Imagine enjoying cuisine from India, listening to traditional musical performances from Bangladesh, China, Africa, and watching an international fashion show featuring traditional outfits from 15 countries.
Now imagine doing all that in one amazing evening on campus – and you’ll have an idea of the fun everyone had at QIU’s first Voices of Culture celebration!
Organised by the University’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) students, the fun-filled celebration brought the cultures of the world to our Student Centre, showcasing exotic international cuisine, thrilling cultural performances, and captivating musical acts.
The celebration was held to mark the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a day observed by the United Nations to deepen the understanding of the values of cultural diversity.
And it did just that, by showcasing some of our students’ unique cultures and traditions.
The arrival of the guests of honour, QIU Vice Chancellor Datuk Dr Raman Narayanasamy, Chief Operating Officer Mr Nicholas Goh, and Registrar Mr Muhammad MG Omar was welcomed by a thunderous Punjabi dholl drum performance, before the QIU Music Club and Dance Club kicked off the show with two lively performances.
Then, the crowd was wowed with a singing performance mixing slow paced ballads and vibrant rapping from Indian student Ruth Wilson Das and Bangladeshi student Eden Barua, and a traditional instrumental performance from the Chinese Society.
The rocking performances continued with an enthralling African house music dance that had the entire centre swaying in unison, swiftly followed by an impassioned show from local crooner Muhammad Imran Shamshul Baharin.
More colour was in store during the International Fashion Show, where students from 15 countries, ranging from Sudan, Mauritius, and Japan took the stage to model their traditional outfits.
The Chinese Society and the Dance Club took the stage again to deliver their second stunning performances of the evening, before Zimbabwean student Elton Samuel Mutangara upped the ante with a fantastic rap show.
After the auditory and visual exhibitions, it was time to indulge our appetites with a truly exotic international spread with food from 12 countries.
The show was closed with a vibrant musical potpourri and open floor dance, ending the night in the same stunning way that it began.
Kudos to Assoc Prof Dr Gurdip Kaur, Prof Dr Ranjit Singh Gill and the stellar organising committee for putting on a fantastic show!
