“International Education Week is an annual week of events and activities showcasing international issues and culture,” says International Programs Coordinator Jenn Soderfelt.
The week kicks-off with an opening ceremony, featuring a drum and dance performance by Samba da Alegria and an international flag parade at noon on the UC Quad. Later that afternoon, the public is invited to attend Geography professor Paul Blank’s popular Walk on the World exhibit, where participants can walk on maps of the world. The event takes place from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room.
On Tuesday at 9 a.m., Study Abroad Coordinator Penelope Shaw leads students in a panel discussion exploring study abroad programs in the Goodwin Forum. HSU maintains an exchange program with China and supports recruitment efforts in Asia and the Middle East. Monira Sultana is studying at HSU through the State Department’s Near East South Asia UGRAD program. “All of my experiences at HSU have been very valuable and I know that I will have a lot to share when I return home,” said Sultana, the program’s student ambassador to Bangladesh.
At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Politics professor Noah Zerbe presents The Global Politics of Food in the Goodwin Forum. Zerbe, who blogs at globalfoodpolitics.wordpress.com, will explore how our food makes it from farm to plate.
Also on Tuesday, Sociology professor and 2012-13 Scholar of the Year Sing Chew presents World System History as the Teacher of Life: Global Cries, Dark Ages and System Transformations at 5 p.m. in the Van Duzer Theatre. Chew recently completed a trilogy of books on world ecological degradation and also edits Nature + Culture, an academic journal examining communities’ relationships with nature.
On Wednesday at 6 p.m., the public is invited to attend a keynote lecture by Muslim literary scholar and poet Ali Aydin in the Kate Buchanan Room. Aydin, a university professor in Turkey, grew up in a rural village near the Black Sea in Turkey. “Experience Without Precedent: Potential for Self-Inflicted Wound” will examine Turkey’s transformation from Sharia to secularism and Turkish and American literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A question and answer session and dessert reception will follow at 7 p.m.
Other highlights include an international fashion show by the Global Connections Club 7 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Kate Buchanan Room, student poster sessions and faculty lectures:
Tuesday, Nov. 19
- Syria: The Pieces of the Puzzle by Politics faculty member Kathleen Lee at 12 p.m. in the Goodwin Forum.
- Get on the boat! Language Immersion in Scandinavia—Velkommen, Valkommen, Welcome! by Education professor Lyn Scott at 2 p.m. in Harry Griffith Hall 117.
Wednesday, Nov. 20
- Takata High School’s Boat: Tsunami Connections Between Northern California and Northern Japan by Geology Professor Lori Dengler a 2 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room.
Thursday, Nov. 21
- Career and Internship Opportunities with the U.S. Department of State by ambassador and former principal deputy assistant secretary for Human Resources at the State Department Steve Browning at 11 a.m. in the Goodwin Forum.
- The Peace Corps: Live, Learn and Work Internationally by Northern California Peace Corps representative Sean Michetti at 6:30 p.m. in the UC Banquet Room.
HSU’s Center for International Programs serves current and prospective international students, as well as HSU students interested in studying abroad. The center also operates the International English Language Institute for non-native English speakers.
Hundreds of HSU students study abroad each year through the Center for International Programs and programs in the Environmental Resources Engineering and World Languages & Cultures departments. HSU is home to foreign students from more than 20 countries, hailing from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.
For more information about International Education Week, email Jenn Soderfeldt at jennifer.soderfelt@humboldt.edu or visit humboldt.edu/iew.