SF State will celebrate the 5th International Education Week on Nov. 15-20.

“(It) highlights the importance of international education,” said Jennifer Wissink, International Education Week coordinator.

International Education Week at SF State started in the fall of 2000 and was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Education because of former President Bill Clinton’s international education policy.

The educational week is a good opportunity for both international students and American students, especially those going to study abroad, to learn about each other, said Wissink.

“We have many cultures, but we don’t know alot about each other,” she said.

SF State's multiple cultures are shown in its population. Out of a total of 29,686 total students at SF State, African Americans make up 7.2 percent, Latinos 7 percent and Asians 23.5 percent, according to the Fall 2003 Ethinicity Report. SF State also has about 2,600 international students from over 100 countries, according to the SF State Web site.

Learning about other cultures opens students’ eyes and minds, and that creates a better future, said Wissink.

Various events include international film screenings, lectures, workshops and art exhibits held during the week. About 10 or more programs presented by departments -- mainly the Foreign Language Department -- and student organizations will be held everyday from morning to night, according to the schedule of the International Education Week 2004.

CultureFest is a new event this year. About 10 student organizations such as the Indian Student Association and the Taiwanese Student Association will introduce their countries to others at Malcolm X Plaza at 11 a.m. on November 18. If it rains, CultureFest will be held at the Rosa Parks room in the Cesar Chavez Student Center, according to Wissink.

The International Education Exchange Council, one of the student organizations participating, supports the event in order to promote understanding about each culture, said Nora Fillipp, an officer of the council.

“In our world of globalization and international cooperation, this is an essential value,” said Fillipp, a German exchange student majoring in American studies and American literature.

Wissink hopes that International Education Week inspires people to go to different countries or to study abroad and plants seeds to grow interest in other cultures and educational exchanges.

For more updated information, visit the website www.sfsu.edu/~oip