural Travel Division

The Cultural Travel Division is the first doorway into the brand.

This is where clients first experience our quality, personality and trust. A guest may join a Cambridge student-led walking tour, an Oxford academic route, a London cultural itinerary or a Hong Kong local experience. Each product is designed to feel thoughtful, smooth and meaningful.

In Cambridge, this can include punting on the River Cam, walking through historic colleges with a student guide, understanding university traditions and discovering the city through academic storytelling.

In other regions, the experience will look different, but the principle remains the same. Every journey should help the client understand the destination properly, not just pass through it.

This division can also support hotels, restaurants, transport, attraction access and private travel planning. The aim is to make the whole journey feel organised, premium and personal.

Tourism is the entry point. Trust is the real product.

Education Division

The Education Division is the heart of the long-term vision.

Our 7+ day academic programmes are designed for students aged 12 and above. They can be delivered during summer, winter, half-term or bespoke travel periods, depending on the needs of the group.

Programmes can be built around major academic areas such as STEM, business, medicine, humanities or leadership. The focus is not only the subject, but the quality of the learning environment.

Depending on the programme design and availability, students may learn from university professors, PhD researchers, master’s students, undergraduate mentors and experienced academic guides. Where possible, programmes can take place inside university environments to create a more immersive experience.

For selected residential programmes, we can help arrange university college accommodation where available, three meals per day, academic sessions, cultural activities and full programme coordination.

At the end of selected programmes, students may receive a certificate of attendance from a Cambridge college or recognised academic setting, depending on the provider and programme structure. For the strongest and most engaged students, there may also be the possibility of a reference letter or academic comment from a professor, lecturer or academic mentor, subject to performance, engagement and approval.

This gives students more than a short experience. It gives them exposure, confidence, evidence of participation and a clearer sense of academic direction.

Long-Term Education Consulting

After a student completes an academic programme, the next step may be long-term education planning.

Many families do not only want a one-week course. They want a serious roadmap.

A parent may come to us when their child is 12 or 13 and say: “By 18, we want them to aim for Cambridge, Oxford or another top university. What should we do from now?”

This is where We Are University can create long-term value.

We can help families think through subject strategy, academic mentoring, tutoring, exam preparation, personal statements, interview awareness, visa support and wider personal development.

The goal is not to guarantee admission. No responsible company should promise that.

The goal is to provide structure, access, timing and honest advice so families can make better decisions earlier.

This turns the company from a one-time experience provider into a long-term education partner.

UK to China & China to UK

We Are University is designed to work in both directions.

For Chinese families coming to the UK, we can create Cambridge, Oxford and London education programmes, private travel planning and long-term university pathway support.

For UK schools travelling to China, we can design 7+ day educational tours that balance academic learning and cultural immersion. Students can experience China through school exchange, language exposure, cultural workshops and real local experiences that cannot be recreated inside a UK classroom.

This two-way model gives the company a powerful position between the UK and China.

We are not simply moving people between countries. We are building education and cultural bridges.

Technology & Innovation

Technology is central to the future of We Are University.

We are investing in AI, app development and digital infrastructure so that our knowledge, routes, content and resources can scale beyond one city and one team.

The future app will allow users to discover destinations, book tours, arrange transport, explore academic programmes and access self-guided audio experiences in one place.

One major feature is AI-supported self-guided audio tours. These can be created for museums, city routes, university areas and cultural landmarks. Scripts can be written by subject experts, historians, academics or recognised specialists, then delivered through high-quality voice technology so users can explore independently while still receiving expert-level storytelling.

This creates a new kind of product: scalable, educational and available on demand.

A visitor could walk through a museum with an expert voice in their ear. A student could explore Cambridge with a university-style explanation. A family could follow a city route designed around history, culture, architecture or education.

AI does not replace human expertise. AI helps us package and deliver human expertise at scale.

Case Study: From Cambridge Local Brand to Global Platform

Cambridge became the first proof of the model.

Visitors came to Cambridge for the beauty of the city, but many wanted more. Families wanted academic insight. Students wanted inspiration. Schools wanted structured learning. Parents wanted future planning. Premium clients wanted access, connections and smooth organisation.

We Are Cambridge answered this demand by combining student-led tours, punting, private planning, education-focused experiences and trusted local delivery.

From that foundation, the model can expand.

We Are Oxford can develop the Oxford academic and college experience. We Are London can connect culture, business, universities and premium travel. We Are Hong Kong can open the bridge between East and West. Future regional brands can follow the same structure with local representatives and local expertise.

The growth logic is clear.

1:First, clients discover the brand through tourism and cultural travel.

2:Second, trust converts into 7+ day academic programmes.

3:Third, families continue into long-term education consulting.

4:Fourth, technology packages and scales the experience through app bookings, AI audio guides and digital products.

This creates multiple revenue layers from one connected ecosystem: tours, programmes, consulting, technology, partnerships and premium access. That is why Herman’s story is not only a founder story. It is the beginning of a scalable platform story.