International Education Week, taking place Nov. 18-22, celebrates the different cultures across the Kent State University community and highlights international experiences and opportunities the university offers.
The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education promote this weeklong national initiative for American and international students to be successful in this ever-growing global environment. The Office of Global Education at Kent State is spearheading this event along with other university units.
Hannah Weber, advisor for international students and scholars in the Office of Global Education and organizer of International Education Week, is thrilled the week is getting campuswide and national attention.
“As someone working in international education, it's exciting to see that recognized on a governmental level and then to see it also embraced by the Kent State community is really great,” Weber told Kent State Today.
This year’s theme for the International Education Week is “Explore,” meaning students should explore the different international opportunities, grow from these opportunities and learn about the different cultures and experiences in the Kent State community.
A full slate of events is scheduled to honor the week. For example:
- On Nov. 18, the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship is hosting an “Education Abroad Webinar: How to Get Started on Your Education-Abroad Journey” for students in the college.
- On Nov. 19, the Women’s Center is hosting “A Day in the Life of an International Female Student” from when she arrives at the airport to moving in on campus and beyond.
- Nov. 20 features a joint Office of Global Education and International Student and Scholar Services event titled “Mauritania Cultural Café,” welcoming Idrissa Diakite, a translation studies graduate student, to tell her story.
- Nov. 21 is the International Cookoff competition.
“The Office of Global Education is organizing the International Cookoff, which is an opportunity for international students to showcase their cuisine,” Weber said. “It consists of a competition between seven teams from seven different countries cooking a recipe from their home countries. We will have judges voting on the winner, but it is more of an opportunity to taste foods from different countries.”
The International Cookoff will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Nov. 21 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the entire Kent State community. People are encouraged to stop by, walk through the different stations from each country and sample the food.
This year’s participants represent Bangladesh, China, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
“What thrills me is how widespread the participation is around campus for this event,” Weber said. “Different departments and organizations are hosting different events throughout the week that center on international education. There’s really an event for everybody.”
International Education Week is filled with different opportunities for students to explore different cultures, understand exchange programs, talk with international students and American students who studied abroad and much more.
Weber said there are plenty of events for students to look forward to, such as the Education Abroad Paint and Sip, the Effective Communication Strategy and the Freeman Fellows Info Session events. Counseling and Psychological Services is hosting the Effective Communication Strategy event regarding communication in different settings and cultures.
“The Freeman Fellows Info Session is an event for students to learn about the $5,000 scholarship to intern abroad in Asia for the summer of 2025,” Weber said. “They will go over the application process and also make origami paper cranes to send to the Children’s Peace Monument in Japan.”
See the full International Education Week calendar of events.