By Ayoung Lee | Staff Writer

Dr. Carl Hefner, an anthropology professor, has been running the International Education Week (IEW) at Kapiʻolani Community College for 18 years and this year there will be events held from November 13 to 15 around the campus. The IEW is an event that the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State established together to prepare students for a global environment and encourage studying abroad.

While students are encouraged to attend as many events and performances, as there are some notable events on each of the days, Hefner suggests sitting in the front row of performances for the full impact.

The International Education Week is filled with many opportunities to learn about different cultures. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Carl Hefner)

On Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Lama library at 10:45 a.m., Jack Anderson, a veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service and diplomat at the East-West Center, will be speaking about the current U.S. and U.N. relationship status. Anderson will do a 40-minute talk followed by a chance for students to ask questions. For those who are more into music, there will be an International Music Concert by the MUS 206 class at the ʻŌhiʻa cafeteria directed by Professor Anne Craig Lum. It will be performing instrumental and vocal music from other countries such as Korea, Canada, and the Philippines.

For Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the ʻŌhiʻa cafeteria, there will be a Japanese game and illustration contest. Illustrations of famous Japanese landmarks will be shown and students will have to try to name them. Along with the contest, there will be a display of manga and anime from Japan. There will also be a special performance from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. by the Japanese 102 students and their tutors also in the cafeteria with guest musician Iroha Mochida, a student, and her sanshin, an Okinawan instrument with three strings and is considered the soul of Okinawan folk music.

On Thursday, Nov. 15, there will be activities and performances all day. From 11 to 11:45 a.m. in the cafeteria, Bryan Tolentino and Herb Ohta Jr. will play the ʻukulele. Tolentino is a self-taught musician who has a repertoire of Hawaiian, contemporary, and original songs. Ohta Jr. is an international recording artist and is considered to be one of the most prolific ‘ukulele masters today. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the U.S. Passport Agency booth will inform those about getting a passport and address any questions about passports or foreign travel. At Kokiʻo 202 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., students from STEM will be presenting their undergraduate research experiences and experiences from interning abroad and how students might go about getting these opportunities. There will also be a potluck celebrating international cultures at this presentation.

For more information about International Education Week visit official website.