From February 25 to March 7, 2025, OUS’ Global Center and MU's Office of International Careers and Exchange Programs in the Philippines held the 2024 Online English Party. This program provided students with an opportunity to develop their English communication skills while engaging in cross-cultural exchange. The opening ceremony was held on February 25, during which participants were introduced to the program structure and schedule. While some students were joining for the first time, others had participated in previous sessions. Regardless of their experience, they all showed enthusiasm and anticipation for the upcoming buddy meetings.
 
There were four themed buddy meetings:

1. Self-Introduction and My Favorite Things – OUS and MU buddies introduced themselves and got to know each other by talking about their favorite things and sharing interesting facts about themselves.
2. Hobbies – The buddies talked about their hobbies, favorite pastimes, and other extra-curricular activities they engage in.
3. Latest Trends – Buddies talked about the latest trends in music, social media, TV programs, movies, and other things they are into.
4. Food—Buddies discussed everything related to food, including likes and dislikes, fast food, strange food, and cafeteria food in Japan and the Philippines.

 
The closing ceremony took place on March 7. Quenrick Gamboa, the vice president of the Mapúa University Student Buddies Group, reflected on the event by sharing his memories and feelings about the buddy meetings. The ceremony ended with closing words from Hitomi Kohara, Senior Staff of the OUS Global Center, and a commemorative photo of the participants.
 
Participants shared their enthusiasm for the event with comments such as:
"I joined to improve my English, but I had much more fun than I expected. I would love to participate again."
"The program was free, and the sessions were enjoyable. I will definitely recommend it to my friends."
 
These responses underscored the program’s success in fostering meaningful connections through language and cultural exchange.

This program served not only as a platform for language learning but also as an opportunity to develop cross-cultural understanding and international communication skills. OUS remains committed to providing students with practical English learning experiences and fostering a global perspective.

We look forward to holding another OUS—MU English Party next school year so that more students will have this opportunity to make new friends and use English in a more enjoyable way!