WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – November 7, 2023 – Have you ever wondered how to celebrate Día de Muertos, the Day of the Dead? Or how it would be to travel through Italy? What does a cookie from South Africa taste like? Can you enjoy a movie in a foreign language? You will find answers to these and many more interesting questions during our International Education Month in November!
At West Liberty University, we extended the International Education Week to an entire month as we want to excite as many participants to be part of a cultural experience. This month is an important component to spread cultural awareness, give people the chance to explore new things and to provide a secure exchange between people from various backgrounds and cultures.
“The International Education Week is nationally observed as a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Nationally it is takes place for one week (Nov. 13-17). At WLU we have extended the celebration to the entire month of November to allow our community to easily engage with the various activities and workshops planned”, explained Mia Szabo, Director of International Enrollment Services.
“I already learned many interesting things about other peoples’ hometowns and home-countries during our cultural fair. I’m so excited for a whole month of this exchange between people. I look forward to try many new things and to get to know other countries and cultures way better.”, said Janina Kruppke, an international student currently at WLU from Germany. “I came to the USA to get to know about the U.S. culture and now I have the chance to even get to know other cultures while on the WLU Hilltop”, added Janina.
“There are so many creative opportunities of expression during International Education Month. Visual arts, musical arts, cultural dancing, and so much more!” said Serena Smith, a WLU graduate student. “I especially enjoyed the art of calligraphy, a traditional Japanese writing style. Not only did it teach me about the culture and history of Japan, but it also expanded my creativity skill!”, Serena added.
You don’t have to leave campus to explore the world. You will have the opportunity to join so many events during this month to learn more about different cultures. From delicious ramen to basics of Russian Language, presenters will share their experiences and knowledge with you and let you try out new things. There is something for everyone!
“Among other topics, the Internationalization Committee works on making study abroad opportunities available for students. It is also very exciting to help support students to have international educational experiences first hand right here on our campus, expanding their internationalization skills,” says Dr. Miriam Roth Douglas, Chair Internationalization Committee. There are 20 presentations and workshops scheduled and all of them are free and open to the public. “Not every opportunity is in a traditional classroom – and the International Education Month programming is meant to add to all majors and fields of study,” added Mia Szabo.
On Wednesday, November 1st, students had the chance to learn and experience Día de Muertos with Dr. Felipe Rojas. “It has become a great tradition to have Day of the Dead kick off International Education Month at WLU and it’s a pleasure to have students learn about not only aspects of Mexican culture but also world cultures that celebrate their deceased, ” he stated.
On Monday, November 20th at 11:00 am, Dr. Miriam Roth Douglas will talk about “Cultural Differences” in the Student Leadership Center located in the College Union building.
Dr. Douglas added, “International Education Month is dear to my heart, as I came to the U.S. as an international student from Germany myself. I am always excited to learn more about other countries, cultures, traditions, and languages.” She continues “It is so important in our globalized world to be knowledgeable about different ways of communication and interaction to break down barriers and misunderstandings, in order to build great internationalized and globalized communities.”
For more International Education Month activities please visit the calendar of events https://westliberty.edu/global/internationalization-month/
International Education Month is sponsored by West Liberty University’s Rollie Williams International Center, Internationalization Committee, Student Life, and Campus Ministries.
WLU has 56 international students from 29 countries enrolled this fall. Countries represented this year include: Angola, Armenia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Georgia, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Macedonia, Malawi, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and Venezuela.
For more information contact the Rollie Williams International Center at 304.336.8270 or international@westliberty.edu.
West Liberty University is West Virginia’s oldest public university, offering more than 70 undergraduate majors and 12 graduate programs, both online and on campus. Learn more at westliberty.edu.”