International Education Week Sparks Global Focus

International Education Week (IEW), occurring from Nov. 10 to 20, is an annual schedule of events that seeks to inform students about other countries and inspire prospective undergraduates to study abroad.

Adrienne Nussbaum, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) and co-chair of IEW alongside Director of the Office of International Programs (OIP) Nick Gozik, said she is hopeful that IEW will stimulate international academic interests among students.

“Hopefully it will promote interest in all things international such as study-abroad, choosing an international studies major or minor, being an international assistant to an international student, joining an intercultural club, but mostly, hopefully it will make people more interested and curious about international issues, and open their minds and hearts,” she said in an email.

Nussbaum said IEW seeks to highlight the importance of students becoming more knowledgeable about varying cultures, and to reveal how important international education is to the Boston College community. IEW, which Nussbaum developed at BC about five years ago, was part of a national initiative by the Departments of State and Education in 2000.

“I knew about the national initiative and wanted to bring it to BC to highlight all of the many impressive things BC is doing in the area of internationalization both on campus and abroad,” she said.

According to Nussbaum, there are approximately 1,400 international students at BC—a number that has consistently risen each of the last six years.

Nussbaum said she believes that some events may have significantly better turnouts than others, but that she remains optimistic for high attendances.

All of the intercultural clubs on campus are encouraged to participate in IEW. For instance, the International Club of BC and the Graduate International Student Association are two of the numerous clubs that regularly host events during IEW. If a student wishes to get involved with IEW, Nussbaum recommended that he or she can either join an intercultural club or attend some of the events during the 11-day event.

The first IEW event—a photo exhibit titled The World Through Our Eyes, which will feature photography from across the BC community—is slated to begin on Monday, Nov. 10, and will take place on the first level of O’Neill Library. The last event of the week, Tweeting in the Time of Cholera: Networking, Social Media and Justice in Haiti, is scheduled to occur in the Barat House on Newton Campus, according to the OISS website.

Planning for IEW, Nussbaum said, is a long process. “There is a committee of about 10 to 15 people from several offices and departments who meet regularly starting in the summer,” she said. “However, there are many other academic departments, administrative offices, and student organizations involved.”

Featured Image by Daniel Lee / Heights Senior Staff