Seaver College Prepares for 2026’s International Education Week

Seaver College is preparing to celebrate International Education Week (IEW) on its Malibu campus by hosting four days of immersive cultural events, where students, faculty, and staff can learn more about the varied customs of America's global neighbors.

“International Education Week represents an exciting opportunity for our campus to come together and learn more about the distinct cultures of the world around us,” says George Carlsen, Seaver College’s Divisional Dean of International Studies and Languages. “The programming that we’ve planned for this year will provide our community with a chance to eat new foods, hear new forms of music, and even try new dances—interactive events that illustrate the rich cultural heritage surrounding us.”

Running from Monday, November 16 through Thursday, November 19, Seaver College’s IEW celebration will start with an international chapel session, where the campus will gather to worship, pray, and read scripture in a multitude of languages. From there the festivities will continue with an international trivia contest that will feature an array of multicultural treats, including the German gingerbread "lebkuchenherz" and French macaroons. 

The events continue on Tuesday, as students are invited to a tabling seminar, a research round table, and a Taiko Drum presentation. This day blends campus resources and scholarship with a traditional Japanese percussion concert—an unexpected but informative combination. 

The musical moments will continue on Wednesday with IEW’s Latin Dance Night. This year, participants will be learning the Bachata and enjoying free tacos, while watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean from the University’s Gulls Way Vista Patio. 

IEW concludes with three demonstrations of chadō, the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. Tea master Yuko Uyesugi and students of the Urasenke School of Chadō will demonstrate to the campus community the culturally significant rituals and practices of preparing a cup of tea and sharing it with others. This same presentation sold out during last year’s International Education Week, and a similar high attendance is expected to occur this year. 

Each of these IEW celebrations are meant to invite Seaver College’s student body to contemplate the broader world and their role as a potential global leader. Through faith, food, scholarship, and music the campus community receives a dynamic chance to examine how their Malibu education could go on to impact the world for good. 

“We hope our students consider international education week as an opportunity to both have fun and learn,” says Carlsen. “We hope it creates conversation around what it means to be a global citizen.”