A discussion on the hot-button topic of refugees, lunch and learning with a Peace Corps volunteer and pointers on the game of cricket are just a few of a wide range of activities that took place across Wayne State's campus during International Education Week (IEW),
Nov. 14 - 18.

The Office of International Programs (OIP) organized a full slate of educational and fun events to mark IEW, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange.

Drawing attention to the rich cultures and languages that make up the Wayne State community (more than 2,400 of the university's 27,000 students are international and come to Detroit from nearly 80 countries), students enrolled in the English Language Institute (ELI) taught common phrases to American students during an afternoon fair, and another information session was devoted to the opportunities for undergraduate research abroad.

Other events included a photography exhibit in the Undergraduate Library featuring images from the travels of students and faculty who studied and vacationed around the globe in the last year, and a screening of the documentary film, "Girl Rising," which supports a global campaign for girls' education and empowerment.

The OIP team and representatives from the Office of Admissions, the Transfer Student Success Center, Office of International Students and Scholars, University Advising Center and a variety of academic programs hosted an open house for more than 200 people in Windsor, Ontario, with the aim of recruiting more Canadian students to WSU. This fall, 506 Canadian students enrolled at WSU, second only to India, from which 967 students originate.

While IEW is a major focus for the international program staff, OIP is busy throughout the year facilitating the exchange of students and scholars between Wayne State and more than 150 educational and research facilities worldwide.

OIP comprises the Office of International Students and Scholars, which receives and supports students and academics coming to Detroit; Study Abroad and Global Programs, which works with students seeking an educational experience outside the United States; and the ELI, an intensive program that prepares non-native English speakers for academic and social success.