International Education Week will take place from Nov.,”Next week will mark Marquette's first year participating in International Education Week, a nationwide event dedicated to increasing awareness about international students, cultures and educational opportunities.

International Education Week will take place from Nov. 12 -16, and will include international cuisine, films, seminars and projects, according to Blake Ward, international communications coordinator.

The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education developed International Education Week in 2000 as an initiative aimed at promoting international education and developing global citizens, Ward said.

Susan Whipple, assistant director in the Office of International Education, said the main purpose of the weeklong event is to expose students and faculty at the university to international opportunities and provide information about some of the diverse student groups at Marquette.

"We have many goals for this week, academic as well as cultural," she said. "We want to allow students to learn about other cultures in a variety of ways, whether it be through a film or a shared meal or a lecture."

Whipple said one of the events she has seen interest in for next week is the Indonesian Lunch, which will be held Tuesday. Tiro Daenuwy, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and a student ambassador for the Office of International Education, will host the luncheon. He will prepare traditional Indonesian dishes for the public and present a presentation about Indonesian culture.

Daenuwy, a native of Indonesia, said although he has enjoyed his experience thus far at Marquette, this week is especially important because the students here still have a lot to learn about other cultures.

"Some people here express interest in international issues," Daenuwy said. "But some people are so comfortable living in the U.S. that they aren't interested in looking outside their own borders."

Ward said Marquette has been stepping up its efforts in international education and that next week is just one part of that process.

"The Office of International Education was just developed last spring, so we now have a central coordinating location for all international issues," Ward said. "This is a major step forward for international efforts and internationalization at Marquette because now we have the resources to coordinate these efforts around campus."

Ward said Marquette's role in international education and the international community is growing, with 425 international students from 73 different countries now making up more than 4 percent of the student population.

He said around 16 percent of Marquette students participate in study abroad program.

"I personally think studying abroad is one of the most important things you can do as a student," Ward said. "It combines academics and real world learning into a truly unique experience, and what you learn outside the classroom is equally valuable to what you learn within the classroom."

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