In celebration of Cultural Diversity Week, organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS), the Centre of Foreign Languages and Cultures (CFLC) enthusiastically prepared for and engaged in a variety of activities. These included a foreign language poster exhibition and a display of high-definition artwork that illustrates various international cultures. Leveraging the Visual Humanities (VH) Program, CFLC's initiatives aimed to present the languages and cultural expressions of diverse nations through posters and prints of significant paintings from global art, providing students, faculty, and campus visitors with a chance to immerse themselves in the visual aspects of the world and deepen their appreciation of UIC’s multicultural environment during the Cultural Diversity Week and Open Day.

In preparation for these events, CFLC's language programs, including those specializing in French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, Latin, and Greek, collaborated with faculty members who teach general education courses like global history and world religions. They collectively brainstormed and contributed enthusiastically, offering detailed textual descriptions and photographic content for the poster designs, enriching the overall exhibition. Prof. Wang Xiang, Director of CFLC, curated a selection of a dozen pieces from an archive of nearly 10,000 images and various electronic resources. His selections included the Five Manjushri Mandala, expansive Japanese ukiyo-e screens, Persian miniatures, and a modern piece by Picasso, among other artworks from diverse cultures, showcasing their unique artistic allure and providing a visual feast for attendees.

Additionally, student volunteers brought contemporary Japanese and Korean cultural trends into the mix, selecting items like the recent film The Boy and the Heron by Miyazaki Hayao, posters of a popular Korean girl group, and Chiikawa, an endearing animal character beloved by students, adding a fresh, youthful vibe to the exhibition. Our teaching assistants and administrative staff worked diligently with the faculty to organize the display on the first floor of T2, ensuring seamless execution and robust support for the exhibition. Their cohesive collaboration and concerted efforts played a pivotal role in the success of this cultural initiative. This activity not only delivered a dopamine-rich visual and cultural experience for teachers and students but also ignited their passion for exploring multiculturalism, highlighting CFLC's dynamic contribution to cultural exchange and understanding.