By Michela Gritti
International Education Week (IEW) officially launched Monday, Nov. 17th, here at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP), with a colorful Parade of Flags, setting the stage for a week of global engagement and cross-cultural learning.
The parade, organized by the Office of Global Engagement (OGE), started at 10a.m. Students, faculty, and OGE staff marched from Belk Hall to the UC Annex, led by the Braves Hawk mascot and lively music. The event featured participants proudly carrying the flags of dozens of nations, celebrating the diversity present in BraveNation.
“The goal of the IEW is for the whole world to understand how big and significant education around the world is,” said Thomas Tyner, Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement. “Here, we want to try to make our university global and open the gaze on the world.”
The spirit of inclusion was evident as even students and staff from the local community carried flags of foreign countries. The fact of having people from here holding flags of other countries, showed, once again, that it doesn’t matter where you come from—you can be global no matter what.
The parade also marked the launch of the Global Passport Challenge, encouraging students to attend IEW events throughout the week for a chance to win prizes. The challenge includes two main elements:
- – Participation Prize: Attend at least six events, collect all the required stamps, and drop off the completed passport at the Office of Global Engagement during their operating hours to receive a surprise gift.
- – Grand Prize Drawing: Students who fully complete their passports with stamps from various events will be entered into a drawing for one of three grand prizes.
Rosa Ball, Assistant Director of International Student Engagement, emphasized the importance of following the rules and added a critical reminder: “Make sure your passport is fully completed with stamps from different events. If not, it would not be eligible.”
Also, this launching event encouraged students to embrace the week’s spirit of discovery. “If you’re an international student take the opportunity of this week and go out to talk to somebody about your country,” Tyner suggested.
🔗 For a full list of IEW events, visit: https://braveweb.uncp.edu and get access to MyUNCP or Brave Connect and follow the Instagram page @uncpglobal !