November 10, 2025
SVSU celebrates International Education Week
Events include food festival, panel discussion
Saginaw Valley State University has long fostered global connections, establishing partnerships with universities around the world, engaging in faculty exchanges, and promoting and facilitating study-abroad opportunities for domestic and international students.
In celebration of International Education Week, SVSU invites the community to two events: the 27th International Food Festival and a panel discussion exploring the role of global engagement in education.
SVSU’s International Student Club will host the 27th International Food Festival on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Marketplace at Doan dining facility. A $13.50 fee allows diners to enjoy all they care to eat.
This year, 30 students from 12 countries will share their cultures through cuisine from their home countries. With assistance from the SVSU dining services staff, students prepare the dishes, decorate their serving stations and serve patrons during the event.
Gabriel Rathke Bartholomay, a computer science major from Brazil and president of SVSU’s International Student Club, said, “This is one of the best opportunities that international students have to get together to prepare their dishes from home and share their food culture with others. Our club members always look forward to this event. Hopefully, the public does, too.”
Featured dishes this year will include:
• Panqueques, crepe-like flat cakes, from Argentina
• Kadaif, a dessert with walnuts, from Albania
• Bún bò Huế, a spicy noodle soup, from Vietnam
• Gahwa, Arabic coffee
• Momo, steamed or fried dumplings, from Nepal
• Kinderpunsch, a non-alcoholic (children’s) punch, from Germany
• Pão de queijo, baked cheese bread, from Brazil
• Bulgogi, marinated sliced meat, from South Korea
• Chicken Khichuri, comfort food made with rice and lentils, from Bangladesh
• Lychee pork, a sweet-and-sour dish, from China
• Curry udon, a noodle dish, from Japan
On Thursday, Nov. 13, SVSU’s Office of International Programs will host a global engagement panel centered on the theme “Let There Be Peace.” The event takes place from 12-1:30 p.m. in Seminar Room G in SVSU’s Curtiss Hall.
Pat Shelly, SVUS international student advisor, will deliver a keynote address, which will be followed by a panel discussion. Panelists Joseph Ofori-Dankwa, Harvey Randall Wickes Endowed Professor in International Business, Jennifer Ward, assistant professor of teacher education, and Michael D. Crawford, an adjunct faculty in the Department of Art, will participate in an engaging discussion on global learning, leadership and creating positive change.