Asbury Celebrates International Education Week 2018
November 16, 2018
Asbury University makes global learning a priority so its students can truly start here and impact the world. This week, the University welcomed new opportunities to expand students’ intercultural awareness through International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education to bring opportunities to American students that encourage global awareness and engagement.
Asbury’s Global Engagement Office (GEO) hosted a series of events throughout the week to showcase and encourage cross-cultural education and engagement amongst current students.
The week began with a photo presentation from Eliza Tan ’20 who traveled to the Middle East through the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) Middle East Studies Program.
On Thursday, a Coffee and Conversation event was held in which Asbury Paris Semester alumni answered questions and shared stories about studying abroad in France’s capital city with interested students. Professor Kim Okesson also gave a seminar on individualistic and collectivist cultures.
The exciting and celebratory week ended on Friday with Cuban food trucks parking on campus, giving students an opportunity to experience authentic Cuban cuisine, including empanadas, plantain chips, rice & beans and sandwiches.
“I really like how [GEO] brings all these opportunities to campus,” said Bailey Lane ’20, “It brings so much culture to us.”
GEO serves to increase Asburian cultural competence and awareness through programs like International Education Week and study abroad experiences, coordinating opportunities in France, China, Japan, Great Britain and other destinations across the globe. It also supervises the Cross-Cultural Engagement requirement for all students at Asbury, in an effort to ensure maximum preparedness for students going out to impact the world. All traditional undergraduate students must complete a CCE experience in order to graduate.
Katherine Sheets ’20 is heartened by Asbury’s commitment to helping students become citizens of the world through its cross-cultural programs and on-campus events.
“I’m in favor of the encouragement of cross-cultural education and engagement,” said Sheets. “I really like what they are doing with it. I think more people should voluntarily go out of their way to get an experience outside of their own culture.”