Students welcomed Nowruz at Limkokwing University with performances and cultural shows on 23 March 2017.
Nowruz, which means New Day, is the name of the Persian New Year that predates the Islamic Calendar and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin and the Balkans. It is widely celebrated in 16 countries, namely Iran, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Kurdistan, Iraq, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The celebration helps promote cultural understanding among the University’s 150 nationalities currently studying at the Malaysian campus. The event was also attended by Zhazira, Kazakhstan’s prominent songstress and fashion model.
“I loved being part of the multicultural community that was here tonight,” she said. “Everyone is excited, and seeing the support everyone has for each other is very touching.”
She performed two songs, namely ‘Atameken,’ which means Motherlands as well as ‘Kazakh Ely’ which means Kazakh Nation. Her performance filled students from Kazakhstan with pride while making them feel at home.
“It so great to be part of this event and I am proud to have my country participate in this event,” said President of Kazakhstan Student Community Zakir Tursunov who is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in international business.
He added that the support he received from the University made him as well as his fellow Kazakh students feel welcomed. He also mentioned that the University’s multicultural learning environment helped foster greater unity and understanding among different nationalities.
“It feels good to share our history, see performances from different countries,” said Iranian student Zahra Dadashpour who is studying Bachelor of Fashion Design. “This gives students a good opportunity to learn more about different cultures.”
Limkokwing is a Global University that fosters cultural awareness and global networks. Students learn to develop multicultural communication skills while developing their competitive skills in the international environment.