Susan O'Rourke | November 13, 2023
Happy International Education Week!
Started by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education in 2000, International Education Week continues to bring together educators as well as “embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations, and community organizations.” The week illuminates the importance of international students and studies to schools in the United States, from kindergarten classrooms all the way through to undergraduate and graduate programs. The week also underscores the importance of preparing U.S. educators and students for a global environment by encouraging them to pursue global opportunities domestically and abroad.
Taking place from November 13-17, International Education Week this year celebrates how “International Education is the Future” by exploring the following themes for each day of the week
- Open Doors to the Future (Open Doors Report):Looking at data and trends in international education and their impact
- You are the Future! The wide array of opportunities available in international education, with growing accessibility
- The Future Is Global: The breadth of international exchange programs
- Innovate the Future: Not every opportunity is in a traditional classroom – the options available in key fields and different settings
- Lead the Future: The ways in which international education is changing the world, now and in the future
Resources to Prepare for International Education Week
- iEARN Projects: UN Sustainable Development Goals (International Education and Resource Network)
- Global Learning & Awareness Lessons (PBS)
- Bring the World to Your Classroom (PBS Learning Media)
- Journeys in Film
UNC-Chapel Hill will also mark International Education Week with a series of lectures and a workshop (both in-person and virtual) that bring global perspectives to members of the NC community, including:
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From Fields to Frontlines: Navigating Food Security in Conflict Zones
- Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | Virtual
- This panel discussion will examine the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine on global food security. International experts from Ukraine and UNC faculty will share their insights and expertise on this pressing matter.
- The Politics of Climate Change in Africa: Key Issues and Debates
- Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | FedEx Global Education Center, Chapel Hill, NC
- This engaging discussion will address the politics and the impacts of climate change in West Africa, exploring key issues, debates, and the delicate balance between development and environmental preservation. Participants will delve into the complexities of climate change in the region and in Africa as a whole, examining the challenges faced by African nations in balancing economic growth with the need for environmental sustainability. This multidisciplinary event aims to shed light on the critical questions that arise from the development-environment paradox in Africa, exploring the many factors at play in efforts to design innovative approaches to addressing climate change while ensuring sustainable and inclusive development.
- Curing Mother Iran: A Lecture by Dr. Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi
- Thursday, November 16, 2023 | 6:00 pm-7:30 pm | FedEx Global Education Center, Chapel Hill, NC
- “Curing Mother Iran” explores how recurring cases of the cholera epidemic int he nineteenth century facilitated the deployment of medical prognosis and diagnosis in Iranian politics. It also explains how the shift from humoral to microbial hygiene led to the reconceiving of jinns as germs, and the emergence of a Pasteurian conception of politics focused on national, social, spiritual, and political health.
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Saturday, November 18, 2023 | 10:00 am-3:00 pm | FedEx Global Education Center, Chapel Hill, NC
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In recognition of National Native American Heritage Month in November, this year’s theme connects with indigenous communities across the globe and thinks about how different people around the world understand ideas of indigenous, local and global identities.Expert speakers from UNC-Chapel Hill and beyond will unpack case studies from Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia that can be deployed to teach North Carolina standards for several different subjects at the Elementary, Middle, and High School levels, as well as provide teaching materials that can be used to adapt these topics to the classroom.
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