I Am Global Week is a week during which Brandeis celebrates the global achievements of its community and allows for international and domestic students to work together to display said global community. I Am Global Week features many events such as the Mega-Language Lunch (MELA) and the Global Bazaar. I Am Global Week was previously known as International Education Week and is a U.S. Department of Education and State-sponsored week. This week attempts to recognize educational and cultural global efforts.
In an email interview with The Brandeis Hoot, Kruti Jethwa ’22, a global fellow, explains that “I Am Global Week is a time for reflection, celebration, education, discussion, and more.” Global fellows are student leaders “who view Brandeis University as a global campus and are enthusiastic about promoting international education, the integration of international and domestic students, and awareness of global issues through our annual I Am Global Week,” according to the Brandeis website.
Jethwa illustrates her own experience, explaining, “as an international student, a Wien and a Davis scholar, acknowledging and truly being an advocate of celebrating multicultural global identities has been important to me.” Jethwa believes that this week is about overcoming barriers and understanding the definition of the word global. She describes how the word global is a “sense of conscience, a sense of thought process… Global Week gives us a chance to break our stereotypes and see the world as is.”
Each global fellow has specific tasks for the week, yet they can also help each other with events. Their main role is to make sure that all of the events proceed smoothly and are able to connect with the people at the events. Jethwa explains that her favorite event is the Global Bazaar. At this event, clubs set up tables in which they share ethnic foods and games, along with information about each of their cultures. It is a time for the exchange of cultures and identities, which allows individuals to become more educated on the many cultures that are represented here at Brandeis.
At the kickoff event for I Am Global Week, three volunteers, Anum Amin Kanjani M.A. ’20, Ji Chen ’23 and Aicha Tavares ’19, along with the Assistant Director of the International Students and Scholars Office Adrea Papdopoulos, passed out T-shirts with the I Am Global Week logo and talked about the importance of this week and their favorite events. I Am Global Week is a time to appreciate the diversity that Brandeis has and celebrate all the cultures present at Brandeis.
Papadopoulos began working at Brandeis in April and helped to coordinate the calendar for I Am Global Week. She highlighted how one of the goals of I Am Global Week is to get student organizations and departments involved.
Kanjani said she got involved in I Am Global Week because she is a Fulbright Scholar from Pakistan and wanted to make sure there was representation for Pakistan at Brandeis. Chen is from China and wanted to promote her culture, she explained. Tavares got involved because she wanted to learn more about the world and where individuals around her come from, she said in an interview with The Hoot.
Overall, I Am Global Week is a time for individuals to come together, share identities and celebrate their cultures. It also provides a space for individuals to become more educated about other cultures.
