Western University’s International Week 2017 begins today, bringing together Western’s students, faculty and staff with the wider London community to celebrate and experience the international diversity and opportunities available at Western.
Taking place from November 13-17, the week features cultural experiences, panel discussions, presentations, workshops, displays, tours and other activities designed to inspire participants to build their intercultural skills and become more globally aware and engaged.
There are currently 4,300 international students from 127 countries studying at Western and more than 2,200 students go abroad each year through international learning programs in over 40 countries.
Of note this year is the Canada 150 Art Installation & Music Premiere, taking place Wednesday, November 15, 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Western International and McIntosh Gallery invited proposals from current Western students for a work of public art on the theme of “150 Years of Canada in the World”. The winning artist, Paul Chartrand, recent MFA graduate from the Department of Visual Arts at Western, received a $2,500 award. His artwork will be installed for two years in the International and Graduate Affairs Atrium, and will be unveiled at the event. The event will also feature the premiere of five six-minute works written by Don Wright Faculty of Music PhD student composers – Matthew David Becker – Excursions sur un rêve; Aaron Lee – The Blind Caravan; Jeff Lupker – Katajjaq Impressions; Andrew Noseworthy – One Stalk, One Arrow, No Stalk, No Arrow; and Edgar Suski – Polaris-Nocturne. The compositions will be performed by such notable musicians as mezzo-soprano Anita Krause.
Other International Week events include:
Opening Celebration – Monday, November 13, 12-2 pm
Cultural performances and demonstrations across campus at various locations, including community groups and alumni, as well as student clubs
Life in the Margins: Supporting International Gay Students – Tuesday, November 14, 1-4 pm
Keynote speaker and alumnus Stephan Tang, BA’01, from Ryerson University, will highlight support services for international students in the LGBTQ+ community. This will be followed by a panel discussion, networking opportunities and information on resources for students.
Africa-Western Collaborations Day – Wednesday, November 15, 4-7 pm
Keynote Speaker, Morten Jerven, Professor in Development Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences will deliver a speech titled, “Africa: Why Economists Get it Wrong”. This will also include poster presentations from students doing work in Africa, cultural presentations, and a display of African artifacts from Western’s own McIntosh Gallery.
The full International Week schedule is available at https://international.uwo.ca/week/schedule.html
MEDIA CONTACT: Stephen Ledgley, Senior Media Relations Officer, Western University, 519-661-2111 x85283, sledgley@uwo.ca
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