Bar-Ilan University’s International School prioritizes fostering a vibrant community for international students. Despite current challenges, the school is committed to moving forward and establishing a sense of normalcy. To create a welcoming environment, the International School organizes various social activities throughout the year. Recently, students celebrated Chinese New Year, the Hindu Holi Festival, and International Women’s Day, catering to the interests and passions of the international student community. These events at BIU aim to provide entertainment, facilitate cultural exchange, celebrate diverse traditions, and foster meaningful connections among students from around the world.
BIU Honors Chinese New Year 2024
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important traditional holiday in China. This year, the celebration at Bar-Ilan University was organized by BIU’s International School and the Chinese students as well as BIU’s Students Union in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy.
The evening was filled with Chinese music and other entertainment and included an informative presentation about the holiday by Chinese student, Lingke Qian, with interesting messages given by our VIP guests. Speakers included Hu Wen, the Education Attache of the Chinese Embassy; Moshe Lewenstein, BIU’s Deputy President; Ofer Dahan, the Executive Director of the International School, and Haddas Yorit, the President of the Student Union.
A buffet of traditional Chinese foods was offered during the festivities, which concluded with a wish for the Chinese New Year 2024, “Good luck in the Year of the Dragon.” This celebration at Bar-Ilan University was a testament to the rich cultural heritage of China as well as an entertaining demonstration of how BIU’s international students share their culture and traditions with Israeli students.
A Night of Colorful and Joyous Holi Festivities
Bar-Ilan University embraced the spirit of Holi, the vibrant Hindu festival that heralds the arrival of spring and celebrates the victory of good over evil. In a collaborative effort, which has become an annual event on campus, BIU’s International School team and Indian students hosted an unforgettable evening filled with a kaleidoscope of colors, cultural activities, and a delightful fusion of international and Indian traditions.
With playful abandon, participants sprayed each other with brightly colored powders, creating an entertaining celebration of unity and joy between international students from all over the world as well as fellow Israeli students.
Thank you to everyone who joined in the festivities and made memories that will last a lifetime. Let’s cherish these moments of cultural exchange and unity!
Insights on Gender Equality and Women’s Health
BIU’s International School held a special evening to commemorate International Women’s Day at the beginning of March. The program included an overview of the status of women and gender equality in Israel by Prof. Rivka Tuval Mashiach, Academic Head of the International School and a psychology professor, followed by a panel of international students who shared the traditions and practices relating to women in their countries. Finally, Prof. Noa Vilchinsky, an associate professor of psychology, spoke about cardiac illness and gender.
Hadar Giat, the International School’s Director of Student Affairs and Well-being and organizer of the event, opened the evening by welcoming the participants.
“Thank you for coming to our International Women’s Day event where we recognize the courage and achievements of women worldwide. A university is a place of empowerment and inspiration and we are happy to have each of you here to be a part of this important conversation,” she said.
Gender Equality and Women’s Roles
Prof. Tuval Mashiach’s talk showed how Israel is a combination of modernity and traditional values and that, despite impressive advancement in women’s status in several areas, there is still much room for improvement. She said that current political trends reflect a deterioration in women’s status – in political power, women’s rights, and the representation of women – and that there is still professional segregation in the workplace where women are paid less than men for the same positions.
Prof. Tuval Mashiach then introduced the panel for the discussion on the different ideas and practices in various countries. The panel included Anna Karelina, an MA student in Neuroeducation from Russia; Asha James, a PhD student in Plant Biology from India; Lingke Qian, an MA student in Biblical Studies from China; and Katharina Hillmann, a PhD student in Jewish Philosophy from Germany.
Cardiac Health and Women
Prof. Noa Vilchinsky, Associate Professor in BIU’s Department of Psychology and Director of the Psycho-Cardiology Research Lab, expressed her appreciation towards the international students for coming to Israel to study despite the geopolitical state of affairs.
She then spoke about “Cardiac illness and gender” and focused on the question, “Is it better to be a man?”
She mentioned that heart attacks and car accidents are the leading cause of death for men internationally, including in Israel, while for women, the leading cause of death is cardiac illnesses, although this fact is less known.
She shared statistics of heart disease in men versus women and presented the risk factors for cardiac illness, which included the role gender plays in these factors.
