[FULL SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES]

Murray State University will draw together all its international components to celebrate International Education Week with festivities Nov. 14-20.

Mandated by the Clinton administration in 2000, International Education Week invites different cultures to participate in academic activities and celebrate their heritage through cultural presentations, bazaars, keynote speeches and special activities.

Two athletic events kick off the festivities on Saturday, Nov. 14. At 8 a.m., the institute will host a 5k run/walk or 10k run starting at the Murray State gates at the corner of 15th Street and Olive Boulevard. There will also be a one-mile fun run for children of all ages. That afternoon, the Murray State International Ambassadors will sponsor the first Murray State Olympics for international students. The opening ceremony begins at 2 p.m. and includes soccer, badminton and volleyball games as well as a spectator trivia competition.
Throughout the week, the Ten Thousand Villages sale will offer home and gift items made by world artisans, while the International Bazaar on Nov. 18 gives Murray State international students from Cyprus, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Finland and other countries the opportunity to showcase their own cultures to IEW spectators.

Presentations topics include international slang, Gambia culture, Austrian happiness, worldwide healthcare, environmental justice, Amnesty International, Fullbright scholarships, HIV/AIDS awareness, global partnerships and world labor issues. Lecture presenters include Murray State faculty, study abroad veterans and senior thesis students, as well as special guests.

Additionally, two special seminars on Nov. 19 are offered for spectators. That afternoon, Bharathi Rao, senior consultant at Infosys global technology service provider, will address international negotiation strategy. That evening, Russ Owens, deputy director of Washington, D.C.’s External Relations Center for Strategic & International Studies, will speak at this year’s Global Alumni Distinguished Lecture Series.

Two keynote speeches are planned for the week. The first, on Nov. 18, features Istvan Feher from Hungary’s Szent Istvan University speaking about strategies to survive the world food crisis. The second, on Nov. 20, features author Franz Wisner speaking on the experiences surrounding his New York Times bestselling book, “Honeymoon with My Brother.” Wisner’s lecture will bring IEW festivities to a close. For more information about Murray State’s International Education Week, contact the Institute for International Studies at (270) 809-2277. All events are open to the public at Murray State’s Curris Center and free of charge, unless otherwise noted on the website.