Connecting, Building, and Sharing: Exploring the world with SMU’s International Education Week

November 26, 2022 

“In my family, we have this saying “Joue bien, mange bien et dort bien, et le rest s’arrangera.” “In Japanese, we have multiple pronouns for the first person. It really depends on the context, such as formality and genders.” These are just a few examples of cultural knowledge shared in the Global Vending Machine event during International Education Week 2022. 

Saint Mary’s University celebrated its annual International Education Week (IEW) on October 31-November 4, 2022. The week-long event highlighted the value of international education through 14 events, ranging from information sessions about the exchange program and international field schools to a voyage around the world through the Sounds of Culture, the capstone event “Stories from Overseas”, and the local high school’s climate action project, Better with Bees. Events were held in-person and online and were offered in partnership across many university departments and with community members. 

“IEW is an important opportunity for our students to engage with their international and intercultural communities in Halifax and abroad. It was exciting to bring our events back to an in-person environment and delve into important topics of culture, experience, and engagement,” said Michaela Peters, Project Manager in the Global Learning and Intercultural Support Office. 

International Education Week is an annual celebration held in more than 100 nations around the world to highlight the important role that international education plays in fostering global citizenship. Every year, the Global Learning and Intercultural Support Office hosts IEW to celebrate international and intercultural education opportunities on campus and around the world for SMU students, faculty, and staff. 

Explore the highlights of IEW 2022 and event recordings at https://studio.smu.ca/iew2022. Stay tuned for the 2023 call of proposals and join us in next year’s celebration of international and intercultural experiences at Saint Mary’s University. 

Visit the Global Learning webpage to learn more about SMU’s international education opportunities.