The Global Brown Center hosted International Education Week from Nov. 15 to Nov. 2, spotlighting the experiences and cultures in Brown’s global community.
International Education Week is a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, according to Brown’s website. The initiative is intended to “promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.”
Throughout the week, the center held nine events, ranging from World Trivia with Dean Rashid Zia ’01 to a discussion with immigration attorney Liz Goss, alongside talks, socials and a Global Opportunities Fair.
The week was organized in collaboration with the School of Professional Studies, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, the Sheridan Center and the Graduate Student Council, among other organizations on campus.
“Over the years, it has grown from a smaller series of events into a campus-wide celebration that highlights the incredible diversity, cultures and stories our international students bring to Brown,” GBC Director Andrew Heald and Assistant Director Ruby Cheng wrote in a statement to The Herald.
“Each year, we try to add new programs and collaborations, making it more engaging and reflective of our community,” Heald and Cheng added. This year, the week also included a Culture Night Celebration that sold out — welcoming over 200 student, Heald wrote.
The Graduate Student Reunion also hosted over 100 international graduate students who engaged in community-building activities as well as networking, according to Heald and Cheng. The reunion is one of Cheng’s favorite events.
“What makes it truly special is the energy in the room — students from all over the world sharing their experiences, forging new friendships, and supporting one another,” Cheng wrote. “It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”
One of Heald’s favorite events was the Education, Migration, and Belonging Panel. In collaboration with the Swearer Center and the International House of Rhode Island, the panel showcased the international community across education levels — from high school to PhD and beyond.
“The stories shared were complex, challenging and inspiring,” Heald wrote.
One such story was that of Anna Johnson, program coordinator for the Student Clinic for Immigration Justice. In partnership with the Brown Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies, SCIJ provides students with resources related to immigration justice advocacy.
“Everybody has a story. Everybody has a reason why they’re migrating, you know, and sometimes with all that goes into migration, the beauty of the story gets lost,” Johnson said.
“Panels like this showcase the importance of migration.”
Johnson migrated from Liberia when she was a teenager to escape the Second Liberian Civil War. Another member of the panel was a high school student who had migrated to escape the Syrian civil war.
“We want to make sure that while our stories are challenging and the struggles that we face, we also want to highlight the celebration that comes with migration,” Johnson added.
As the week came to a close, various global study programs set up booths at the Global Opportunities fair in the Sayles auditorium. Organizations represented ranged from the Brown Office of Final Aid to the Center for Language studies to the Office of Global Engagement.
Assistant Director of Global Programs Chris Van Booven joined the Office of Global Engagement at Brown in January 2023, but worked at international education weeks at other universities before coming to Brown. Despite the change in schools, the sentiment of the week remains.
The office is “mainly just trying to shine a big bright light on all things global,” Van Booven said, emphasizing the importance of cultivating bridges between both domestic students who want to go abroad and international students who are abroad for school.
Heald and Cheng expressed a hope that International Education Week “fosters deeper understanding, connection, and appreciation for the diversity that makes Brown so unique.”
“It’s about creating a space where everyone feels their stories and identities are valued, and where we can learn from one another,” they added.
Hadley Carr is a senior staff writer at The Herald.
