"International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences."
iew.state.gov

International Education Week (IEW) is typically held during the third week in November. Rice University has participated for many years in IEW as a way to celebrate our international students and scholars who come from all around the globe, and many other globalization initiatives across the university, helping to make Rice an internationally diverse and culturally rich campus. As Rice's IEW celebrations continue to evolve and cross-campus participation continues to increase, OISS strongly encourages departments across campus to find ways to commemorate internationalization efforts in their areas.

Please check back often for changes and updates to our IEW activities taking place in November!

This year's IEW will take place November 15-21, 2025. Please continue to check for the 2025 IEW Schedule. Until then, see below for the 2024 full schedule.

Throughout International Education Week 2025

International Recipes

We all know that food brings people together. Therefore, to celebrate International Education, OISS is collecting a list of International Recipes to be shared among the Rice community. To submit your favorite international recipe, please visit http://bit.ly/IEWrecipe. To see the recipes submitted so far, please visit the IEW Recipes webpage.

For each International Recipe submission during IEW 2025, OISS will donate one tree through American Forests!

International Recommended Reading

To celebrate International Education, OISS is creating a list of International Recommended Reading. These are books that somehow represent what is special and amazing about the culture they are from. To submit a book to be included, please visit http://bit.ly/IEWreading. To see the list of recommended reading, please visit the IEW Recommended Reading webpage.

OISS Photo Competition Submission Deadline is November 13

To celebrate this year's International Education Week (IEW), OISS is once again hosting a mini photo competition open to all members of the Rice international community. The person who submits the winning photo will win lunch for 2 at the Rice Faculty Club. The deadline for this competition is 11:59 p.m. CST on Thursday, November 13, 2025. To submit an entry, please visit https://bit.ly/IEWphoto.

Competition Rules

• All aspects of the Rice Honor Code will be enforced
• To participate, you must be a member of the current Rice international population
• Photos submitted must be taken by the person submitting the photo
• No more than 2 photos per person may be submitted
• Photos must be submitted as a JPG or PNG file (HEIC files are not accepted)
• Photos must be submitted by 11:59pm Houston time (CST) on Thursday, November 13, 2025

The international community will be invited to vote on the photos during International Education Week (voting instructions to be posted on Monday, November 17th). The person who submits the winning photo will win lunch for 2 at the Rice Faculty Club.

OISS reserves the right to edit, publish, or otherwise duplicate any photo entered into the competition. All photos will be posted on the OISS website, and the winning photo will be featured in OISS materials.

For any questions on this competition, please contact Andy at thm1@rice.edu.

Please also take a look at our past Photo Competitions at https://oiss.rice.edu/past-photo-competition.

To submit an entry to the OISS IEW 2025 Photo Competition, please visit https://bit.ly/IEWphoto!

November 14, 2025

Study Break: Relaxing Around the World: 3p - 4p

November 15, 2025

Mini World Cup Soccer Tournament: 12p - 5pm

Get ready to kick off International Education Week (IEW) with the highly anticipated OISS Soccer World Cup, where teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe will compete for the coveted championship trophy!

⚽ Join the 20th Anniversary of the Rice Mini-World Cup!
This year also marks the 20th Anniversary of the Rice Mini-World Cup — one of our campus’s favorite global traditions!

Join us on Saturday, November 15, from 12:00 to 5 p.m. at Rec Center Field #3 (across from the Shepherd School of Music). This exciting event is brought to you by OISS, the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center, and the Graduate Student Association.

November 18, 2025

President's Lunch (By invitation only)

This lunch is held every year by OISS to celebrate the student leaders that we have across campus in international clubs. This is a great opportunity for us to give thanks for all the hard work that the club presidents do over the year while celebrating the diversity that we have on this campus.

November 18, 2025

Rice Global Paris Summer Program Info Session: 12:00p - 12:45pm

Date/time: Tuesday, November 18 from 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

Location: Farnsworth Pavilion RMC

RSVP on OwlNest: https://owlnest.rice.edu/event/11797978

Contact: globalowls@rice.edu

Description: Looking for Summer 2026 opportunities? Join us to learn about the Rice Global Paris Summer Program! Each session of the program is three weeks long, leaving plenty of time to pursue additional opportunities during the summer. We will be offering three total sessions for Summer 2026. Topics will include:

• Application & admissions process
• Course offerings & session dates
• Costs, available awards, & summer financial aid
• Student Ambassadors’ experiences And more!

Pizza will be provided based on the RSVP count here on OwlNest. Please RSVP if planning to attend!

November 18, 2025

Graduate Student Global Coffee Break: 3p - 4:30p

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) and the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) invite your organization to participate as a table sponsor for our upcoming International Coffee Break — a celebration of global culture, connection, and community among Rice’s graduate students.

This event will bring together students from around the world to share traditions, stories, and of course, great coffee! Each participating organization will have the opportunity to host a table highlighting an element of your country or culture — such as food samples, cultural artifacts, games, or other creative displays.

November 19, 2025

Library Services & Resources in Mandarin: 11:15a - 12p

November 19, 2025

Cafe y Comunidad: 3:30p - 4:30p

Experience the rich flavors of Latin America with a coffee tasting event. Pair delicious coffee and pastries while celebrating culture and community! This event will take place at the Moody Art Center in teh Flex Studio. Taste. Connect. Celebrate

November 19, 2025

Cozy Info Session: Fall 2026 International Semester Programs with Rice Global: 4:30p - 5:30p

Date/time: Wednesday, November 19 from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Location: Welcome Center Presentation Room

RSVP on OwlNest: https://owlnest.rice.edu/event/11825338

Contact: globalowls@rice.edu

Description: Looking for Fall 2026 semester programs outside the U.S.? Come learn about two opportunities offered through Rice Global:

Paris Fall Semester Program, Rice Global Paris Center (Paris, France) VIU Globalization Program, Venice International University (Venice, Italy)

Enjoy tea, hot chocolate, and pastries from Rice Coffeehouse while supplies last! Please RSVP on OwlNest if planning to attend.

November 20, 2025

OISS Annual Thanksgiving Lunch: 11:30a - 1p

🍂✨ Save the date for OISS Annual Thanksgiving Lunch on November 20th. ✨🍂 Seating is limited and this is a ticketed event.

November 20, 2025

International Student Employment Panel 6p - 7:15p

We have scheduled the International Student Employment Panel for November 20th from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. The event will be held via Zoom.

Gain valuable insights and practical advice from U.S. employers and international alumni who have successfully navigated the path to post-graduation work opportunities in the U.S.

What you’ll learn:
• Tips from U.S. employers on hiring international talent
• Firsthand experiences from international alumni who’ve secured jobs in the U.S.
• How to access career support services, including resume writing and career expos with the CCD
• Important immigration regulations for post-completion work

November 21, 2025

Library Tour: 1:30p - 2p

Discover Library services, academic resources, creative tools, and more at Fondren Library, from 1:30p - 2p.

Special thanks to all the IEW participants!

• The Center for Career Development (CCD)
• The Center for Civic Leadership (CCL)
• The Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication (CLIC)
• Graduate Student Association (GSA)
• Rice Global