WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Nov. 1, 2022 — November marks International Education Month, and today West Liberty University kicked off its month of events with the first of several visual contemporary culture activities featuring visiting scholars from the Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, Poland who were in the Media Arts Center (MAC) lounge of the Fine Arts Building this afternoon discussing Polish precursors of avant-garde art.
These visiting Polish professors, Dr. Zdanowicz and Dr. Domagalski, will present several other topics throughout the month during their visit which is coordinated by the College of Liberal and Creative Arts and Dr. Martyna Matusiak as its Visual Contemporary Culture Lecture Series (please click this link to view all titles, dates and times of the lecture series.)
At noon Monday, Nov. 7, a guest performer, Devon Osamu Tipp from the University of Pittsburgh, will perform on a Shakuhachi, a Japanese musical flute. Tipp is a graduate student at Pitt and he will share information on the history of the musical style in a brief lecture.
Another new event is a discussion entitled: Revisiting the Eubonics Debate in the Wake of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Movement,” planned for 2 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17 and presented by Dr. Monique Akassi, who serves as special assistant to the president for DEI and Strategic Initiatives. This presentation takes place in Elbin Library, room 309.
Also new this year is a 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 presentation by WLU’s Vice President of External Affairs on his families’ adventures in India during March 2020, the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This presentation takes place in the College Union’s Student Leadership Center (formerly the Alumni Room).
Glanville, along with Director of International Enrollment Services Mia Szabo, coordinates the International Program, from recruiting to student life. Their offices are located in the International Center, housed in historic Shotwell Hall, near the center of campus, and include many amenities and services for students while studying and living on campus.
Glanville said “there is a little something for everyone this year” with more hands-on events added to the calendar along with lectures style events. (See full calendar of events linked here.)
WLU’s students (both domestic and international) and faculty planned all of the events in celebration of International Education Month to share their culture with the Hilltop community and beyond, he explained.
Getting involved in the hard work that went into the preparation of these events is beneficial to anyone who attends according to Glanville because “it is one of the best ways to learn about the world at large without having to travel.”
Sixty-eight international students are enrolled at WLU for the this semester from 31 countries including: Angola, Armenia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Macedonia, Mexico, Mongolian People’s Republic, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela and Zambia.
For more information on the Rollie Williams International Center, please call Szabo at 304.336.8270 or Glanville at 304.336.8382.
