At Aoba Global Campus (AGC), we believe that online education should never mean isolation. Instead, it should be a gateway to a broader, more diverse world.This past weekend, on November 29th, that belief was put into action as AGC students stepped away from their virtual classrooms and into the physical debating halls of the British School in Tokyo for their 4th Annual Model United Nations (MUN) conference.
A Historic "Hybrid Coalition"
The event marked a significant milestone for Aoba. Led by Mr. Tommy Buteau, Aoba Global Campus Online IBDP teacher and MUN coordinator, a combined group of eight delegates formed Aoba’s first-ever "hybrid coalition." Students from our fully online Global Campus cohort seamlessly integrated with students from the Aoba Bunkyo campus. For several AGC students, this was not only their first time meeting their Bunkyo peers in person but also their very first MUN event. Despite this, the delegation made an incredibly strong showing, proving that the skills honed in our online environment translate powerfully to real-world collaboration.
Tackling Urgent Global Concerns
This year’s BST MUN conference was designed to challenge students with complex, real-world problems. Our delegates split across four key committees - UNHCR, UNEP, ECOSOC, and SPECPOL - to address topics reflective of urgent global concerns.Our students engaged in high-level debates on issues ranging from managing mass influxes of refugees and closing the digital divide to scaling up climate finance for a just transition. Perhaps most topically, students in SPECPOL wrestled with the ethical implications of using Artificial Intelligence in warfare.
A Day of Diplomacy and Crisis Management
The day began with high-level insights, featuring a very interesting presentation from Mr. Damian Cole, Ireland's Ambassador to Japan, setting an inspirational tone for the morning debates.Following a productive morning in committee sessions, the afternoon took a dramatic turn. The conference shifted into an "emergency situation," requiring all countries to work together to resolve a simulated crisis regarding the total collapse of international digital infrastructure - a fitting topic for our digitally-native AGC students.
The Value of MUN for Online Learners
Participating in Model United Nations is a wonderful complement to the increasingly diverse, global nature of the Aoba Global Campus student body.Events like this provide our online students with invaluable opportunities to develop public speaking skills, practice negotiation and diplomacy, and understand complex geopolitical landscapes. Most importantly, it allows them to forge connections with peers both within the Aoba community and from other schools in Tokyo, Japan, and beyond. Aoba's Model United Nations club is also designed and delivered using an "online first" model - students join and participate from wherever they are, ensuring an equitable and accessible experience for all our students both online and on campus. It was a productive day, and a great time was had by all. We offer our sincerest congratulations to everyone who participated and represented Aoba Global Campus and the wider school!
