Photos: International Education Week highlights a diverse community
Each year, Virginia Tech’s celebration of International Education Week gives students, faculty, and staff a chance to engage in and appreciate intercultural learning, research, and collaboration.
Held Nov. 11–16, this year’s event connected with more than 2,000 Hokies, featured more than 15 events, and was supported by over 20 departments and colleges.
The events included workshops encouraging intercultural learning as well as dancing, drumming, and lyrical performances.
Dance of Nations
The Dance of Nations is an annual showcase of international performances presented by the Council of International Student Organizations. Dancers are students from various international organizations from across the university.
Cirque Kalabanté African dance and drumming performance and workshops
Keynote speaker: Mary Maker
Mary Maker, a South Sudanese refugee, educator, and activist, is one of the co-founders of Elimisha Kakuma, a program that provides access to higher education opportunities for high school graduates in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. As the keynote speaker for International Education Week, she used her own story of resilience to advocate for refugee education.
Steger Center Immersive Experience
For students considering study abroad, the Steger Center Immersive Experience provided a chance to see Virginia Tech’s center in southern Switzerland without having to board a plane. With floor-to-ceiling screens, the Sandbox at the Moss Arts Center gave students a chance to see the beautiful 18th century Villa Maderni on a life-size scale.
Hokie Culture Crawl
New to the International Education Week lineup this year, the Hokie Culture Crawl encouraged students to explore the Cultural Community Centers and discover ways to engage with and learn about cultural differences. Those who completed the whole crawl earned a Hokie Culture Crawl T-shirt.
Mulilingual Open Mic Night
The Mozaiko intercultural living-learning community and the Cranwell International Center hosted an Multilingual Open Mic Night where students fluent in languages other than English were encouraged to share poetry, music, and many other performances from various cultures.
