Almost every year, a busload of teenagers arrives in Malaysia with two clear goals – sharpen their English and experience Malaysian culture for themselves.
This year, the excitement landed just ahead of Thaipusam and Federal Territory Day. On 31 January, 28 students from Soka Schools in Tokyo and Kansai touched down with four chaperones, ready for the English language and cultural exposure programme.
Hosted under the long-standing partnership between Soka Schools and OUM, the programme reflects OUM’s strong commitment to global engagement and lifelong learning. It is coordinated by METEOR Learning Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the METEOR Group, which plays an active role in expanding educational access throughout the lifecycle and international collaboration.
During the week-long programme, mornings at OUM were all about confidence-building. With the guidance of an external trainer, the students practised writing and speaking, shared stories about life in Japan, and learned to express themselves more clearly in English. The sessions were interactive and lively, with plenty of discussion and laughter.
In the evenings, the classroom shifted outdoors. The group explored local attractions, experiencing Malaysia’s history, culture, and diversity first-hand. Cameras were out, questions were constant, and the Malaysian team enjoyed guiding them around and seeing their enthusiasm up close.
The students also visited Tadika Seri Soka in Cheras and Soka International School Malaysia (SISM) in Nilai. The kindergarten focuses on humanistic education, nurturing strength, kindness, and liveliness in young children while SISM builds on the idea of value creation, developing students not only academically but also in character, courage, compassion, and creativity.
Both institutions are part of the Soka School System under the global network of Soka Gakkai International (SGI). OUM and the Soka network share common values in promoting character development, international understanding, and education that shapes responsible global citizens.
For OUM and METEOR, programmes like this go beyond language lessons. They strengthen international partnerships, open pathways for future academic collaboration, and position Malaysia as a welcoming education hub in the region. They also allow OUM to showcase its humanising digital education approach – one that connects classrooms to communities and theory to real-world experience.
By the end of the week, the students were full of stories and smiles. They left with new vocabulary and a deeper appreciation of Malaysian culture. More importantly, they left having experienced the spirit of collaboration that defines the OUM-Soka relationship.
Thank you to Soka Schools for continuing to trust us to play a small part in widening the horizons of your young learners.
