The phrase "Truly International" is one of the slogans heard often across my university's campus. It's the catch phrase on numerous billboards and promotional materials, and to be honest, it sounds a little gimmicky, no?
I have to say, though, that lately I have been feeling that Payap really does a good job being "truly international."
Last Friday Payap hosted its eighth International Day festival, which turned out to be a great success. There was an assortment of good eats and activities representing the international population of Payap and the city of Chiang Mai as a whole. As the pictures show, students also showed their talent in performing traditional dances -- whether from what they've learned about northern Thai culture (above) or what they wished to share from their home culture (a traditional dance from Bolivia, below).
Now into week three of my second semester of classes, I'm happy to gain new classmates with perspectives from an even more varied set of countries than last semester. This semester students new to my M.A. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) cohort come from Brazil, Burma, Canada, Indonesia, Iran, and U.S.A., adding to the already diverse crew of individuals from last semester. And living in the international dormitory offers even further dimension to the international education and experience of Payap.
On occasion people ask me why I'm not doing my master's program in the U.S., much more "prestigious" of an opportunity with "brand name" schools. Why little Payap University? There are many factors that made me consider enrolling at Payap, but what I've appreciated most has been that, both in classes and in daily living, Payap has been a truly international experience.
Peace,
Eric
0 comments:
Post a Comment