There are lots of diverse clubs at Fuqua with an international or regional focus, and for the first time, we put our resources together for one week in January. We created Global Week to learn from each other about our native countries and cultures, leveraging Fuqua’s diversified student body.

In the Winter Garden, you should have seen the giant world map. Fuquans placed numerous stickers on it to highlight where they have lived. That was just a start.

Ethnic Food

Everyone loves a free lunch. During the week, we enjoyed regional food every day from Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. Food is an important part of culture, isn’t it? Surprisingly, I found some great chefs among my classmates, when I tasted their delicious homemade food. Various Brazilian barbecues from the Latin American Student Association were the most popular.

Business Insight

Global Week was not all about fun. It featured two panel sessions related to emerging economies and global supply chains. I was particularly attracted by the second session, given my supply chain background. Supply chains across various industries are greatly influenced by increasing globalization, and I learned the perspectives of Kelly Marchese, a ’97 Daytime alumna who works at Deloitte, and Christopher Nowlin, an ’11 Cross Continent alumnus at Walmart. Specifically, they shared the latest trends in the switch from offshore sourcing to onshore and nearshore sourcing.

Cultural Exchange

I also attended a session of Fuqua Discovers, which is a series focused on a different country every month. During Global Week, we learned about South Africa, with ethnic food again. What made the session different was that 3 exchange students from South Africa came to share their knowledge and experiences with us. The session was particularly helpful for me, since I was making plans to travel to Johannesburg for my Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum during Spring Break!

Since Lunar New Year was approaching, Asian students, together with partners and kids, dressed in traditional dress for Fuqua Friday, sponsored by the Asian Business Club. Tables of students offered regional snacks, but at the China table, we wrote Chinese versions of classmates’ names in traditional calligraphy. I loved creating Chinese names for my classmates, and enjoyed picking up the brush that I haven’t used in 16 years.

Fuqua Friday was followed by Fuqua’s Got Talent show, sponsored by the International Business Club. I was amazed by my classmates’ artistic talents, which I did not know about before. There was opera, country music, Bollywood dance, Russian dance, Chinese Yue Opera, Salsa, Korean song, among others. The event was also family-friendly, and some kids even walked on the stage to cheer for their father.

All these great events during Global Week were student organized. It was a good opportunity to learn more about my classmates, and understanding their culture helps me respect the diversity and value the differences in the Fuqua community. Sharing, learning, being collaborative, and open-minded are all integral parts of the “Team Fuqua” spirit.