Art and Design students celebrate NTU’s rich cultural diversity

Art and design exchange and international students got involved at this year’s Global Week to immerse themselves in a vast array of cultures at the University.

Art and Design students representing the New Zealand cultural stall

Kiwi exchange student Jacob Paterson, and international student Roxana Garcia, represented the New Zealand cultural stall at this year’s Global Week, which celebrates Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) rich cultural diversity.

The annual event, which took place from 26 February to 2 March, was organised to celebrate the vast array of cultures at NTU, home to approximately 2,600 international students from around 100 different countries.

Throughout the week, students from across the globe represented their countries through performances, cultural stalls, traditional foods, art, dance, music and workshops.

Jacob, who is currently doing an exchange at NTU studying BA (Hons) Graphic Design, told us: “I enjoyed having conversations with people who knew nothing about Kiwi, and in particular, Maori culture. Sharing not just traditional food, but also new ideas and a completely different worldview of Tikanga was rewarding and fascinating from my point of view, and hopefully theirs too.

“I had a fun day and I also met a whole bunch of new people which was great as I'm new in town.”

Kiwi exchange student, Jacob Paterson

Third year BA (Hons) Product Design Mexican student Roxana added: “I really enjoyed Global Week because it represents all the different cultures we have at university and it was really cool to learn a bit more about them.

She continued: “I really enjoyed representing the New Zealand stall even though I'm not from there. It's one of the many countries I would love to visit, and having the chance to help and participate, and even bake traditional Anzac biscuits was really nice.”

Dr Cheryl Rounsaville, NTU’s Global Student Experience Manager, added: “As part of the Connecting Globally theme of our current university strategy we aim to create a vibrant multinational community that is inclusive, values diversity, and nurtures global citizenship.

"Through Global Week, we celebrate the different cultural heritages of our students and staff as integral to the life of the University, and provide opportunities for students to extend their international outlook and understanding of global issues. This event contributes to a truly global experience for all of our students.”