International Education Week

What is International Education Week?  

International Education Week—IEW—is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education in efforts to promote programs that prepare U.S. Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences. As a proud partner, Western Michigan University highlights the various countries and cultures present at WMU during its annual observance of International Education Week.

REcent PAST events 

While International Education Week is a national initiative, all events are hosted by WMU cultural and international student groups, academic departments and offices across campus.

• 2019 Mapathon— Hosted by the Department of Geography. Students shared their knowledge of the Kalamazoo area, WMU campus or their hometown by contributing map data for use world-wide. Free.

• Brazilian Day— Hosted by the Brazilian Student Association.  Education on the food and culture of Brazil. Free. 
• Culture-Fest Potluck— Hosted by the Muslim Student Association. A range of assorted foods from Muslim majority countries. Free. 

• International Student Career Resources Day— Hosted by Career and Student Employment Services. This event was for international students interested in full-time, part-time or internship work opportunities in the United States. Free. 

•  Afghanistan Day— Hosted by the Afghan Student Organization. Education on the food and culture of Afghanistan. 
• Chinese Traditional Arts Night— Hosted Confucius Institute at WMU. The night featured Beijing Opera experts, traditional Chinese instruments and lively Chinese folk songs. Free.
• Made-In Malaysia— Hosted by the Malaysian Student Association. Education on the food and culture of Malaysia. Free. 

• "Woman in Gold" Movie Night— Hosted by the German Club. Screening of the 2015 that tells the story of Maria Altmann as she attempts to reclaim family possessions that were seized by Nazis. Free. 

• Fulbright U.S. Student Program Drop-In Advising— Hosted by Fulbright at WMU. Have you thought about options after graduation? What about going abroad on a Fulbright grant? Nearly 2000 awards are given to US students each year to travel abroad to teach, research, or study. Free.
• Dumpling Demonstration— Hosted by the Asian Pacific American Student Association. How to make dumplings! Free. 
• American Thanksgiving Lunch— Hosted by International Campus Ministries. Students enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and learned about U.S. American traditions. Free.
• International Chess Tournament— Hosted by the Chess Club. A tournament of one of the most widely-played games in the world. Free. 
• Indian Movie Night— Hosted by the Indian Student Association. Students gained an insight in to Indian culture by enjoying a film! 
• Cities of Indonesia— Hosted by the Indonesian Students Association. Education on the food and culture of Indonesia. Free. 

• Japan Festival— Hosted by the Japan Club. Education on the food and culture of Japan. Free. 

MORE Past eventS

Lectures, Talks and Colloquiums 

• "What kind of language is Chinese?" Lecture— This lecture was hosted by the Confucius Institute at WMU and was given by Dr. Wenfang Sun, director of the Confucius Institute at WMU.
• "Vision of Wisdom 2025: Achievements and Challenges of Bahir Dar University Becoming a Premier Research University in Africa" talk— Hosted by Center for African Policy Research, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics and the Haenicke Institute for Global Education. The talk was given by Dr. Matebe Tafere Gedifew, associate professor of educational policy and academic vice president at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.
• "Dams Large and Small: Ecosystem Impacts on the World's Tropical River Systems" colloquium— The Department of Geography hosted this colloquium, which featured Dr. Stephen K. Hamilton, professor of ecosystem ecology and biogeochemisty at the W.K. Kellog Biological Station. 
• "The discovery of Puerto Rico in 1493" talk— This talk, hosted by the Division of Multicultural Affairs, was given by Adriana Garriga-Lopez, associate professor of anthropology at Kalamazoo College. 

Festivals and Cultural Nights

• East Asian Pacific Festival—The festival featured cultural presentations from the Malaysian Student Association, the Japan Club, the Indonesian Student Association, the Philippines Student Association and the Chinese Association of Student and Scholars. 
• Japan Festival—This festival featured traditional foods and cultural activities prepared by the Japan Club at WMU.

• Dominican Night—This event showcased Dominican food, dancing and overall culture and was hosted by the Dominican Student Association. 
• China Day—The Chinese Association of Students and Scholars hosted this event to demonstrate Chinese traditional culture through dressing, movies and other activities.
• Pakistani Saqafat (Colors of Pakistan)— This activity-filled informational night represented Pakistani culture. The event included traditional Pakistani food, unique poetry from the region and history taught by Pakistani students form the Pakistani Student Association. 
• American Thanksgiving —This annual dinner explains how Thanksgiving fits in to U.S. culture and how it has changed throughout the years. This dinner was held at Kanley Chapel on WMU campus, hosted by the International Student Fellowship

Languages and Workshops

• CELCIS Conversation Circles— Students learning English join in a relaxed conversation about local and social topics. Free and open to the public, these circles include WMU students, faculty, staff and community members. Hosted by the Center for English Language and Culture for International Students. 
• Mesa Española— The Department of Spanish host this event to encourage students to practice Spanish with native Spanish speakers. 
• Mian (cold noodle) Workshop— The Confucius Institute at WMU hosted a cooking workshop to learn how to make traditional Chinese Mian, cold noodles. 

Performances and Games

• Rokugo performance— Rakugo is a traditional Japanese comedy performance and was performed by Kimochi, a professional Rakugo performer. This performance was held during the Japan Festival and hosted by the Soga Japan Center.

• Orchestra Rouh— This performance was hosted by the Refugee Outreach Collective and the Arabic Program. Orchestra Rouh, an educational initiative of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, provides ongoing music instruction to children of Syrian and other refugee families in Kalamazoo. 

• Western World Cup—This co-ed soccer tournament kicks off International Education Week each year and collects soccer equipment donations for children in low income soccer clubs in the Dominican Republic. Hosted by the Global Engagement Activities office and Aspiras. 
• International Trivia Night—Test your international knowledge with trivia from around the world. Food and prizes provided, hosted by the Study Abroad Alumni Ambassadors
• International Taste Fest Potluck— Registered Student Organizations are invited to provide food from the cultures represented by students in their organization. Hosted by Lee Honors College and the Western Student Association.