The “2019 International Week” hosted by the Office of International and Cross-strait Affairs (OICA) kicked off in mid-October with a lecture regarding studying in Japan made by Changhua YMCA and got a full house at the event. The atmosphere really livened up when the Japanese lecturer introduced traditional Japanese yukata culture and invited a few students being present to try on this garments themselves.

The International Week, which is part of the five-year Higher Education Sprout Project sponsored by the Ministry of Education, aims to develop students’ multi-cultural perspectives and facilitate the exchange between local and overseas students to further increase their motivation for studying abroad. There will be daily events during the week from the 18^th to the 26^th, including a series of lectures in Mandarin, English and Japanese, multicultural activities, and a school’s anniversary carnival showcasing global food cultures. It is worth mentioning that there will be an American indigenous advocate, an Australian Jazz singer and a Japanese teacher invited to give lectures during the week, making the annual event even more international.

The International Week includes five lectures on global cultures and a hands-on workshop, covering multi-cultural aspects of China, France, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and Taiwan indigenous people. The topics involve the comparison of the philosophy of architecture in Beijing and Paris, the Austronesian identity of Taiwan indigenous people, how music can build cross-cultural connections, how to make traditional Vietnamese dishes, among others.

The international food stands set up at the school’s anniversary carnival on October 26 are something shouldn’t be missed. Foreign students are going to cook their home town dishes to share with local students, marking the International Week a perfect ending.