44th International Students & Scholars Welcome Reception _ by International Classroom at The Penn Museum

Now celebrating its 44th anniversay, this free event is for open to international students and scholars, and each year, it draws nearly 1,000 of them, from around 85 different countries. Held every year in the magnificent Chinese Rotunda at the Penn Museum, it is the only large-scale welcome reception of its kind in the region, drawing an ever-growing number of college and university international students to meet each other and learn about resources for multicultural education. It is considered the national model among international educators. 

Different college and community performing arts groups love to share their talent and skills with the international guests. Hype, Penn University’s multi-cultural fusion dance group; Penn Chinese Dance Group; Thillana, Penn’s premier student classical dance group; Mutya, a Filipino dance group; LaSalle University’s Neo-African Drums’n Dancez; Rowan University musicians; and Anne Hagert from the University of the Arts have all volunteered their time and expertise to entertain our international guests.

Walter Perry, Interim Dean of Students, University of Sciences in Philadelphia writes, "it is such an amazing annual event; starting with such a simple concept, but coordinated on an ambitious scale. When it all comes together, for one night we have respect, civility, laughter and harmony. The evening is filled with lively conversation, international cuisine and performances by groups like Hype, a Penn performing arts group that explores multi-cultural styles and mediums of dance."

See last year's photos of the International Student Welcome Reception on Flickr!

For more information please contact your International Student Office for more information, or email [email protected].

_{Photo courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology}