Global Highway
Global Highway is an extravagant and vibrant annual event encouraging cultural awareness at University of Wollongong and took place again this year on Thursday 25 August.
Taneile Kitchingman, Global Highway coordinator described the event at a press conference earlier this week as the “one day a year the university [can] come alive with colour, music, dancing, and a few laughs.”
The university has 4570 international students studying across all of the Australian campuses and places huge significance on ensuring their stay is more than welcomed by the larger community.
The University of Wollongong obtains strict policies in ensuring the wellbeing and comfort of all international students.
Lynn Wright, UOW Employment Equity and Diversity Directors said, “UOW is committed to improving the experience for all our international students and that is why we have a Respect for Diversity Policy which outlines the principles of mutual respect and for everyone to feel safe and free from discrimination.”
Ultimately, this brought about the idea of having a day of celebrating multi culturalism and various nations’ traditions and rituals, more commonly known as Global Highway.
Taneile Kitchingman said, “On the day, participants in Global Highway can grab a passport from the end stall, and follow the highway along from the Unibar to the McKinnon Building, completing an activity at each stall that is significant to the culture of the country. At the end there is a great prize for those who complete the activities at each of the 23 stalls to receive their stamps.”
The day has been a success for six consecutive years and there’s no doubt it was a huge hit with UOW this year.
Students of all nations were encouraged to join in the fun and festivities of Global Highway.
Nation flags of the countries that participated in Global Highway 2011.
Footage of Global Highway 2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PdJwBjSf4E&feature=player_embedded