"United in Diversity" Festival at USM celebrates intercultural dialogue
Students from the Republic of Moldova and other countries are participating on October 13 in the "United through Diversity" festival, organized by Moldova State University (USM). The event aims to promote intercultural dialogue, tolerance, and mutual respect.
The event is organized with the support of several partners, including diplomatic missions and non-governmental organizations.
Lia Butucel, President of the "Center for American Studies" Association, noted that USM is becoming increasingly attractive internationally. This gave rise to the idea of organizing the festival, which aims to strengthen ties among students of different nationalities.
"The university aims to build an inclusive community, foster mutual respect, and bring students closer together by encouraging them to learn about each other's values, diverse cultures, and backgrounds," Butucel stated on Moldova 1.
She added that students are an academic community's greatest asset and that investing in them is vital.
"They can and will become professionals working either within this country or perhaps internationally. By bringing them together into an inclusive community, they will learn from one another—not only culturally but also professionally. Coming from diverse backgrounds, they hold different perspectives, and this will help them grow," Lia Butucel noted.
University lecturer Alina Slobodoaniuc describes the event hosted by USM as a motivational occasion designed to foster connection and communication. "We are talking about multilingualism here; we have international students as well as those from the Republic of Moldova. It will be a community teeming with people—from both academic and diplomatic circles—sharing their experiences," stated Alina Slobodoaniuc.
The idea came from an initiative group in the Faculty of International Relations, Political Science, and Administrative Sciences.
"They wanted to create an environment where they could communicate, grow together, and perhaps become a stronger community of professionals capable of developing this society and, more broadly, contributing to better international dialogue," the university lecturer said.
The event also features a culinary tent, "Flavors Without Borders," where international and local students showcase their national cuisines. Another tent focuses on study opportunities and academic mobility.
