Helen Quin, International Student Support Officer

This March, Sussex will celebrate its fifth ever One World Week. With the first day of the celebrations kicking off on Monday 19 March, the countdown is well and truly on!

If you are new to Sussex you might well be forgiven for thinking “what is One World Week?” Or perhaps you’ve been here a little longer, but never really been sure what it’s all about… 

So let me explain what’s in store for you for One World Week 2018. We have planned a week of events, fun activities, talks, discussions and sports which are open to the whole campus community, and which give students and staff an opportunity to share aspects of their own cultures with others, promote cultural understanding and explore global issues.

Thousands of students and staff take part in the annual celebrations by attending events that showcase food, language, culture and sport. Many of the week’s events - of which there are over 40 - are organised by student societies, with the support of the University of Sussex and the Students' Union who work collaboratively to make it all happen, and many other events are organised by University staff.

All events are open to everyone, and what’s more, most events are completely free of charge too.

Some top picks for staff include The Staff Language Café which will provide an opportunity to find language exchange partners or meet other members of staff with an interest in languages. There will also be an opportunity to unwind in the One World Week Yoga session (mats provided).

One World Week wouldn’t be complete without a number of opportunities to tantalise the tastebuds with some delicious global cuisine. The Meeting House team will be serving up a delicious selection of free Desserts from Around the World, and the IDS restaurant and bar will be offering a special One World Menu throughout the week.  

As well as the other more fun-focussed events on offer, you will also be able to engage in some of today’s more serious global issues at events like the School of Global Studies Global Voices programme, running throughout One World Week, and an Insights into Chinese Culture workshop, hosted by Sussex Centre for Language Studies. 

And of course, the mid-week highlight of One World Week - the South Asian festival of Holi -promises to be the biggest and most colourful yet! If you’re not sure what to expect, then prepare yourself for what will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your Sussex experience. Just don’t wear your best clothes…

The full One World Week programme is available at www.sussexstudent.com/oww. We want to hear all about your One World Week 2018, so show us your week on social media using the hashtag #OneWorldSussex.

Helen Quin is an International Student Support Officer at Sussex.

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