The week of October 23, the HBS community had the opportunity to show its diversity-and we rose to the occasion with an impressive display of talent and multicultural flair.
One third of the HBS population is comprised of international students. International week gives them a chance to showcase their culture and talents, and allows others to learn and experience those cultures, fostering debates, openness and tolerance in the spirit of fun.
This year, International Week was a great success with the participation of over 40 countries representing all five continents. The week of events included international movies, chats with renowned BGIE professors Vietor and Abdelal, and culminated with the Food Festival and Cultural Fair.
Fireside Chats
Professor Vietor engaged a select group of students on the topic: “Stuck in the Middle: Porter’s Idea and How Countries Compete”. Professor Abdelal discussed “Energy Politics in Russia and Eurasia.” The fireside chat format gave small groups of students the opportunity to casually discuss topics that are of interest to them with renowned professors. It was a new event for International Week that turned out to be extremely popular.
International Movies
Keeping with a yearly practice, a variety of international movies were showcased, two of which were sponsored by LASO. It was a great opportunity for students to discover foreign films.
Food Festival
Over 40 countries presented their traditional food for tasting in SFP and OWA common rooms. Those who stopped by sampled sushi and devoured delicious African foods, while dancing to Latin rhythms of our South American classmates. Every year, the Food Fair exceeds expectations and this year was no exception!
Cultural Fair
Friday, a myriad of colors and beats surrounded us as international students adorned their traditional costumes, displayed traditional art at their country tables and put together astounding performances ranging from a Japanese rock band to Brazilian drums.
The event ended with the distribution of prizes.
Best costume: Colombia
The Colombian women dazzled us with their flowing white and red skirts.
Best Display: South Korea
Simply beautiful!
Best Performance: India
The Indian group showed incredible skills and coordination and the music just made you want to join them on stage. Great job!
That was the International Week 2006. Till next year.
