Chapman University worked alongside the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to put on the Nov. 16 to Nov. 20 virtual event, International Education Week. This event consisted of daily programs aimed toward preparing Americans for a global environment and attracting future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences.

“(International Education Week) celebrates students who come to the United States to study, students that go to other countries to study, scholar exchanges, idea exchanges and many other global initiatives,” said Jodi Hicks, the assistant director of overseas programs in the Center for Global Education. “We just want to celebrate all of the international activities and knowledge that get shared across the world.”

Chapman has hosted International Education Week annually since 2014, but this year was the first time the event was completely virtual.

Different departments at Chapman and many student clubs hosted a range of activities throughout the week for students and faculty to participate in. Most days, there were two or more events sponsored by international clubs, like a Latinx cooking class and an Israeli-Palestine conflict seminar.

To kick off the week, the Center for Global Education would typically throw a kickoff event called Global Fest, in which international students introduce themselves and their home country at a flag procession in the Attallah Piazza. Normally, students speak in their native languages and perform for the Chapman community to kick off the procession. However, the event was not possible this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Kat Wagner, a freshman economics major, attended the Nov. 17 “Around the Globe” event. Wagner virtually met with many Chapman study abroad alumni to learn about the different programs and courses offered for students that want to attend a foreign university for a semester. She attended a breakout room that focused on a French study abroad program, asking questions about the experience of living in France. 

“The alumni said a lot of things that made me very excited about studying abroad and more eager to learn about French culture,” Wagner said. “I’ve never really left North America, so hearing other students’ stories about going to a country that I've only seen in pictures and movies was very impactful.”

Samantha Jimenez Garcia, the president of the LatinX club, co-hosted a Nov. 16 cooking class and panel discussion, “Sabores Por Todo el Mundo: Latinx Cooking and Global Education Information Class.” Garcia led the students in making arroz con leche, or rice pudding, while listening to stories from Latinx alumni who have studied abroad.

“The whole objective of the club is to create an environment where students feel like they have a community away from home, especially being in college at a predominantly white institution,” Garcia said. “It’s nice to have somewhere you can call home that isn’t necessarily a class or another club and where people understand your experiences and know where you’re coming from.” 

While the fall and spring study abroad programs for the 2020-2021 academic year have been canceled due to the pandemic, the study abroad deadline for the fall 2021 semester is Dec. 4.