Global competence in health care services and cultural awareness were among the main objectives of the newest program led by Arellano University - International Nursing Program (AU-INP). The Virtual International Cultural Engagement (VICE) Program was attended by students of AU-INP and Gunma University of Health and Welfare in Maebashi, Japan. Through this program, foreign students were given the opportunity to interact and collaborate with AU-INP students to discuss trends that are significantly affecting health, education, and social issues in the Philippines and in Japan.
The VICE program started in 2022 when Gunma University and AU-INP made it possible to switch from a face-to-face cultural immersion to a virtual setting because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this partnership with Japan has long been established with the first group of Gunma University students that underwent cross-cultural experience at AU's affiliated institutions and rural communities in September 2017. To this day, AU-INP shall continue to offer local and foreign students the VICE program, that promotes personal growth, develops interpersonal relationship, and enhance global perspectives responsive to diverse cultures.