MU celebrates diversity at International Day

Diversity is ingrained in the ethos of MODUL University Vienna, attracting students, faculty and staff from around the globe. Since its opening in 2007, MU has been the home away from home to students from 67 different nationalities, and the list keeps on growing.

Once a year, this diversity is celebrated in a colourful panache of cultures, costumes, and cuisines. On June 16th, the second annual International Day was held in MU’s Audimax to the backdrop of clear skies, sunshine, and early summer sun. For one day, Kenya was situated between the USA and Palestine, Iceland bordered Turkey, and Italy and China were only a stone’s throw away. Dozens of students, friends and staff participated to represent twenty different nations, complete with native dress, posters, flags, travel information, and traditional foods.

The buffet of delectable nibbles was as diverse as our student body, with cheeses at the forefront in France and Italy; sweet treats were on offer from Oman, China, and Turkey; the Americans brought ‘sloppy joes’ to European soil; Iceland and Croatia showed off their ample coastlines with dried fish and seafood salad. According to one guest, the ‘’best samosas I’ve ever eaten’’ were courtesy of Kenya, Hungary offered up their famous sausages, hot meals graced tables from Saudi Arabia to Mexico, and home team Austria scored a win with schnitzel, lipptauer and sauerkraut, served with a smile and lederhosen. MU’s two resident Canucks-on-staff helped educate the people on what a ‘tuque’ is (hint: you wear it on your head in winter) and the sugary joy of Nanaimo bars, while over at Denmark visitors could learn ’10 things they didn’t know’ about the land of Hamlet. One could have anticipated a fight between Germany’s gnome garden and neighbouring Ireland’s leprechauns, but fortunately the countries opted for a peaceful exchange of Jägermeister and Guinness instead.  

Video presentations took the crowd from the shores of Algeria to the hot springs of Iceland, from the ruins of Mexico to the sands of Oman, and finally to the sounds of Inuit throat singing from northern Canada. The audio-visual display moved from digital to live, as the MU dancers took the floor. Beginning with the classic Viennese Waltz, the dancers headed south to present a fiery street tango and a cha cha.

Following the performances, the event’s principal organizers, Hani El-Sharkawi and Sandra Staniek of MODUL Career, handed over the evening’s awards. After tallying up the heaps of votes, the Palestinian Territories and Gaza Strip took the title of ‘Most Beautiful Booth’ from the reigning champions Lebanon, with Bangladesh and China as runners-up. MU alumnus, event organizer, and dancer Ms Staniek took home a bouquet of flowers to match her pink dirndl for her dedication to making the first two annual International Days a fantastic success.

However, the evening’s most important handover was still to come. Visitors were encouraged to donate for the pleasure sampling a wide world of culinary delights, with all proceeds going to a charity of the students’ choice. Last’s year’s earnings went to aid the earthquake victims in Haiti, and this year a worthy cause was chosen closer to home. Grenzenlos St. Andrä-Wördern, based near Vienna, brings together asylum seekers and Austrians for cooking and community activities to foster integration and harmony in a diverse Austria. Ms. Barbara Schneider-Resl, co-founder of the association, was in attendance to receive an impressive cheque for €1000 raised by contributions during the event.

MODUL University Vienna would like to thank all the participants for making International Day such a wonderful evening, and we hope to see you again next year!

Check out more pictures on our Facebook page!