International Education Week: Upcoming Events

Colorful "world balls" filling a suitcase

International Education Week

November 17-21, 2025

SPU celebrates our global through International Education Week. This includes Study Abroad, International Students, Intercultural Clubs, and International Faculty and Staff!

All week: International Education Stories
Weter Bottom Level/SUB
Monday, Nov. 17
- 11 a.m.-2 p.m. International Education Week & Study Abroad Info Table
  Gwinn 1st Floor
  Learn about International Education Week and Study Abroad opportunities.
- 7-8 p.m. Study Abroad Info Session for Emerson Hall
  Emerson Lobby
  Emersion Hall! Study abroad alumni Sabi Garcia will be hosting a study abroad info session and sharing stories in the lobby.
Tuesday, Nov. 18
- 9-11 a.m. Free Passport Photo Image
  2nd Floor SUB
  Ready to travel but don’t have a passport or visa photo yet? This is your moment! Hosted by the Center for Career and Calling, come and get your photo taken to support your travel application documents.
Wednesday, Nov. 19
- 4:15 p.m. Virtual Study Abroad Info Session & Alumni Panel
  Microsoft Teams
  Are you wondering about study abroad? Join this virtual info session to learn more about faculty-led and quarter/semester study abroad programs at SPU. Alumni will be joining to share stories from their experiences abroad.
Thursday, Nov. 20
- 12-2 p.m. International Student Day Celebration!
  Weter Bottom Level
  Learn from your peers: food, language, and holidays from around the world. Hosted by International Student Services and MEP.
- 12–1 p.m. ALBA Study Abroad in Barcelona Info Session hosted by ALBA & College of Business and Technology
  McKenna Innovation Lab
  RSVP here
  Barcelona is calling! SPU’s program partner, ALBA, will be on campus to share about this study abroad option with specialized courses is business, economics, international studies, politics, history, and Spanish studies.
Friday, Nov. 21
- 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Free Passport Photo Image
  2nd Floor SUB
  Ready to travel but don’t have a passport or visa photo yet? This is your moment! Hosted by the Center for Career and Calling, come and get your photo taken to support your travel application documents.

2024 Global Photo Contest

We want to see how you have engaged globally! Submit your favorite photo showing us how you have participated in global education this past year. We will select one photo from each of the following categories: People, Places, Culture.

Each photographer was able to submit one photo per category, for a total of up to three photos. This year's call for entries ended Nov. 22. See the winners below.

2024 Winners

It is our honor to share with you all our 2024 Global Photo Contest winners:

Young Girl Rajahmundry. Grandmother being honored at a Mother's Day banquet in Rajahmundry, India.

People – Emily Huff

Young Girl in Rajahmundry, India
A young girl in Rajahmundry at her coming-of-age ceremony and celebration.

The Imam Ali shrine is the burial site of one of the most revered figures for Shi'ite Muslims. As many as 20 million visitors come each year. Dr Alissa Walter visited the Imam Ali shrine as a delegate for a conference on a Muslim-Christian dialogue in Karbala, Iraq.

Culture — Alissa Walter

Imam Ali Shrine, Karbala, Iraq
The Imam Ali shrine is the burial site of one of the most revered figures for Shi'ite Muslims. As many as 20 million visitors come each year.

1. Langtang Valley was victim to a tragic landslide in the 2015 Nepali earthquake that took the lives of 175 villagers, 27 local tourism staff, and 41 foreign trekkers. The village has not been rebuilt but the surrounding villages have honored their memory in a memorial mani wall.

Place — Sarah Snodgrass

Langtang Valley, Nepal
In the 2015 Nepali earthquake, Langtang Valley had a landslide that killed 175 villagers, 27 local tourism staff, and 41 foreign trekkers. The dead have been honored in a memorial mani wall.

2024 Honorable Mentions

For their contribution to worldwide, impactful experiential learning, the following two photos have received a honorable mention designation.

In the SPU Study Abroad coral restoration class last August, students set up fragments on a nursery table in the waters of Bali.

Tim Nelson

Bali Coral Restoration
In the SPU Study Abroad coral restoration class in August 2023, students set up fragments on a nursery table in the waters of Bali.

The Demilitarized Zone in South Korea is a sacred place for the Korean people, and it was a powerful experience for us to visit and reflect on the ongoing pain of war.

Paul Kim

Korea DMZ
The Demilitarized Zone in South Korea is a sacred place for the Korean people. It was a powerful experience for us to visit and reflect on the ongoing pain of war.