Bioscience students put on "the event of the year"
5 April 2022
It was an opportunity for our students to shine, and shine they did.
This lively Cultural Event, which was the brainchild of three undergraduate students, showcased the wide range of cultures of our international and home students through stalls, performance, and cuisine.
Organised by first-year students Lyla Khan, Rohit Kamath and Zaid Maniar, with support from Year 1 Co-ordinator Dr Isaac Myers, attendees enjoyed poetry, song, dance, themed stalls and food from countries including Jamaica, England, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, Venezuela, Mexico, China, the USA, Kazakhstan, South Korea and Wales, as well as a cultural quiz.
Lyla Khan, a Biomedicine student, and one of the main organisers, said: “I wanted to run the event because I think it is very important for us, as a community, to understand and know about each other and embrace each other’s uniqueness. This event helped us in getting united and celebrating each other’s cultures together which was the most beautiful part of it!
“Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common so let’s celebrate it every day!”
Fellow organiser Rohit Kamath, a Neuroscience student, said: “The Cultural Event was a reminder of how wide the world is, and how simple it is to learn about something unknown and come away enlightened. We are all the same species, interpreting the world in our own ways, and the event helped us to understand this, bringing us one step closer to a more connected and peaceful world. I would also like to reiterate the support the School of Biosciences gave us to run this.”
Dr Hefin Jones, Director of Undergraduate Education, who gave his own poem recitation, said: “I am always proud of our students and their achievements, and tonight they have made me ultra-proud by putting on the highlight of the academic year so far – an opportunity to celebrate our diversity, culture, language and what makes us one.”
Also present was Dr Sarah Hall, Student Experience Lead, who commented that she felt “privileged to have spent an evening celebrating many of the cultures that make up our School community – it was heart-warming to see so many of our international students radiating confidence and pride during the event.”
Prof Jim Murray, Head of School, said: “I’m delighted to hear about the success of this event. Thank you to all of the students who delivered this on the night, and to all staff who helped set it up.”