Japan-Maldives Arts Event 2025 with the Embassy of Japan, National Art Gallery and National Centre for the Arts: a public arts event.
On 26 September 2025, students of MNU’s Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations helped organise the Japan-Maldives Arts Event 2025, a public celebration of Japanese and Maldivian art and culture. According to the Faculty of Arts, the event was supported by the Embassy of Japan, the National Art Gallery and the National Centre for the Arts. It brought together diverse artistic expressions, and the Embassy reports that more than 600 visitors attended, with art and cosplay competitions, calligraphy and traditional Japanese dress. Students led planning, community engagement and event management, gaining practical skills while promoting cultural exchange and appreciation of shared heritage. For SDG 11, the event is a public arts programme that MNU students co-organised for the wider community. It is reported on MNU’s news page and described on the Embassy of Japan’s website, although the Embassy page does not name MNU.
Maldives National University Participates in Japan-Maldives Arts Event 2025 – The Maldives National University
The Embassy of Japan in Maldives participated as an exhibitor at the Japan-Maldives Arts Event 2025 | Embassy of Japan in Maldives
Iqbal Day 2025 with the Pakistan High Commission celebrating Allama Iqbal’s poetry: a public literary event (foreign rather than local heritage).
On 9 November 2025, MNU and the High Commission of Pakistan in the Maldives commemorated Iqbal Day 2025, celebrating the life, poetry and ideas of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, known as the “Poet of the East”. Iqbal is one of the most important literary and intellectual figures of Pakistan and the Muslim world, and his Urdu and Persian poetry inspired generations. The programme featured speeches, poetry recitations and reflections on his life and contributions. Students, community members and representatives of MNU and the High Commission took part. The event encouraged appreciation of literary and cultural heritage and strengthened academic and cultural links between the Maldives and Pakistan. For SDG 11, it is a public literary and cultural event hosted by the university, although it celebrates international rather than local heritage. MNU published a news article on the event on its website.
Iqbal Day 2025 – The Maldives National University
Cooking Fiesta 2025 on Hithadhoo Campus for a large public audience: a public cultural event (food rather than performance).
On 14 February 2025, MNU Hithadhoo Campus held Cooking Fiesta 2025, turning the campus into a community space where food, practical skills and creativity came together. Thirty students and participants prepared, presented and organised food for a large public audience, and the campus estimates that more than 1,000 people were reached. The campus reported strong public participation. The event gave students hands-on experience beyond the classroom in teamwork, presentation and enterprise, and it showed how food and culture can bring people together and support local livelihoods in Addu. For SDG 11, Cooking Fiesta is a public cultural event that opens the campus to the wider community and celebrates food traditions. It is recorded through a Hithadhoo Campus Instagram post. Because the indicator scores public performances, a short MNU news item with photos and attendance would make stronger evidence.
Fahi Sufra 2025: Celebrating Maldivian Food, Culture and Community
Fahi Sufra 2025, The Maldives National University’s (MNU) Food Fair, brought together the University community, local entrepreneurs, and food enthusiasts to celebrate Maldivian culinary traditions, local creativity, and the value of food in bringing people together.
The event provided a platform for local food and beverage producers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro-enterprises, and household businesses to showcase their products, connect with the community, and explore business opportunities. By highlighting locally produced food and beverages, Fahi Sufra encouraged appreciation for Maldivian food culture while supporting local talent and entrepreneurship.
The fair also promoted cultural heritage through food, offering an opportunity for the community to discover a variety of flavours, recipes, and culinary skills. Beyond celebrating food, Fahi Sufra aimed to strengthen community engagement, encourage social interaction, and create opportunities for local businesses to expand their reach.
Planning meeting with Addu organisations for the annual Oratory Competition, a shared public cultural event (record the competition itself as the performance).
On 23 June 2025, MNU Hithadhoo Campus met representatives of 15 Addu organisations to plan the campus’s annual Oratory Competition. The meeting brought external organisations into the planning so that the competition could run as a shared Addu initiative rather than an MNU-only event. The representatives showed interest and asked for the programme to continue. The campus reports that this partnership broadens community ownership of the competition and supports a lasting platform for youth voice, public speaking, cultural literacy and leadership. For SDG 11, the competition itself is a public cultural event; this planning meeting is supporting evidence that the event is run with the local community.
Public Speaker Series talk by artist Naushad Waheed on art and cultural memory; 16 community members attended (a public arts event, though a talk rather than a performance).
On 19 May 2025, MNU’s Fahi Musthagbal Speaker Series hosted the Maldivian artist Naushad Waheed for a talk titled “Shaping the Invisible”. Drawing on a forty-year career, he described how his work has sparked public dialogue, explored identity and helped protect cultural memory. He encouraged the audience to use their own creative voices to support innovative thinking and social progress. The session was open to the public, and 27 staff, 32 students and 16 community members attended. According to the organisers, it helped participants see art and creativity as ways to preserve culture, shape identity and drive social change. For SDG 11, the talk is a public arts event that connects the university community with a leading national artist and with Maldivian cultural heritage.
