International Education Week 2013

November 13, 2013

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Observes International Education Week

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November 13, 2013

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

November 13, 2013

The University of Texas at Tyler recognizes International Education Week with various global activities and celebrations, Dr. Teresa Kennedy, Office of International Programs executive director, announced.

International Education Week 2013, a joint celebration of international cultural and educational exchange sponsored by the U.S. Departments of State and Education, begins this week and continues through Friday, Nov. 22.

UT Tyler international students on campus are invited to gather at the University Center wearing their orange Office of International Programs t-shirts for a photograph tomorrow at noon to commemorate their fall 2013 semester studying at UT Tyler. The university serves more than 200 international students from 35 countries.

“International Education Week is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the importance of the international population on the UT Tyler campus. Bringing students together at the UC gives them a chance to connect with one another during an intensely busy time in the semester,” Kennedy said.

Many UT Tyler faculty are engaged in international activities in an effort to assist their students to gain global perspectives. The 2014 Faculty-led Travel Study Courses include spring break trips to France and Israel as well as summer trips to Belize and Costa Rica. Additional information may be found online at http://www.uttyler.edu/oip/study-abroad/travelstudy.php.

International Education Week kicked off with a successful Tastes of India Diwali Banquet, a collaborative effort between The Indians of East Texas and the UT Tyler Indian Student Association (ISA).

“Diwali is known as the festival of lights and celebrates the victory of good against evil. The banquet included various traditional and Bollywood dances and a fashion show demonstrating the different cultures of various states in India,” said Nithesh Boyanapally, ISA president.

The UT Tyler Global Awareness Through Education (GATE) Program and UT Tyler Honors Program partnered with Ted W. Walters and Associates, L.P. to sponsor a lecture by Karen Elliott House on Nov. 11 on campus. House, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and former senior vice president of Dow Jones & Company, discussed her more than 30 years writing about Saudi Arabia – as a diplomatic correspondent/foreign editor and then publisher of The Wall Street Journal.

“We were excited to host Ms. House and hear her unique perspective on Saudi Arabia – a country whose history, economics and politics affect all of us, not only as global citizens, but as consumers of energy. Ms. House’s talk offered a number of significant insights into how Saudi Arabia works and why it has developed in its own idiosyncratic way,” said Dr. Paul Streufert, UT Tyler executive director of special academic programs.

The UT Tyler Freshman Summer Reading Program also brings an international component to the UT Tyler campus as faculty members are encouraged to incorporate this year’s selected book, “Outcasts United,” into their courses. Under the leadership of Dr. Ann Beebe, UT Tyler Department of Literature and Languages associate professor, the Freshman Book Committee has held a poster contest, refugee panel, “Take a Kid to the Game” event and a community drive for school supplies this year.

In addition, the UT Tyler Intensive English Language Institute opened its doors this fall with two new classes designed to assist non-native English speakers to improve their language and culture skills and will expand to offer more learning opportunities next semester, Kennedy added.

The UT Tyler Office of International Programs leads, champions and serves the university’s mission through several cross-functional units including international research and engagement, study abroad as well as international recruitment and marketing and international student, scholar and faculty services.

For more information about international activities at UT Tyler, visit http://uttyler.edu/oip.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 7,500 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.