International Education Week
Each year, the U.S. Department of State & Education sponsor International Education Week (IEW). IEW is a celebration of the importance of international education in the United States. During IEW, the Office of International Services works with units around the university to host several cultural programming events.
November 16-20, 2020

Monday, November 16
09:00 – 10:00 a.m. Cultural and Academic Transition
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Hosted by international student, Nigam Bopanna, and sponsored by New Student Programs. One of the most common challenges international students face is dealing with “culture shock”. In this event, we would like to cover the various cultural shocks and academic challenges that international students might face during the initial months in the US and how to deal with such challenges.
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Presentation by the State Department’s Diplomat in Residence for the Midwest, Ron Packowitz
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Learn about diplomatic careers and internships at the U.S. Department of State. Foreign Service officer Ron Packowitz will share highlights from his 20-year career representing America abroad.
Tuesday, November 17
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Peace Corps Presentation by Nyassa Kollie, former Peace Corps Volunteer
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Learn about the history of the Peace Corps and how you can apply to serve the U.S. abroad.
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Global Brigade Reunion with Dr. Phyllis West, Dr. Nicole Koonce and our GSU Brigaders
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Connect with Global Brigade coordinators and alumni to learn more about the work that has been done abroad at GSU and the impact we are making around the world.
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. The Spirit of Service and Global Service Learning Scholarship Announcement
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Join us as we discuss how service abroad can translate into service locally. We will share with you the good work that our very own GSU students are doing in their communities and announce the winners of the Global Service Learning Scholarship.
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. In the era of Bad Bunny: An interactive discussion on the rise of Latino influence on the American music industry in the 2010s.
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A short presentation will be presented followed by an open discussion on the topic. Participants are encouraged to share a song that has had an influence on them or on the music industry.
Wednesday, November 18
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Do you want to be a global citizen? How a pandemic can prepare you for study abroad.
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Presentation by Dr. Henrietta Boudros, Communication Disorders, on the transferable skills learned during the pandemic, how they prepare you for study abroad and your future career. Discussion to follow.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Voices of Fall/Voces del otoño
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Bilingual Poetry and Prose Reading and Conversation hosted by Dr. Rey Andújar with special guest writer Oswaldo Estrada.
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. GSU Exchange Program Info Session with Kansai University in Japan
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Learn about how you can do a semester in Japan while paying GSU tuition. Meet with Kansai University exchange program coordinator, Miyako Sato.
Thursday, November 19
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Showcase of GSU’s International Film Festival Short Films
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Opportunity to watch and discuss international short films from this year’s Chicago Southland International Film Festival.
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Mohan to Mahatma Gandhi – Life & Legacy
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Presentation and discussion led by Dr. Sriram Sonty on the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.
Friday, November 20
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Netflix Watch Party “Digits”
Join us in watching the episode “Digits” from a docuseries called Connected and chat along with your peers! All you need to participate is a Netflix account and Netflix Party extension.
Visit www.netflixparty.com/ to use the extension. Email lmedina2@student.govst.edu for a link to join the chat room. Sponsored by ICO and GPN student clubs. For more information, please contact ois@govst.edu.
Story shared by: Sydney Schurman