International Education Week (IEW) will be taking place this year from Nov. 16-23. IEW is a week set forth by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote international education, diversity on campus, multicultural competence, as well as celebrate international students. This is the fourth year that NSU is taking part in IEW, and will be hosted by the Office of International Affairs. However, for the second year in a row, the whole initiative is student-led by Razor’s Edge Global and their IEW committee.
International Education Week will include a wide variety of events.. There will be stem events, like the Picture Yourself Abroad: Virtual Reality Experience presented in the Alvin Sherman Library, and more personal events, like Dating Across Cultures: Strategies for Healthy Intercultural Relationships. Additional events include International Coffee Hour hosted by the Office of Residential Life and Housing and the Hunger Banquet hosted by the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement.
NSU has over 1,000 students from over 100 countries. With that said, IEW is a big affair and is being celebrated by varying organizations and offices across NSU. Sarah Brandt, graduate assistant for International Affairs and Razor’s Edge Global said IEW “[helps] students see how diverse NSU is [and] learn about all the international students around them and all the cultures that are at NSU. NSU is a really culturally diverse campus and we really want students to see that and celebrate that, but also learn about it.”
When asked about why NSU is participating in IEW and what NSU wants students to learn, Brandt answered that, “I think we would want people to take away that, when cultures come together, it’s really beautiful and people can prosper in those kinds of environments. Also, teaching them our world is becoming more culturally diverse and how they can navigate that successfully.” Brandt also mentioned some events that students do not want to miss including the Opening Ceremony: Parade of Flags in the Carl DeSantis Atrium from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 18, the Multicultural Shark Celebration in the Alvin Sherman Library Quad from 5 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 20, and the Global Village in the Don Taft University Center from noon to 1 p.m. on Nov. 22.
If students attend an IEW event earlier in the week, they will receive an event passport, and for every other event attended, they will receive a stamp. The student with the most stamps will win a $50 Amazon gift card.
There will also be some Shark Cage Specials occurring during IEW. If students go to Natural Bowl Acai on Nov. 18, 20 or 22, they will receive 10% off if they present an IEW flyer or Instagram post. Students interested in attending any IEW event or Shark Cage special can see the full list of events on the IEW website, Nova.edu/IEW.
Photo: San Pamplona
