International Education Week (IEW), November 13-19, 2021, is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education aims to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.
IEW 2021 Goals at Wesleyan:
- To recognize the myriad ways in which we, as members of the Wesleyan and greater Middletown community, can engage meaningfully in intercultural learning and understanding.
- To consider how we might emerge from the pandemic with a greater sense of interconnectedness, self-awareness, and empathy.
- To offer space for members of our community to take the lead in organizing globally-focused events that are important to them.
Schedule of Events
🍴 = food provided
- Saturday, November 13
PINOY Club Meeting 🍴1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | Usdan, Gregory Lounge (Main Level)Hosted by PINOY; Sponsored by the Fries Center for Global StudiesPINOY Club is a group of Filipinos, Filipino-Americans and Filipino-culture enthusiasts who come together to do fun Filipino things! The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia of more than 7000 island and 100 million people which contributes to its diversity in languages, cultures and food. Come taste some Filipino dishes and learn some Filipino words in our exhibit!Afrobeats Dance Class2:30 pm - 4:30 pm | X-House LoungeHosted by the African Student Association; Sponsored by the Fries Center for Global StudiesThis Afrobeats Dance class brings you the hottest AFRO dance moves from all over Africa filled with fun, energy, passion and lots of laughs. All level dancers are welcome!
- Sunday, November 14
Tales from Tutoring: Student Perspectives on Tutoring Refugee Populations 🍴12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Albritton 103Hosted by the Wesleyan English Language Learning Program and Wesleyan Refugee Project; Sponsored by the Shapiro Writing CenterThis panel will feature student tutors from Paper Airplanes and SAWA, two organizations focused on serving refugee populations. Tutors will discuss their initial interest, experiences, and lessons they learned from working with refugees of various ages. Information will be provided on how to get involved with both organizations!
- Monday, November 15
Center for the Humanities Monday Night Lecture Series4:15 pm - 5:30 pm | Zoom linkHosted by the Center for the HumanitiesHow do we explain (plain or indifferent) consent to colonial slavery, racism, colonialism, and imperialism? How do we fight against the naturalization and normalization of exploitation, extraction, suffocation? How do we identify and explain white saviorism among Western feminists? How do we decolonize our minds, ways of looking at, touching, listening? Françoise Vergès will answer these questions starting from some examples of fabrication of consent, addressing also the recent wide Western indignation for the violation of the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Study Abroad Session for First-Years & Sophomores4:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 201Hosted by the Office of Study AbroadThe Office of Study Abroad is hosting an interactive session for first-years and sophomores (Classes of 2024 and 2025). In this session, you will learn the basics of study abroad at Wes, including affordability and financial aid, sites and kinds of programs, credit transfer, and the benefits of spending a semester or year studying in another country. - Tuesday, November 16
Arabic Language TableFrom Ghana to Middletown: Maximizing Your Study Abroad Experience Overseas and Back Home 🍴11:00 am - 1:00 pm | Usdan, First FloorOccurs weekly at same time and placeAll levels of Arabic welcome! Language conversation tables provide an opportunity to practice the target language with other speakers of the language. Some language tables are led by Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) in that target language.12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 201Hosted by Study Abroad Alumni, Jamie Cheng, Karina Burbank, Marc Tarshis, and Quentin TanWhat if we told you that “study abroad” does not start nor end with the crossing of national borders? What does it mean to continue "studying abroad" back home? Come to this event to find out what students learned from their study abroad experiences and how they continue to maximize these experiences through the process of defamiliarization.OISA Open House with ISAB 🍴5:00 pm - 6:00 pm | OISA Office: North College, Lower Level, Room 024Hosted by OISA and ISABAs part of Wesleyan’s 2021 International Education Week (IEW), please come by the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) in the lower level of North College and meet our staff and members of your International Student Advisory Board (ISAB) on Tuesday, November 16th from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Free bubble tea will be provided on a first come, first served basis as part of our Fall 2021 Open House event! Please sign up here to help us plan our bubble tea order.
- Wednesday, November 17
Hindi-Urdu Language Table12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Fisk Hall, Back PatioOccurs weekly at same time and placeThis lanugage table is for heritage learners. Language conversation tables provide an opportunity to practice the target language with other speakers of the language. Some language tables are led by Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) in that target language.
French Language Table11:30 am - 1:30 pm | Usdan, First FloorOccurs weekly at same time and placeAll levels of French welcome! Language conversation tables provide an opportunity to practice the target language with other speakers of the language. Some language tables are led by Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) in that target language.
Faculty Opportunities Abroad12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 201 | Please RSVP here for planning purposes
This event is also offered virtually through this Zoom linkHosted by the Fries Center for Global Studies, Office of Career and Faculty Development, and Office of Corporate, Foundation, and Government GrantsThis is a session for faculty to learn about opportunities for travel and work in countries around the world. We will cover things like Fulbright, faculty exchanges, serving as Resident Director for Wesleyan study abroad programs, and our partner institutions. We will also introduce “internationalization at home” initiatives, such as virtual exchange, CLAC, and Internationalizing the Curriculum.Navigating (LIFE): Living in Full Experience4:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Usdan 108Hosted by CAPS, WesWell and the SHAPE OfficeHow do you take care of yourself in navigating so much transition? In this session, we'll define self-care, explore types of self-care, and identify campus resources for nourishing self-care practices. International students will have an opportunity to gather, connect, and empower one another through shared experiences.
So You Want to Change the World? Do This First.4:30 pm - 5:15 pm | Zoom LinkHosted by the Patricelli Center for Social EntrepreneurshipMany Wesleyan students have social and environmental issues that they care about. Some will take action to address these problems through grassroots organizing, activism, fundraising, and more. During this session, students will learn about the ways that Wesleyan's Patricelli Center can support this work, including through the Skoll Centre's Map The System Global Competition, which encourages students to start with understanding a problem and its wider context before taking steps to tackle global challenges.
Greek Film Night 🍴5:30 pm - 7:30 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 101A Touch of Spice, a box-office hit in Greece, follows the story of a Greek scientist who was born in Constantinople (Istanbul) but as a child is deported with his parents to Athens. Food serves as a metaphor for family, politics, and love in this English-subtitled film with memorable cinematography.
Film Screening: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara 🍴
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 201
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is an Indian Hindi-language film follows three childhood friends who reunite for a three-week roadtrip. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, this comedy-drama has won two National Film Awards.
Italian Game Night 🍴
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 209
Come enjoy Italian board game night! Open to everyone. No Italian language required, but must be open to learning Italian during the games. - Thursday, November 18
Work Experiences Abroad Peer-to-Peer Panel12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Boger Hall, Room 115Two PCA’s from Wesleyan’s Gordon Career Center will moderate a panel of half international and half domestic students who have worked outside of their home countries. The experiences these students will share are diverse and cover a variety of interests. Roughly half the panel will be moderated discussion, while the other half will be student q&a. To all those who even may have just an inkling of working abroad, please join us!
Chinese Language Table12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Boger Hall, Room 112Occurs weekly at same time and placeAll levels of Chinese welcome! Language conversation tables provide an opportunity to practice the target language with other speakers of the language. Some language tables are led by Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) in that target language.
Japanese Language Table
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 201Occurs weekly at same time and placeAll levels of Japanese welcome! Language conversation tables provide an opportunity to practice the target language with other speakers of the language. Some language tables are led by Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) in that target language.
Korean Language Table12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Boger Hall, Room 110Occurs weekly at same time and placeAll levels of Korean welcome! Language conversation tables provide an opportunity to practice the target language with other speakers of the language. Some language tables are led by Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) in that target language.
Chinese Name Pronunciation Workshop4:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 201Wes StoriesHosted by the Chinese Culture Club and College of East Asian StudiesThe workshop will equip you with the basics you need to pronounce Chinese names with accuracy and confidence. Beyond simple language learning, this workshop will open up your appreciation for a new culture!7:30 pm - 9:00 pm | Russel HouseHosted by the International Student AssociationThis multilingual event will showcase talented students on campus through songs, spoken stories, dances, speeches, and other creative performances. We welcome everyone to sign up and join this celebration of cultural diversity! Dinner will be provided! - Friday, November 19
International Festival of Games 🍴4:30 - 6:30 pm | Fisk Hall, Room 201Hosted by the Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs)Have you ever played Italian Tombola Bingo? Drawn an Indian Rangoli design? Eaten a Spanish Polvorón? Come to the International Festival of Games to play games, make crafts, and enjoy snacks from Taiwan, France, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Spain. Our Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) are excited to share their cultures with you!