Celebrating student diversity

WorldVIU Days...

Is VIU's annual celebration of cultural diversity on campus. The event series raises awareness and builds appreciation for the cultural diversity on campus, celebrates culture, and recognizes the richness that diverse perspectives bring to our campus and community. Events are led by students and supported by faculty and staff.

This year's theme is celebrating student diversity.

Build Your Personal Brand

3pm to 7pm

Want to stand out in your career? Join Tracy Richardson, celebrity image consultant, stylist and makeup artist, for an inspiring session on how to craft a personal brand that gets noticed. (Learn more about Tracy HERE.)

Location: Room 105, Building 108 (Windsor Plywood Trades Discovery Centre)

Culture Couch: Global Connections

4pm to 5pm

Culture Couch has been a weekly VIU tradition for over seven years, offering a relaxed, welcoming space for students to connect and engage in cross-cultural understanding. The “couch” symbolizes the casual, comfortable atmosphere that makes this series so meaningful.

For WorldVIU Days, Global Connections brings an expanded experience where you can visit cultural tables featuring food, music, art, games, and stories from around the world. Tables will be set up and hosted by students eager to share their culture or a culture they admire.

Drop in, explore, and celebrate the diversity that shapes our VIU community.

Location: Room 170, Building 255 

Arts Around the World

10:00am to 5pm

Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant tapestry of global arts and culture at Arts Around the World! This event is a dynamic celebration of creativity and cultural diversity featuring performances by VIU students showcasing talents across various art forms from around the world.

Location: Upper Cafeteria

Reiki at Shq'apthut

10:00am to 2pm

As part of WorldVIU Days, you are invited to experience Reiki: a gentle, energy-based healing practice that supports relaxation, stress reduction, and emotional balance. 

Sessions will take place in the Ceremonial Room at Shq’apthut (Building 170) from 10 am to 2 pm. Students can sign up for a 15 or 30 minute session, with the sign-up sheet available at the front desk at Shq’apthut (Building 170).

Take this opportunity to pause, reconnect, and restore a sense of grounding in a calm and welcoming space.

Location: Building 170

VIU Student Cookbook

12:00pm to 2pm

The VIU Student Cookbook is a new initiative by Fun@VIU and Thrive designed to celebrate the creativity, culture, and everyday cooking experiences of VIU students. Launching during WorldVIU Days, this project highlights simple, budget-friendly, and flavorful recipes that reflect the diverse backgrounds and tastes within our student community.

Are you a student with a go-to recipe that’s simple, budget-friendly, and full of flavor? Drop in during WorldVIU Days to learn more about the initiative and how you can get involved.

The completed cookbook will be released during Nutrition Month in March, offering students a FREE collection of affordable and culturally diverse recipes to explore.

Location: Upper Cafeteria

WorldVIU Fashion Show

12 to 1pm

The WorldVIU Fashion Show is a vibrant celebration of global fashion and personal expression. Each year during WorldVIU Days, students take to the runway to showcase traditional attire, cultural clothing, and contemporary styles that reflect their identity and creativity.

This lively event highlights the beauty and diversity of clothing traditions from around the world and offers the campus community an exciting opportunity to experience fashion as a form of storytelling, heritage, and pride. Whether rooted in culture or inspired by personal style, every outfit brings its own unique narrative to the runway.

Location: Upper Cafeteria

Salsa and Bachata Dance Workshop - VanIsland Dance

3 to 4pm

Discover the vibrant rhythms of Salsa and Bachata in a fun and engaging workshop by VanIsland Dance. Perfect for all levels, this session introduces the basics of these popular dance styles, no prior experience required.

Location: Upper Cafeteria

Sacred Medicine Bags - Indigenous Studies Club

4:00 to 6:00pm

Join us in a hands-on workshop where we'll make medicine bags to give to participants at the upcoming MMIWG2S+ march on February 14 2026. This is a creative, relational-building and action-oriented, session where we'll create medicine bags to support the calls for justice at the annual event held every February 14 that honours Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Peoples. 

This is an opportunity for the community to gather to learn more about Indigenous ways of being, understand what reconciliation really means, have conversations about non-performative activism, to build relationships and to give back to the community.  Special guests and hosts from the Indigenous Studies Club will help us start the session in a good way with smudging. All supplies (including ethically sourced sacred medicines) will be provided. 

Light refreshments will be shared. Everyone is welcome.

This event is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, an annual international campaign, occurring from November 25 to December 10. 

Location: Building 355, Room 211

Write for Rights

2pm to 4pm

All are welcome to learn about Amnesty International's campaign to support people who’ve been harassed, threatened and jailed for their activism. For over 20 years, Amnesty International’s annual Write for Rights campaign has transformed the lives of people whose rights have been wronged.

Using the power of their words, hundreds of thousands of Write for Rights supporters in more than 200 countries have united behind a common purpose: together, we can change lives for the better. We'll have campaign materials and letter templates, educational videos, and guest speakers. Light refreshments will be available in the lobby. This event is free to attend, hosted by VIU's Social Work and Studies in Women and Gender programs, and sponsored by VIUFA's Human Rights and International Solidarity committee. This event is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, an annual international campaign, occurring from November 25 to December 10.

Location: Malaspina Theatre, Building 310
 

Culture Couch: Theatre Games and Good Times

4pm to 6pm

All are welcome to join in the fun as we explore, engage, and entertain each other through a series of theatre games for everyone to enjoy. As part of WorldVIU Days, this special Culture Couch session brings people together through friend-building games that encourage interaction, creative thinking, and cross-cultural connections.

These theatre activities offer a playful way to spark conversation, build community, and experience arts-based approaches that foster understanding across cultures.

Come join us for good times, creativity, and connection.

Facilitated by Eliza Gardiner (Theatre)

Location: Room 170, Building 255 

SafeTALK Workshop - VIU Thrive

9am to 1pm

Attend the SafeTALK workshop on November 28, from 9 am to 1 pm and learn how to recognize and respond to signs of suicidal thoughts with confidence and compassion.

You'll learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, engaging someone and connecting them to an intervention resource for further support.

This workshop offers an important opportunity to strengthen our campus community by building awareness, care, and practical skills.

Location: Building 356, Room 325