International Education Week: Increasing Global Awareness

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- International Education Week, the annual event recognizing the importance of international education and exchange to the community and the nation, will take place Nov. 12-16 with a full slate of free events, including film screenings, musical performances, presentations and exhibitions designed showcase the University at Buffalo's cultural diversity.

"Our goal in presenting International Education Week is to increase global awareness on campus and contribute to the internationalization of students' UB experience," says Ellen A. Dussourd, director of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. "In a small way, International Education Week brings the world to UB. We hope each student will take advantage of the opportunity to have an international experience without having to leave campus."

A highlight of the week will be the Buffalo premiere of "When the Road Bends: Tales of a Gypsy Caravan" at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Student Union Theater, North Campus. Following the screening, Babik, Buffalo's own gypsy jazz artists, will perform at 8 p.m.

The inaugural film in the "Culture in Motion Film Series," "When the Road Bends" tells the story of five Romani (gypsy) bands from four countries traveling through North America on a six-week concert tour for the World Music Institute. The behind-the-scenes view of the tour reveals the musicians' feelings about what it means to be a gypsy, or Roma, and details their lives in Romania, Spain, India and Macedonia.

Other films to be screened in 120 Clemens Hall, North Campus, as part of the "Culture in Motion Film Series" are "The Slanted Screen" (U.S., 2006), 6:30 p.m., Nov. 14; "Just Follow Law" (Singapore, 2007), 5 p.m. Nov. 15; and "Dreaming Lhasa" (India/UK, 2005), 7 p.m. Nov. 15.

Among the other events to be held during the week will be the "Without Borders" lecture series, designed to showcase ways UB operates across national and disciplinary borders. The series will include a presentation at 2 p.m. Nov. 13 in 210 Student Union by Filomena Critelli, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, on "Social Work Without Borders: Beyond the Veil in Pakistan," and a talk, "Arts Management Without Borders: Experiencing the International Arts Scene," by Ruth Bereson, director of the Arts Management Program, at noon Nov. 14 in 145C Student Union. The series will conclude with a panel discussion, "Public Health Without Borders: Comparing the Health Systems of the U.S., Canada and Brazil," at 1 p.m. Nov. 15 in 203 Diefendorf Hall, South Campus. The panel will feature Donald Rowe, John Stone and Megan Gardner of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, and Douglas Sider of the Niagara Region Public Health Department.

Throughout the week, UB student clubs will present sessions that showcase their country or culture. These include dance and percussion performances, tae kwon do and Chinese calligraphy demonstrations, food fairs and display tables that highlight unique aspects of their respective cultures.

A full schedule of events may be viewed at http://wings.buffalo.edu/intlservices/special_events.html

UB joins colleges and universities across the country in celebrating International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. departments of State and Education to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences in the United States.

The celebration is particularly pertinent at UB, which is ranked 10th among 2,700 U.S. universities in international enrollment, according to the annual report released by the Institute of International Education. More than 14 percent of UB students are international students, and UB is number one nationally in terms of international enrollment among public institutions based on percentage of the student body.