Join Africana Studies as we kick off Global Horizons Week! We will be hosting Zaituni Mnubi as she gives a presentation on cultural meaning and value that the Kanga and Kitenge cloths have among women in the Eastern Africa region. Participants will also have the opportunity to sample traditional Swahili dishes. 

This event is free and no registration is required. There are two sessions scheduled from 3 - 4:15 p.m. and again from 4:30 - 5: 45 p.m. in the Honors College multipurpose room. Both sessions are the same, so there is no need to attend one session in order to attend the other. We hope that you can join us for this immersive experience rooted in Swahili culture!

Join the Arab Culture Club, the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, and the Middle East Studies program for the 2026 Fall Film Festival! The film shown on Tuesday, 11/3, will be Grandma, A Thousand Times, a documentary about 83-year-old Beiruti grandmother, Teta Fatima, focusing on her life and surroundings amid a changing world.

The 11/3 screening will be in Honors 148. Dr. Chad Lingwood will introduce the film and following discussion. The event is INT100/201 approved and open to all GVSU students.

Join the East Asian Studies program, the GVSU Koto Club, the Japanese language department and the Music department on 11/4 as they host Jeff Wichmann for a showcase of the koto, a traditional Japanese string instrument. The showcase will feature a presentation on the history and cultural significance of the koto, a recital by the Koto Club, and a performance by Wichmann on 13-string and 17-string kotos. The showcase will be held in the ballroom of the Alumni House on the Allendale Campus from 5 - 7 p.m. 

Jeff Wichmann is a licensed koto performer, teacher, and composer. He performs on the traditional 13-string koto and the 17-string bass koto, bringing more than two decades of experience to contemporary and traditional koto music. Throughout his career, he has performed with local and international koto ensembles and collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including instrumentalists, composers, playwrights, dancers, junkyard sculptors, rock bands, and poets.

Join the Arab Culture Club, the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, and the Middle East Studies program for the 2026 Fall Film Festival! The film selected for Wednesday 11/4, is The Nile Hilton Incident, which focuses on the investigation of an unsettling murder case and the corruption fused into the Egyptian police before the 2011 revolution.

The 11/4 screening will be in Honors 220. Dr. Majd Al-Mallah will introduce the film and following discussion. The event is INT100/201 approved and open to all GVSU students.

To follow up on the 11/4 Koto Showcase, Jeff Wichmann will be teaching a tuning and re-stringing workshop on 11/5 from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Please join us in Mackinac D-2-319 if you are interested in learning more about how to maintain this cultural instrument!

Join the Area and Global Studies programs as we cap off Global Horizons Week with a celebration and showcase of cultural diversity at GVSU. If you are interested in learning more about our minor programs in Africana Studies, East Asian Studies, Latino/a and Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, Human Rights, Religious Studies, and want to learn more about the international and cultural resources that GVSU has to offer, this event is for you! We will also have food from four distinct cultural regions. 

Global Community Day is free to attend, and no registration is required. The event will take place on November 5th from 3 - 5:00 p.m. in the Pere Marquette room of Kirkhof on the Allendale Campus. Stop by, say hi, and we hope to see you there!