November 18 - 22, 2024
Join the national celebration of international education & exchange.
PLU International Student Services and the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education invite you to a week of global events and opportunities. International Education Week is an opportunity for the PLU community to learn together and celebrate international education. This national event is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that prepare U.S students for a global environment and encourage future leaders from other cultures to study and learn in the United States.
At the beginning of this week, applications to study away in 2025-2026 will open. To get the most out of IEW, connect with us on social media and follow our Instagram Stories throughout the week to learn about student experiences, participate in trivia, and more – @wang.center and @pluintl
Explore Events
Throughout International Education Week
The Commons
Check out the Commons’ dinner menu this week for dishes inspired by PLU’s Gateway Program locations. Experience faithful (and tasty) renditions of local cuisines, all from the comfort of campus!
Monday, November 18th
Semester long study away applications for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 open online the first day of International Education Week! Wang Grant and Peace Scholar applications for 25-26 also open.
Place: DJS Lounge, AUC 140
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM and 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM
Please join us in the DJS lounge for our weekly check-ins. During this time of year, we are focusing on advocacy, so this week, we will be reflecting on local/global issues that are impactful/meaningful/important to us. Each student will start by writing a journal reflection on an issue they choose, then write on how they feel it needs to be changed, and how they could be an advocate for it. We will spend the rest of the time having each student create a protest poster; a poster that they would make if they were in a protest about the local/global issue they had chosen.
For questions, contact Center for DJS/ Karmen Taylor-Brown, baldwink@plu.edu
Tuesday, November 19th
Place: DJS Lounge, AUC 140
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Please join us in the DJS lounge for our weekly check-ins. During this time of year, we are focusing on advocacy, so this week, we will be reflecting on local/global issues that are impactful/meaningful/important to us. Each student will start by writing a journal reflection on an issue they choose, then write on how they feel it needs to be changed, and how they could be an advocate for it. We will spend the rest of the time having each student create a protest poster; a poster that they would make if they were in a protest about the local/global issue they had chosen.
For questions, contact Center for DJS/ Karmen Taylor-Brown, baldwink@plu.edu
Place: Xavier 250
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Join the Executive Director and Dean from LCWS, Dr. Ed Hasecke, who will be visiting PLU to learn about your opportunity to live, take coursework, and intern in our nation’s capital, “the other Washington”. While D.C. is best known for being the center of the federal government, this domestic study away program is open to all majors. Attend this info session if you would like to hear about the exciting internship placement opportunities aligned with your unique interests and which provide real-world experience to further your academic and career goals.
For questions, contact Megan Grover, megan.grover@plu.edu
Place: VIRTUAL. Register in advance here to receive the Zoom link.
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Please join us for an interactive Group Presentation Session (GPS) to learn about opportunities for U.S. citizens to pursue graduate or professional study, conduct research, or teach English. During the session, you will find out about the types of Fulbright awards, application components, tips, and get your questions answered. Following the program overview, attendees will enter a breakout room with their Associate Provost Bridget Yaden, PLU’s Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA), to learn more about applying and the support we provide. Register for this event in advance to receive the Zoom link. If you cannot make this event, please still register and we will send you a recording of the session.
For questions, contact Dr. Bridget Yaden at byaden@plu.edu
Place: Morken 131
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
As PLU aims to graduate globally minded Lutes, it is also important for us to educate ourselves and build relationships with the local people of our place. With this, STEMinist & the Native Indigenous Student Association would like to invite campus students to learn about culturally responsive approaches to medicine that are practiced within our Tacoma community. Students will learn about experiences working in Indigenous health care from Indigenous Clinicians from Puyallup Tribal Health Authority.
Guest speakers include Dr. Mitch Kamakeeaina-Ornelas, DO, Dr. Alexis Brendible, MD, and Dr. Amy Cabitnoy, MD from Puyallup Tribal Health Authority.
For questions, contact STEMinist Club/ Lauren Lazarte, llazarte@plu.edu
Place: AUC 214, Chris Knutzen Hall
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Travel the world without leaving PLU! Take a tour of interactive table displays to learn about the unique history, character, and culture of different countries as represented by students who have personal connections to those locations.
For questions, contact Heather Jacobsen, jacobsha@plu.edu
Wednesday, November 20th
Place: Virtual (Email wang.center@plu.edu for link)
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Consider studying away for a semester in the political, cultural and creative capital of one of the most beautiful countries in the world—New Zealand! Join this virtual info session to learn more about your opportunity to take courses at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) and engage with Kelsey Jackson, VUW’s International Recruitment Manager, who will be available to answer your questions! Email the Wang Center at wang.center@plu.edu if you’d like to be added to the g-Cal invitation for the Zoom link.
For questions, contact Megan Grover, megan.grover@plu.edu
Place: AUC 203, Regency Room
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM (choose one)
Do you want to get to know people outside of your normal friend group? Come to LunchConnect and meet students from a variety of backgrounds. We’ll provide the conversation starters and pay for your lunch from the Commons!
For questions, contact Heather Jacobson hjacobson@plu.edu
Thursday, November 21st
Place: UC Tabling (in front of OMM)
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Curious about studying away? Join Global Ambassadors Alina, Luke, & Taezha in the University Center for a casual chat about global education. Whether you’re just exploring your options or ready to open your application, our ambassadors are here to answer questions and share their own experiences. Stop by, get inspired, and start your journey today! www.plu.edu/studyaway/explore/
For questions, contact the Wang Center Global Ambassadors at global.ambassadors@plu.edu.
Place: AUC 201
Time: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
This event gives current Peace Corps Prep students and students interested in Peace Corps Prep an opportunity to gather and get to know each other over pizza. We hope to see you there!
For questions, contact Rick Knowlton, Peace Corps Prep Program Director, knowltrt@plu.edu or the Wang Center wang.center@plu.edu.
Place: Eastvold Auditorium, Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts; Livestreamed at PLU | ARTS
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
The Pacific Lutheran University Steel Band and the PLU Alumni Steel Band will be joined by the Puyallup School District’s “Pans of Steel”. Steel pans originated from Trinidad and Tobago, a small Caribbean island nation. In Trinidad and Tobago playing in a steel band is a strong community activity, in which people from young age to adult are connected through music, dance and history. We are very excited to have the elementary, middle, high schoolers, college students and the community members play together at this concert.
For questions, contact Miho Takekawa, takekama@plu.edu
Friday, November 22nd
Place: AUC, CK Hall
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Global Getdown brings students together to show off something that is culturally significant to them, whether that be a talent or taking part in our flag parade! If you are interested in being a performer or doing the flag parade, contact djs@plu.edu
For questions, contact Center for Diversity, Justice and Sustainability/ Nicole Juliano, juliannh@plu.edu
Study Away 101
Learn the ins and outs of study away at PLU from the Wang Center’s Global Ambassadors!
Gateway Programs
- Gain an in-depth understanding of Trinbagonian culture through a required set of three PLU-designed courses taught by local professors, local experts and US professors
- Examine key issues such as post-colonialism, globalization, diversity, equity, social justice, gender and environmental sustainability in a rich, ethnically diverse culture
- Study at University of the West Indies, a major research institution in the Caribbean, and engage with local students
- Engage with the rich cultural, environmental, religious and artistic diversity of Trinidad & Tobago through a series of study tours and lectures that facilitate student participation in Trinidad’s expressions of the Hindu spring festival of Phagwa, the West African Orish and Shouter Baptist festivals, the Muslim Hosay commemoration, and the world famous Trinidad Carnival
- Experience the traditional fishing village of Charlotteville, Tobago, as it explores new directions in organic gardening, marine research, and sustainable tourism
- Explore Mexican history, development, society and environment through an interdisciplinary view of Ancient, Modern, and Contemporary Mexico
- Learn about U.S.-Mexico relations and gain an in-depth perspective of Mexican immigration to — and the hispanization of — the United States
- Experience approaches to, and strategies for, social change, and the value placed on these processes by diverse groups in the Oaxaca region and across Mexico
- Integrate academic knowledge and intercultural skills in an internship with a local nonprofit organization focused on an issue related to your academic, personal or professional goals
- Build knowledge of pressing issues facing Mexico today through extended study tours to Mexico City and the states of Puebla and Morelos
- Increase Spanish proficiency to advanced, advanced plus or superior through a complete immersion program
- Study at Sichuan University, one of China’s most prestigious universities, with students from all over China and the world
- Develop your Chinese language abilities with courses available at all levels
- Engage with local communities through study tours to rural farms, local villages and nearby monuments
- Deepen your understanding of the various cultures of China through study tours to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall in Beijing, and Xian, whose famous Terracotta Warriors and Wild Goose Pagoda are reminders of China’s prominence in the world as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road
- Experience Tibetan culture with a week-long study tour exploring Buddhist temples and shrines, contrasting with China’s ethnic Han majority
- Study at the premier University of Namibia alongside students from Namibia and countries across Africa and the globe
- Engage in a practicum in a local school and complete a robust set of courses aligned with PLU’s program requirements (Education students)
- Learn about this young democratic country with a focus on a historical perspective of Namibia from colonization to democracy
- Engage with indigenous people, cultures, and the country’s unique geography on study tours, through rural homestays in the villages of northern Namibia and visits to Namibia’s renowned national parks and game reserves
- Create your own batik art in a 3-day workshop in Windhoek
- Engage with the local community through an internship or volunteer work with community organizations
- Spend January enrolled in a context-setting, intensive course on non-Western history taught by a local Namibia historian
- Experience the “Oxford tutorial” — weekly one-on-one sessions with Oxford faculty and graduate students, aimed at bringing forth the students’ own powers of judgment, thought, and argumentation e Learn to “read” the United Kingdom through the disciplinary lens of the semester’s Site Director — a PLU-IHON faculty member who will teach a place-based 200-level seminar and lead you on study tours in London, Manchester and other sites
- Apply what you’re reading and learning to your own experiences in the 4-credit, discussion-based “Living and Learning in Oxford” course, also led by the PLU Site Director
- Become an Associate Member of an Oxford college with dining and other privileges in the college
- Take part in induction into the world-renowned Bodleian research library, including more than 20 Oxford branches, where you have full research access and reading privileges
- Complete two of your 200-level IHON seminars — one in the form of an interdisciplinary tutorial with Oxford faculty and graduate students, the other with the PLU Site Director
There is an opportunity for a small number of non-IHON students who are a good fit for the program to study in Oxford. Get in touch with Dr. Strum to learn more!
- Challenge the perception of the “sameness” of Western societies by experiencing the rapidly changing Norwegian culture and society and Norway’s active engagement in defining and redefining its roles internationally and within its borders
- Examine the Norwegian approach to contemporary issues in a central location with engaged faculty whose specialties include Peace and Conflict Studies, African Studies, International Relations, Middle East Studies, Polital Theory and more
- Study in English alongside Norwegians majoring in Peace & Conflict and International Studies
- Immerse yourself in Norwegian culture, history, geography, society, and politics with the “Norway—An Introduction” course (not for credit) that includes excursions in and around Oslo
University of Southeastern Norway
Study in Bø:
- Engage in an active campus community at the University of Southeastern Norway and experience the local natural landscape as an extension of classroom learning
- Live and learn in an environment that challenges cultural assumptions and helps you to see your discipline and the world through a Norwegian lens
- Explore Telemark, a region known as “Norway in miniature” and known for its rich cultural tradition and outdoor life
- Focus on Environmental Studies, Natural Sciences, Marketing and Management, Business, Kinesiology, or Norwegian Language and Literature
Study Kinesiology in Vestfold:
- Engage in an active campus community at the University of Southeastern Norway and experience the local natural landscape as an extension of classroom learning
- Focus on Kinesiology in the Exercise and Health Management program
- Examine the Norwegian health system and work life and social laws regulating health and sick leave through project management development and apprenticeship
- Live and learn in an environment that challenges cultural assumptions and helps you to see your discipline and the world through a Norwegian lens
- Put theoretical components into practice at the Vestfold campus’ stunning gym and pool facilities or in the stunning natural setting with numerous outdoor recreation options
Featured Programs
“Not Your Ordinary Study Abroad.” Experiential hands-on learning, homestays, language learning, finish with an independent research project or an internship. Focused around a program theme.
Featured SIT Programs Include:
- Rwanda – Post-Genocide Restoration and Peace Building
- Morocco – Field Studies in Journalism and New Media
- Morocco – Migration and Transnational Identity
- Morocco – Multiculturalism and Human Rights
- India – Public Health, Gender and Community Action
- India – Sustainable Development and Social Change
- Indonesia – Arts, Religion, and Social Change
- Mongolia – Nomadism, Geopolitics and the Environment
- Nepal – Development, Gender and Social Change
- Nepal – Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples
- Vietnam – Culture, Social Change, and Development
- Serbia – Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Balkans
Overview of SIT
Vietnam
Indonesia
Morocco
Morocco
Nepal
India
India
Rwanda
Mongolia
Course options in STEM disciplines, indigenous studies, humanities, social sciences and much more
Course options in STEM disciplines, humanities, social sciences and more.
Choose between a language immersion track (Language & Area Studies) or one of two English-based academic tracks (Metropolitan and Urban Studies / Security Studies and International Affairs)
Study music performance, history and more, variety of elective options
Study music performance, history, and more, and take a German class, variety of elective options / Choose from a variety of psychology courses and elective options
Language immersion French Honors program / English-based academic tracks in Art – Business and Intl. Relations – Humanities & Social Sciences, French class required
This is a great fit for adventurous students interested in science and the environment. ENVT majors can choose the Sustainability & the Environment academic track, and the Tropical Ecology & Conservation track is designed for Biology students
Spanish language and cultural immersion program, homestay, various excursions around Spain
Course offerings in STEM disciplines, humanities, social sciences and more. Great course options for Political Science and Global Studies students.
Questions about study away?
Get in touch with us at wang.center@plu.edu
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