The beginning of new semester always means new students and faculty coming from around the world. All of them represent different cultures, traditions, and ways of life. While living in Kazakhstan it is very interesting to learn something new about a completely different country through the eyes of its citizens. The Department of International Academic Mobility (DIAM), striving to bring people together, organizes Country Days, involving international students, faculty and staff of our university.
The first Country Day of this semester was represented by students and faculty from the United States of America, who, luckily, all come from most different regions of America. They have prepared a very interesting and informative presentation about five parts of the USA, showing the diversity of this vast country and disclosing many previously unknown facts to guests. For most of us the US is McDonald’s and Hollywood, Apple and Google, but in fact it is not only that. As Elmira Suleimanova, the Director of DIAM says in this regard: “We often think we know everything, then it turns out we know nothing”. After the presentation all guests were treated with a very distinctive, yet simple dessert called “Root Beer Float” – Coca Cola poured over ice cream, which is a great refreshment on a hot summer day.
Beyond getting acquainted with American culture another surprise was there – DIAM team congratulated all students born in August and September, celebrating their birthdays with a cake and warm wished. Aizhan, the International Program Coordinator, who was born in September, was also warmly congratulated. Pleasant socializing was accompanied by a memorial photo session.
DIAM team would like to highlight that every International Country Day is like a book that must be re-read to find new things in it every time, to relive moments that may have been already forgotten, to discover unknown and get a taste of different countries at home!