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A group of students from outside the U.S. was on a recent trip to Atlanta with others enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. At a visit to the World of Coca-Cola Museum, they watched a promotional video titled, \u201cA Celebration of Happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among other scenes, a returning soldier surprises his family at a basketball game, followed by hugs and shocked, happy laughter from loved ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the German students were saying, \u2018Yeah, you would never see that in Germany,\u2019\u201d recalled Kelsey Simoni, senior coordinator of the UTC Center for Global Education.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don’t celebrate things like that in Germany,\u201d she said of the depiction of emotion and sentiment. \u201cIt\u2019s one of those cultural things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being introduced to customs from other countries is one of the objectives of International Education Week, celebrated Monday, Nov. 14, through Friday, Nov. 18 with free events in Lupton Hall. See all of the University\u2019s planned events here<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n This semester, 158 international students from 47 countries attend UTC, including 75 undergraduates and 83 grad students. Simoni said countries represented include China, Sudan, Ukraine, India, the Netherlands, Iceland, Australia and Kuwait.<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal when planning anything, either for International Education Week or basically anything for the office over the year, is to have a cultural exchange between our international students and our domestic students,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t have to go out of the country to have those conversations and those experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education, International Education Week is described by its organizers as an effort \u201cto promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n Exposure to traditions from cultures around the world enhances the educational experience for both international and American students, Simoni said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cross-cultural exchange and learning about other cultures begins to open your eyes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the biggest thing that’s really good is you begin to go, \u2018Huh?\u2019 You kind of question, \u2018Why do we do what we do?\u2019 Meaning that, from each culture, somebody asks, \u2018Why do you have this event? Why do you have this day?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Monday, Nov. 14<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/11\/IEW_email-graphic-2022-1024x456.png\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nInternational Education Week Events<\/strong><\/h4>\n