International Education Week (IEW) recognizes the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. At The University of Texas at Austin, we mark this nationally celebrated initiative by showcasing global engagement through internationally focused programs, discussions, and events across campus. IEW took place from November 17-21, 2025
Monday:
IEW Kickoff Breakfast
- Date: Mon, Nov 17
- 9-11am
- Location: Texas Global Lounge
- Register Here
- Join ISSS and UHD for a festive International Education Week Kickoff Breakfast! Connect with students, scholars, and faculty from around the world, enjoy a buffet breakfast, and learn about IEW events happening all week.
- Thank you to University Housing and Dining for sponsoring this event!
Building Intercultural Skills Workshop Series – Workshop #1: Grasping (at) Culture: What is it and How Do I Know?
- Date: Mon, Nov 17
- Time: 5-6pm
- Location: Texas Global, 2400 Nueces, Suite B
Cultural competence is a skillset and mindset that you can learn for the rest of your life. Living and studying in different cultures creates an opportunity to grow in these areas, but culture is everywhere (and underlies more than we realize!) In this reflective and practical series, you will build a solid foundation to understand your own culture and how to engage effectively and appropriately across cultures.
Space is limited. You may select from any workshop in the series, but attending all three is encouraged.
Lion Dance Showcase
- Date: Mon, Nov 17
- 6-7pm
- Location: UT Main Mall, 110 Inner Campus Dr.
- The Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team invites you to their weekly practice, where you can learn about the fundamentals and culture of lion dance and watch them perform!
Tuesday:
What F&J Students Need to Know
- Topic: Health Insurance
- Date: Tues, Nov 18
- -10am
- Location: Texas Global Lounge, 2400 Nueces, Suite B
- This session will inform international students about the proper usage of their medical insurance, including how to access care, understand their benefits, and navigate the claims process.
Public Tour: Contemporary Artists at the Blanton
- Date: Tues, Nov 18
- 12:30-1:30pm – in English
- 2-3pm – in Spanish
- Location: Blanton Museum of Art
Gain a deeper understanding of key contemporary works of art during this public tour. A trained gallery teacher will guide you through works by contemporary artists, providing context and insights behind the artworks on display. This tour will feature works in the Blanton’s collection and from the Contemporary Project.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the tour. The tours can accommodate a maximum of 25 people on a first come, first serve basis. Please check-in with the Visitor Services Desk to secure your place.
View all Blanton Museum events at https://blantonmuseum.org/programs/.
Tea & Tawla with Middle Eastern Studies
- Date: Tues, Nov 18
- Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm
- Location: Robert L. Patton Building (RLP) 1.302D
- Find More Liberal Arts Events
- You’ve likely heard about or seen the game Backgammon- also known as tawla, tavla, shesh besh, and takhteh, among other names. Join the Middle Eastern Studies faculty and community for Tea & Tawla, a fun hour of learning, gaming, and sipping tea! You will hear about the history and cultural significance of Backgammon in the Middle East, then learn the rules and play the game together.
Building Intercultural Skills Workshop Series – Workshop #2 – Cultural Break-down: Peering Into Dimensions of Culture
- Date: Tues, Nov 18
- Time: 5-6pm
- Location: Texas Global, 2400 Nueces, Suite B
In this informative workshop, we will discuss a framework for describing dimensions of culture, such as individualism vs. collectivism, indulgence vs. restraint, and low vs high power-distance. We will look at how they may show up in different national cultures, and reflect on relative differences and similarities between US and other cultures. This workshop is helpful for anyone who wants to understand their own or others’ cultures more.
Cultural competence is a skillset and mindset that you can learn for the rest of your life. Living and studying in different cultures creates an opportunity to grow in these areas, but culture is everywhere (and underlies more than we realize!) In this reflective and practical series, you will build a solid foundation to understand your own culture and how to engage effectively and appropriately across cultures.
Space is limited. You may select from any workshop in the series, but attending all three is encouraged.
International Tile Painting
- Date: Tues, Nov 18
- Time: 7-8:30pm
- Location: George I. Sánchez Bldg (SZB) 1.510
- Join International Student and Scholar Services to explore ceramic art styles from around the world and design your own tile!
- Registration is required.
Texas SOCA Dance Workshop
- Date: Tues, Nov 18
- Time: 7-9pm
- Location: Bellmont Hall (BEL) 502A
- Join the Texas Students of Caribbean Ancestry (SOCA) for an interactive dance class where their officers will teach students and members choreography styles within the SOCA genre of music. Join them for this opportunity to meet the organization and spread their culture in a fun and inclusive method!
Wednesday:
Latinx Pop Lab’s End of Semester Bash
- Date: Wed, Nov 19
- Time: 10am-3pm
- Location: Patton Hall (RLP) 4.102
- Register on the LatinX Pop Lab website
- The semester is almost over, and you deserve a break! Please join the Latinx Pop Lab’s End of Semester Bash for a day of fun, games, and good vibes!
- Board games for the strategic minds, video games for the competitive spirits, and arts and crafts for the creative souls
- Snacks will be provided (because you can’t party on an empty stomach!)
- For more information, visit the LatinX Pop Lab event page.
Harry Ransom Center Guided Tour
- Date: Wed, Nov 19
- Time: 1-2pm
- Location: Harry Ransom Center (HRC) Lobby
- See all current exhibitions at the Harry Ransom Center
Join the Harry Ransom Center for a 45-minute, focused tour on three historically significant, international collection items at the Ransom Center, including the Gutenberg Bible, Niépce Heliograph, and Frida Kahlo’s “Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird”. Explore these works and learn more about the Ransom Center’s collecting and research mission.
Talk Time with International ESL Students
- Free Snacks & Swag provided!
- Date: Wed. Nov 19
- Time: 3:45-4:45pm
- Location: Parlin Hall (PAR) 206
Looking for a fun and meaningful way to meet new people from around the world? Join us for ELC Talk Time, a weekly event where UT students and community volunteers chat with English Language Center (ELC) students to help them practice everyday listening and speaking skills.
Each week features a new topic to spark engaging conversations and cultural exchange. No teaching experience needed—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to talk!
Arabic Language Table
- Date: Wed, Nov 19
- Time: 4-5pm
- Location: Calhoun Hall (CAL) 516
- More Information Here
- Join the Department for Middle Eastern Studies for the Arabic Language Table! The Arabic Table is an opportunity for Arabic students and speakers to practice their language skills in an informal setting
Film Screening: In the Summers
- Date: Wed, Nov 19
- Time: 5:30-8pm
- Location: Dealey Center for New Media (DMC) Auditorium, 2.106
- The Department of Radio-Television-Film and Latino Media Arts & Studies present a screening of IN THE SUMMERS, followed by a conversation with filmmaker Alessandra Lacorazza and RTF Assistant Professor Iliana Sosa. The screening will start at 5:30 pm, and the conversation will immediately follow.
Thursday:
Public Tour – Spirit & Splendor: El Greco, Velázquez, and the Hispanic Baroque
- Date: Thurs, Nov 20
- Time: 2-3pm
- Location: Blanton Museum of Art
Join this guided tour to learn more about Spirit & Splendor: El Greco, Velázquez, and the Hispanic Baroque. Featuring 57 masterpieces from the esteemed collection of The Hispanic Society Museum & Library, Spirit & Splendor traces a 150-year history of Spanish painting that culminates with the Baroque, a style characterized by dramatic realism, opulence, and religious devotion. Through close looking and conversation, we will make meaningful connections to the works of art on display. Learn more about the show on the “Spirit & Splendor” exhibition page.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the tour. The tours can accommodate a maximum of 25 people on a first come, first serve basis. Please check-in with the Visitor Services Desk to secure your place.
Building Intercultural Skills Workshop Series – Workshop #3 – Cultural Transition: How to Manage Stress From Change?
- Date: Thurs, Nov 20
- Time: 5-6pm
- Location: Texas Global, 2400 Nueces, Suite B
In this final workshop of the series, we’ll discuss the idea of “culture shock” as simply a form of stress from transition. We’ll share stories and strategize about how to work through transition stress using a helpful framework. This workshop is helpful for anyone experiencing stress from change (everybody!)
Cultural competence is a skillset and mindset that you can learn for the rest of your life. Living and studying in different cultures creates an opportunity to grow in these areas, but culture is everywhere (and underlies more than we realize!) In this reflective and practical series, you will build a solid foundation to understand your own culture and how to engage effectively and appropriately across cultures.
Space is limited. You may select from any workshop in the series, but attending all three is encouraged.
Texas French Society Meeting
- Date: Thurs, Nov 20
- Time: 5-6pm
- Location: Homer Rainey Hall (HRH) 2.112
- If you want to practice more French and have fun, this is the place for you! Join us every other Thursday from 5-6 pm.
International Open Mic Night
- Date: Thurs, Nov 20
- Time: 6:30-9pm
- Location: Cactus Cafe
Join ISSS for an International Open Mic Night at the iconic Cactus Café! Share your talents—whether music, poetry, comedy, or storytelling—or simply enjoy performances from students and scholars around the world. Celebrate creativity, community, and culture in a cozy Austin landmark.
Friday
Thanksgiving Pie Social for ELC Students
- Date: Fri, Nov 21
- Time: 12:45-1:45pm
- Location: CBA 4.304
Learn about Thanksgiving in the US with your friends in the ELC. Bring your lunch and enjoy traditional Thanksgiving pies for dessert!
Turkish Tea and Conversation Hour
Date: Fri, Nov 21
Time: 2-3pm
Location: Calhoun Hall (CAL) 516
The Turkish Tea and Conversation Hour is an informal gathering that facilitates Turkish speaking practice and friendships among members of the UT community who are Intermediate, Advanced or heritage/native speakers of Turkish. All UT students, faculty and staff who speak Turkish at the Intermediate level or higher are welcome!
Afro-Latin Student Association – Film Screening: Eliane
- Date: Fri, Nov 21
- Time: 3-4pm
- Location: Gordon-White Building (GWB) Multipurpose room
The Afro-Latin Student Association (ASA) invites you to join us for a special short film screening showcasing works from different Latin American countries. This event celebrates the rich African cultural heritage that continues to shape Latin American identities, histories, and artistic expressions.
Come watch, learn, and engage in conversation about the African presence in Latin America and its impact on contemporary culture!
ISSS Social Hiking November
- Date: Fri, Nov 21
- Time: 5-7pm
- Location: HEB South Congress
Join fellow international students and scholars for a relaxed urban hike along Congress Avenue! We will be meeting at the South Congress H-E-B (accessible from the 1 or 801 bus- Oltorf Station (SB), Stop ID: 4046), then we’ll walk back together toward campus. Along the way we’ll pass specialty shops, the Congress Bridge, the Texas Capitol grounds, and plenty of restaurants and local sights.
Korean Film Screening: “Painted Fire”
- Date: Fri, Nov 21
- Time: 5-8pm
- Location: Meyerson Conference Room (WCH 4.118)
The Korean Program in Asian Studies is proud to present the Fall 2025 Korean Film Screening Series! Join us for the film screening of Painted Fire (2002) directed by Im Kwon-Taek. This acclaimed drama chronicles the life of nineteenth-century painter Jang Seung-eop (Owon), whose groundbreaking style transformed Korean art.
Light refreshments will be provided along with a brief introduction to the historical background of the film. The film will conclude with an engaging group discussion.
