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News Release

Contact: Anne Seitzinger, NIU Study Abroad Office
(815) 753-0700

November 8, 2005

International Week will celebrate NIU diversity

DeKalb, Ill. — Northern Illinois University will commemorate the sixth annual International Week, from Nov. 15-19, with an array of activities designed to enhance awareness and appreciation of the diverse international cultures represented on campus and in DeKalb.

NIU celebrates International Week in conjunction with the national observance of International Education Week, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education.

“All of us in international education salute these federal agencies for recognizing the strategic national importance of encouraging students and faculty to cross borders in both directions,” said Deborah Pierce, executive director of NIU’s Division of International Programs.

“Particularly at this critical time, it is vital for the people of the United States to learn more about the citizens and cultures of other nations,” Pierce added. “Through international education, we enhance U.S. national security.”

A highlight of the week will be the founding induction ceremony for NIU’s newest honor society, Zeta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Delta. Seventy-eight faculty, staff and students have been elected charter members to the honor society for international scholars. The society aims to recognize those who enhance the international perspective in higher education across the country and around the world.

NIU Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Hemphill, inducted into Phi Beta Delta at the University of Arkansas, will speak at the induction ceremony, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. Pierce, who was first inducted into the Chapter at the University of Toledo and subsequently founded another at Loyola University Chicago, is Midwest regional vice president of the international society.

Also on Nov. 18, the International Recognition Reception will honor NIU faculty and students whose work has promoted international and cross-border understanding. Rathindra Bose, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School, will speak at the reception, which begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center. The Outstanding International Educator Award will be presented to an NIU faculty member who has contributed significantly to international education through his or her teaching, research, public service and student service.

International House, the B-wing of Douglas Hall, will be hosting an International Exposition from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, and Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the lobby of Douglas Hall. Other I-House activities include a weeklong International Bulletin Board competition and South Asian henna hand painting (while supplies last) at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Douglas C-D cafeteria.

Other International Week activities will include a faculty/graduate student panel on aspects of Islam. The panel will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 15, in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.

The week will close with a brown-bag luncheon at noon Friday, Nov. 19, in Room 110 of the Campus Life Building. The speaker will be NIU graduate student Nicolaus Harjanto, who will describe the recent presidential elections in Indonesia.

All International Week events, with the exception of the honor society induction, are free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www3.niu.edu/intl_prgms/intweek.htm or contact International Programs at 753-9526.

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