After receiving an award in Campus Internationalization, Dickinson College kicked off International Education Week (IEW) on Monday, Nov. 18. IEW is an initiative directed by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote and celebrate international education. 

IEW is an “effort to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences,” according to the State Department website. 

Dickinson College was awarded the Comprehensive 2019 NAFSA: Association of International Educators Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. This was the second time the college received the award, the first time was in 2003. Dickinson College was recognized on March 12 and the awards ceremony takes place each year during IEW in Washington, D.C. Dickinson College is the first institution in the U.S. to have received the award twice. The other 2019 winners of the comprehensive award were Brown University, Kirkwood Community College, Miami University and West Virginia University. 

“The Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that are making significant, well-planned, well-executed, and well-documented progress toward comprehensive internationalization—especially those using innovative and creative approaches,” according to the NAFSA website. The award is named for the former Senator Paul Simon (D – IL), who passed away in 2003. Simon was an advocate for international education and cross-cultural learning. Paul is also the namesake of the Seantor Paul Simon Study Abroad Program-Act, a bill that incentivizes U.S. institutions to make study abroad an integral part of higher education by creating a grant program, according to the Dickinson College website. 

Dickinson College is celebrating IEW this year with specific events and regular campus events that connect to IEW. The Waidner-Spahr Library hosted the Collaborative Art Project on Monday, Nov. 18, and Dickinson will also hold the International Education Week Table in the dining hall which will be held from Monday, Nov. 18 to Friday, Nov. 22 from 11:00-1:00 p.m., a Live Stream of the Paul Simon Award, which will be held Thursday, Nov. 21 from 4:00-5:30 in the Stern Center and an informative session on Careers in International Education which will be held on Friday, Nov. 22 from 11:00-1:00 p.m. in the HUB Underground. Each event is meant to promote international education. Regular campus events that connect to IEW include regular language tables, the Italian Film Festival, Pre-Departure Orientations for study abroad programs, and Clarke Forums. 

Simran Dali ’22 said that “I did hear about [IEW] through WIND and I managed to color the map set up in the library on Sunday, which was pretty cool, as it was already mostly filled up. I also really liked the fact that they’re doing different regions every day in the caf because it’s recognizing all of the students who are here from all over the world.” She continued to say “Dickinson is going great in that aspect [of promoting global education], seeing that I’m able to be here and take advantage of the education that the college is offering.”

Bishma Tuladhar ’22, explained that she appreciates the college’s initiatives towards enhancing global education on campus and abroad. “But as an international student, I feel like there is always more room to learn more about global issues and cultures and I think the international education week is a good way to learn about it.”