By HELENA HAR
The Student Alumni Association will be hosting an International Night for BYU international students to get to know and learn about regional chapters of the BYU Alumni Association in their communities.
Christy Watt, a senior from Blackfoot, Idaho, majoring in dietetics and vice-president of the Student Alumni Association, said International Night will inform students and allow them to get involved with the regional chapters that BYU has established around the world.
“The regional chapters bring BYU alumni together in local communities to provide social and service opportunities for the local alumni in the Asian and South American countries,” said Steve Barrett, director of alumni activities.
BYU alumni have set up these councils throughout the world to provide opportunities to summer interns and future graduates, Watt said.
The regional councils provide networking capabilities and allow the students to keep in touch with BYU even though they are 3,000 miles away, Watt said.
Alumni have set up regional chapters in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian cities and countries. Other chapters will open up in South American cities including Mexico City, Santiago and Sao Paulo in a couple of weeks, Barrett said.
“Alumni associations are foreign to foreign countries. They are not set up there and we want those students to become familiar with this opportunity we have set up for them,” Barrett said.
The chapters can help place students in jobs in their countries and they allow for good contacts and networking. The chapters do many service projects in the name of BYU and involve the whole communities, Barrett said.
The regional chapter in Taipei, Taiwan, offered an alumni lecture series that discussed major issues affecting the people of the area. They invited local officials and ministers of the community to talk about these issues, Barrett said.
International Night will supply a list of the alumni currently living in students’ countries so they can contact them now and get involved. This also gives the Alumni Association a chance to catch up and update the lists, Barrett said.
“All international students are encouraged to attend and see how BYU can stay a part of their lives in their own countries,” Barrett said.
International Night will be held tonight in the Alumni House at 5 p.m.
