Springtime has finally reached Lund, greeting us with longer and more enjoyable days. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the International Committee is gearing up for their annual International Festival. You certainly don’t want to miss this cultural exchange. In a more globalized world, and not to mention the international setting as LUSEM increasingly is becoming, this is truly an opportunity to get a glimpse into the cultures of various countries. Why not truly engage with students who have a connection to various countries and learn more about what customs and cultural experiences there are across the world? I sat down with Lucas Christopher from INTC who described what the committee has installed for this year’s event. 

When and Where is the festival? 

April 12th, 10am-3pm, Ljusgården. The event is open for everyone, you only need to show up to participate in the festivities!

What is this festival about? 

This is a student run exhibition of various cultures and countries. There’ll be students who have a connection to the various countries in one way or another, showcasing various traditions and cultural aspects of their countries. Through having studied, lived or some other connection they will give you a glimpse of their respective countries. There will be opportunities to play games, try some delicious food and interact with members representing each country. Through exposure to the various cultures perhaps you’ll find some unexpected similarities to your own, or discover new intricate aspects of the countries you didn’t know about before. Previous participants describe how they were pleasantly surprised over how the hosts of the respective countries were engaging and enthusiastic, allowing all participants to discover and connect with students from around the world.

What countries will be there? 

At this year’s international festival there will be 20 stands in total, offering you a glimpse into various countries such as South Korea, Lebanon, Australia, Guatemala and many more. Sounds like a cultural blast if you ask me!

What activities will be there? 

The students who are hosts for different countries will have various interactive games for you to participate in as well as handing out some merch, which embassies of the respective countries have provided. Lucas underlines, the involvement of the embassies is not political, but rather of a cultural emphasis. The food company ‘International Food Festival’ will also attend this event providing some delicious food from various countries. Thus, on this day, you luckily won’t find yourself packing yet another container of the same lunch you had last week. Besides the various exhibitions of countries and food tastings, there will be a couple of events to further make this an exquisite festivity. Chili eating contests for those who want to test their spice tolerance, live performance from Indonesia, wheel of fortune and a Mexican birthday party with a piñata are some of them. Indeed a mix of various things to experience!

What do participants from last year have to say? 

Emma Roggero, our current International Affairs Manager in LundaEkonomerna, describes how she had an incredible time when she hosted the Ukrainian stand with her friend. Although she’s not originally from there, she says she was able to participate in a meaningful way. They had an incredible time serving some traditional Ukrainian food and some interactive games. “My favorite part was being part of such a large cultural exchange. I appreciated the fact that everyone was engaged and wanted to learn about different cultures”. While talking to other participants, they have told me how fun it was having so many and varied countries participating, from which one could learn plenty of things from. Additionally, both hosts and participants were all very engaged, which allowed for a very energetic exchange of cultural experiences. 

Internationalization is crucial because it fosters cultural understanding, promotes global cooperation and prepares individuals to thrive in an interconnected world. If you’re wondering where to go on your exchange, preparing to live abroad or simply curious to learn more about other countries, this event will not disappoint you. Don’t miss out on experiencing the international festival gaining knowledge and a taste of many countries around the world. INTC is inviting all of you to gain valuable knowledge and meet wonderful people who may introduce and unlock valuable knowledge from countries around the world.