International Education Week is a nationwide initiative to help American students increase their global awareness and understanding of diverse cultures, and it is happening at BYU this week.
The BYU International Education Week website states International Education Week promotes travel to and immersion in different countries and attracts future leaders from around the world.
“We hope every student will take the opportunity to consider why ‘The world is our campus’ this week,” the website said.
The events this week include lectures, cultural performances and opportunities to try food from around the world. The event kicked off on Monday, Nov. 13 with several informational booths around campus offering international candy.
Kinsey Morse works in the Dean of Students Office. Morse was involved in the planning process and ran one of the informational booths on Monday. She shared she is really passionate about International Education Week.
“It’s important for students to know that there are other options that they can explore besides education in the U.S, and that it can be a really good opportunity for them to venture out and help the world,” Morse said.
Morse is looking forward to the International Education and Career Fair. The event will be on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Wilkinson Student Center. The Fair will bring in more than 50 organizations with career and cultural opportunities and multicultural food from local businesses, including Filipino lumpia and Brazilian fried bananas.
Other events during campus this week include a variety of informational lectures including, “A Life of International Education,” “Café Europa: Where Does it Belong?” and “the Britsch Citizenship Lecture.”
Other lectures focus on tips for traveling or improving your resume for jobs outside of the U.S., including “Crafting Competitive International Education Scholarship Applications,” “How to Travel: Lessons from 100 Countries,” and more.
International Education Week also features many music and dance performances. Cultural performances will be held in the Wilkinson Student Center Tuesday, Nov. 14 through Thursday, Nov. 16. from noon to 1 p.m.
Lu’au showcases Polynesian tradition and culture through song and dance. Tickets for Lu’au on Wednesday and Thursday evening are sold out, but a live stream is available online.
Other events to look forward to include a student film festival in the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 5-6 p.m., a refugee service project on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Wilkinson Student Center and a Balinese musical performance and discussion with visiting Balinese professors on Friday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Kennedy Center.
Full schedules for the events can be found online along with an opportunity for students to enter to win a backpack and airfare vouchers.
Around the country students are participating and the government website stated that this year’s theme is “International Education is the Future.”
The theme “explores the many ways that international education is driving us into the future,” the government website said.
