When is International Students’ Day?
International Students’ Day occurs on November 17th.
What is International Students’ Day?
Living far from home can be hard. It can also be tremendously rewarding. Millions of students travel internationally every year, exchanging valuable perspectives and learning about new cultures. International Students’ Day celebrates the cultural diversity that international students bring to foreign universities.
Events at the spark of World War II inspired this observance. Nazis arrested 1,200 students from Czech universities in early November of 1939, sending them to concentration camps for anti-Nazi demonstrations. The Nazis then shut down all Czech colleges and universities. International Students’ Day lands on November 17th in memory of the nine students and professors executed without trial in the wake of these arrests.
What began as a dark day for education has become a day to celebrate learning across cultures. So use International Students’ Day to appreciate the diversity of cultures found on college campuses around the world.
Fun facts about International Students’ Day!
- Many countries have light academic regulations for plagiarism, at least until students reach PhD level.
- UNESCO found that more than 4.8 million students travelled internationally for their education in 2016.
- Approaches to grading often vary by country. This might be one adjustment international students have to make.
- The U.S. generally receives the most international students each year.
How to celebrate International Students’ Day:
- Learn about other cultures on campus. Seek out fellow students from other nations. Ask about their home, their food, and how your language differs from their mother tongue.
- If you’re not a student, you can still participate by supporting international students. Get to know the international students at the colleges and universities in your city. Take them on tours of the city, invite them to your home, and talk about their homeland. It can help them tremendously with homesickness and culture shock.
What’s the hashtag for International Students’ Day?
Use #StudentsDay on social media to celebrate your multicultural campus.