A celebration of cultural and ethnic diversity is slated at MTSU’s observance of International Education Week.

From Nov. 13 to Nov. 19, the Office of International Affairs will present a lineup of events to showcase MTSU’s study abroad options and opportunities to discover the variety of nations represented in the university’s faculty and student populations.

Dr. Robert Summers

“International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the opportunities that are afforded to us through international education and exchange,” said Dr. Robert Summers, MTSU’s vice provost of international affairs and a professor of applied linguistics.

“It is one of the ways that the Office of International Affairs at MTSU prepares our students for an increasingly interconnected world. At the same time, it is an avenue to attract future leaders from overseas to study, learn and experience the benefits of an MTSU education.”

International Education Week, which is supported by the United States Department of State and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is Nov. 15-19.

However, MTSU, in partnership with Murfreesboro City Schools and the local nonprofit organization Intercultural Awareness and Education Experience, will begin the festivities early.

• The fifth annual Boro International, a free festival celebrating the intercultural richness of the area, will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, in the Student Union courtyard. Entertainers include Lakota-Sioux hoop dancer Kevin Locke, steel drum musician Tony Hartman and Ballet Folklorico Sol de Mexico. The festival also will feature craft vendors, a children’s game area and cultural exhibit booths.

• MTSU’s student Chinese music ensemble will perform at an open house from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, at the Center for Chinese Music and Culture in the Miller Education Center, 503A Bell St. Chinese instruments and artifacts will be on display. Parking will be available in the Miller Education Center lot.

• Students can submit photos taken outside the United States in a contest sponsored by the Office of International Affairs. Only current MTSU students are eligible, and they must have taken the photos. Submissions must be labeled with the title of the image, photographer’s name and the country featured in the photo and emailed to international@mtsu.edu. The winner will be announced Wednesday, Nov. 24.

• International Affairs staffers will answer questions about immigration and study abroad programs at an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, outside Jones Hall. Free food, games and drawings for mini-scholarships will be available while Layla Rose, a musician from Gibraltar, performs.

In this file photo, MTSU students talk to advisers at the 2018 Study Abroad Fair held in the Student Union atrium. The Office of Education Abroad will provide information about studying in other countries from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on International Students Day, Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Student Union lobby. (MTSU file photo by Jimmy Hart)

• The Office of Education Abroad will provide information about studying in other countries from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on International Students Day, Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Student Union lobby. Student organizations will guide activities to represent MTSU’s diversity from 4 to 7 p.m. in the north commons.

• Education Abroad will sponsor several videoconferencing sessions on Thursday, Nov. 18. Pre-registration for these sessions is at http://mtsu.studioabroad.com. The lineup is:

• Diversity Resources for Study Abroad Students, 9 a.m.
• Study Abroad 101, 10 a.m.
• Understanding Program Costs and Scholarships, 11 a.m.
• Study Abroad Programs in Japan and South Korea, noon.

Students also can test their global expertise with International Affairs staff in a trivia contest Nov. 18 set for 4-5 p.m. in Room S128 of the Business and Aerospace Building.

• The first student to “Find the Flags” on Friday, Nov. 19, and email the Office of International Affairs will win a prize. Beginning at 8 a.m., 10 flags of other nations will be placed in, on or near buildings on campus. To claim the prize, students must send the locations to international@mtsu.edu.

“Everyone is welcome to participate in any of our events,” Summers said. “This includes local schools, embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations and community organizations.”

For more information, contact the Office of International Affairs at 615-904-8190 or go to www.mtsu.edu/intered.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)