International Coffee Hour provides an opportunity for students from around the world to gather and connect over coffee and games every Friday during fall and spring semesters. Each week a different multicultural student organization co-hosts the free global event.

International Education Week 2023

Article by Stephanie Ferrell and Grace Kearns Photos by Evan Krape and courtesy of the Center for Global Programs and Services November 10, 2023

UD celebrates global exchanges, study abroad and international students on campus in Newark

All year long, the University of Delaware works to support, celebrate and expand its global community of Blue Hens. From hosting thousands of students and scholars from more than 100 countries, to sending one-third of all undergraduate Blue Hens on once-in-a-lifetime study abroad programs around the world, to attracting talented and engaged faculty and global partners, internationalizing UD is a top priority of the University.

UD offers dozens of globally focused majors and minors and multicultural student organizations and hosts hundreds of global engagement opportunities including International Coffee Hours and iHouse Culture Nights to help internationalize the student experience on campus.

Every November, the University takes a moment to celebrate these accomplishments during International Education Week (IEW), an annual week-long celebration of global communities, connections and cultural identities. For more than two decades, the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Education have sponsored this tradition as a way of promoting exchange programs and fostering future global leaders. This year, universities all across the country will be celebrating IEW from Nov. 13 to 17.

At UD, the campus-wide celebration is already underway.

The Indian Graduate Student Association brought art, artifacts, chai and snacks to a recent International Coffee Hour to celebrate Diwali. Every week a different multicultural theme or student organization takes center stage at this free weekly global gathering in the Trabant University Center.

The Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) is kicking off International Education Week on Friday, Nov. 10, with a special International Coffee Hour, which will highlight Korean culture. Every Friday, International Coffee Hour brings together around 150 international and domestic students looking to make connections, practice language skills and embrace new traditions. In honor of International Education Week and Korean Week 2023, CPGS will be partnering with the Korean Graduate Student Association (KGSA) and the Asian Studies Department to host the weekly event and serve tteok-bokki, or spicy rice cakes, a popular Korean street food.

Over the weekend, the festivities will continue with International Games Day, featuring board games, trivia and a Smash Bros Ultimate tournament on Saturday, Nov. 11, at Morris Library. Then, on Sunday, Nov. 12, the entire UD community is invited to a special performance from award-winning musicians JIJI and Danbi Um in Gore Recital Hall. This 100-minute program will take audiences through a musical journey, exploring traditional and contemporary classical to free improvisation on the guitar and violin.

One week is not nearly long enough to highlight the importance of global engagement among the Blue Hen community. Beyond the programming that UD offers, CGPS regularly contributes to the field of international education through research on the international student and scholar experiences in the U.S. One example of such contribution is Associate Provost for International Programs Ravi Ammigan's upcoming book, Supporting International Students in US Higher Education: A Theory-Based Approach, to be published by Palgrave Macmillan later this year. With more than 50 articles published in the past four years, CGPS’s vast contribution of scholarship on this subject has earned UD a reputation as a leader in the field of international higher education.

The University welcomed more than 400 new international students this fall with a series of virtual and in-person events, including a Global Welcome Lounge, campus tours and International Student Orientation.

“Every year, we look forward to IEW as a way to reflect on the incredible global experiences held on our campus and at the more than 200 institutions we are proud to partner with around the world,” Ammigan said. “UD is known as a pioneer of international education. These programs we sponsor, not only during IEW, but throughout the entire year, are just part of our effort to optimize UD’s impact as an international university.”

On Monday, Nov. 13, the formal launch date of International Education Week 2023, the UD World Scholars will host an iHouse Culture Night highlighting Diwali Festival of Lights. The World Scholars Program is just one of the initiatives Ammigan refers to that embraces intercultural awareness and understanding at UD. Throughout the semester, World Scholars host this series of multicultural events, exposing the UD community to new countries, cultures, and traditions in the iHouse living-learning community on Ray Street.

Vina Titaley, associate director of international student engagement and success, talks with students about global events such as International Coffee Hour and study abroad opportunities at the Involvement Fair.

CGPS staff provide support and hundreds of opportunities for on and off-campus engagement. Pictured, Vina Titaley, associate director of international student engagement and success, talks with students about global events such as International Coffee Hour and study abroad opportunities at the Involvement Fair.

Units across campus will join in on the IEW festivities specifically to celebrate the 100th anniversary of study abroad. “The Delaware Experiment: 100 Years of Study Abroad,” an exhibit sponsored by the Department of Library, Museum, and Press in Morris Library, will showcase the early years of international education at UD throughout the week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Department of Langage, Literatures, and Cultures — the department in which Raymond Kirkbride launched the first-ever study abroad program for credit in 1923 — will host a two-day celebration of the centennial anniversary with games, a photo booth and giveaways outside Jastak-Burgess Hall. University archivist Lisa Gensel, who is leading the effort to expand the University’s current collection, will discuss UD’s pioneering study abroad history at a virtual lecture with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on the “Delaware Foreign Study Plan” on Friday, Nov. 17. CGPS will continue its monthly tradition of hosting faculty members at Facul-TEA Time on Thursday in the Faculty Commons; this month’s focus will be on the Faculty Scholars program and proposals for 25W study abroad programs.

Throughout the week, CGPS and campus partners will host a variety of webinars and workshops promoting global opportunities and professional development, beginning Monday with a CGPS webinar for international students hoping to study abroad outside of the United States and a Career Center workshop exploring how studying abroad can foster personal growth, cultural competencies and global career paths. On Monday, Nov. 13, a webinar about the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science fellowships will be held for staff, faculty and graduate students interested in funded research opportunities in Japan.

Blue Hens enjoy the UD Global Festival in Alumni Circle each spring.

The Center for Global Programs and Services offers hundreds of global engagement opportunities throughout each year. Blue Hens enjoy the UD Global Festival in Alumni Circle each spring.

On Tuesday, Nov. 14, the International Scholar Orientation will welcome new J-1 exchange arrivals, while the Study Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation will share important information with students planning to study abroad this upcoming winter and spring. CGPS and the Honors College will host a special event with UD alumnus Bill Russo, the Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. Bureau of Global Public Affairs, focused on post-graduation Department of State travel and career opportunities on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Lastly, on Thursday, Nov. 16, there will be an information session for international students to discuss post-graduate plans, including work authorization opportunities in the U.S.

Other highlights of the week include a performance from the UD World Percussion and Steelbands, featuring Dejeme and Dunun music of the Malinke culture on Tuesday, Nov. 14, as well as a Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, Nov. 19, for UD’s international community to wrap up the week-long celebration.

For the full calendar of events, visit the IEW at UD web page and follow along @UDGlobal on Instagram and X. Share your favorite moments using #IEW2023.

From Delaware to the World

2023 marks the 100-year anniversary of study abroad, pioneered at the University of Delaware in 1923 when UD language professor and World War I veteran Raymond Kirkbride took eight students to France for their junior year. Today, UD boasts more than 100 study abroad programs in 40-plus countries and has an international student population that hails from over 100 countries.

If you would like to be a part of study abroad’s 100th anniversary celebration by supporting global learning for UD students, you can make a gift here. Please also visit the UD Abroad Blog for student perspectives on the study abroad experience.

About the Center for Global Programs and Studies

The Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) at the University of Delaware is home to the operations of UD Global, which includes Study Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services, World Scholars Program and Global Outreach and Partnerships. The Center provides leadership and collaborative innovation in support of all of the University's global initiatives and campus internationalization efforts, with its Global 360 Strategy serving as a roadmap for infusing international perspectives throughout the University’s scholarship, research, and service missions. Focused on a student-centered approach, CGPS provides expert advising and a wealth of global engagement opportunities to the UD campus community, including the weekly International Coffee Hour in the fall and spring semesters.

Follow and engage with @UDGlobal on Instagram and X for the latest updates on everything global happening at UD.