Golden West Celebrates International Education Week

three women

In celebration of International Education Week (IEW) 2017, Golden West’s Center for International and Intercultural Programs (CIIP) hosted a series of events November 13-17. They began the week with a faculty spotlight campaign highlighting GWC professors bringing unique international perspectives to the classroom. On Tuesday, GWC Political Science staff members Shirin Sahani and Emmet MacRaghnaill hosted a Global Challenges & Solutions Workshop. Students at the workshop explored the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a variety of perspectives and worked in teams to discuss proposed solutions.

On Wednesday, Golden West’s 2nd Annual International Festival showcased diverse world cultures and experiences on campus and included study abroad opportunities, country-themed booths, GWC services and academic departments engaged in internationalization, as well as cultural performances and international foods.

The week’s events rounded out on Thursday evening when international students, study abroad participants, faculty and friends gathered for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2017 GWC International Students’ Outstanding Professor Award. Many congratulations to this year’s recipient, GWC Business faculty member Bern Baumgartner!

Established as a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education in 2000, IEW is now celebrated annually in over 100 countries.  IEW events aim to promote international understanding and build support for international educational exchange by encouraging the development of programs that prepare students to live and work in a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study in the United States.