Tulane celebrates International Education Week 2019
New Orleans, a historic center of immigration and trade, owes its diverse population and rich culture of music, food, and festivals to a myriad of international influences. Each year Tulane University welcomes international students, faculty and staff from over 85 countries and sends hundreds of domestic students—518 this semester alone — abroad to destinations around the world to experience immersive language programs, conduct research, and lay the foundations for future careers. It is this international and intercultural atmosphere that is commemorated with the annual celebration of International Education Week.
The Center for Global Education (CGE) is proud to celebrate this year's International Education Week from Oct. 14 - 18 in support of internationalization and exchange efforts on campus. Partners from around the world, along with Tulane students, faculty and staff are all encouraged to participate in and recognize this important week of programming in recognition of the vibrant global community that has been cultivated on campus. International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education and is an opportunity to commemorate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. From Mexican street corn giveaways to panels exploring research and career options abroad, International Education Week celebrates the exchange of global food, culture, and ideas.
IEW 2018 featured a collaboration with photographer and storyteller Claire Bangser of NOLAbeings highlighting powerful stories of international exchange through a series of interviews with Tulane students, faculty and staff. “You go abroad thinking you are going to learn a lot about other cultures, but you don't realize the culture you end up learning the most about is your own. Only by comparing and experiencing new things can we understand and value our own culture,” Tulane student Carol Serrano Crespo shared. Annie Gibson, director of study abroad at the Center of Global Education, expressed the long-reaching impact of her initial experience with international immersion. “Being in a new country and immersed in a new language taught me that various sides of myself are expressed differently across cultures," she said.
Celebrating the profound impact of global education within the Tulane community, CGE will host a variety of events during IEW, including themed international food stations and several talks and workshops surrounding Tulane’s contribution to an international student and scholar community. This year, food from countries with the largest international student populations at Tulane—Canada, China, France, Nigeria, and Spain—will be offered each day at the 1834 Club as well as the “Chef’s Table” in the Dining Room at the Commons. Visit global.tulane.edu/IEW for a full schedule of events, menus, and more.
