Students from over 150 nations celebrated Nowruz on 22 March at the Limkokwing University campus in Cyberjaya.
Nowruz is the Central Asian and Persian New Year that has been celebrated by diverse ethnic and religious communities for thousands of years. Celebrating Nowruz also marks the start of the Persian calendar and is a holy day for Zoroastrianism (Mazdayasna).
The celebration originated from Ancient Persia from one of the capitals of the Achaemenid Empire in Persis (Fars) in Iran. It is also celebrated in Azerbaijan, the North Caucasus, Kurdish regions of eastern Turkey and Northern Iraq to mention a few.
Organised by the Limkokwing Nomad Club’s Kazakhstani Society, the celebration was attended by delegates from the Embassy of Kazakhstan: Representative of Education Kazakhstan Ilyasova Umit, Consul Almas Aubakirov, Assistant Consul Almat Zharylkasynov, Assistant Consul Kazybek Zhuman and Assistant Consul Dinmukhamed Sembayev.
The celebration helped to promote cultural understanding among the University’s diverse community. Students played traditional games such as ‘Assyk’ and competed against each other in Arm-Wresting and Tug-of-War. The celebration also featured a flash-mob, cultural dance, traditional songs and a fashion show with costumes that reflects national identity. Visitors were able to enjoy Iranian, Kyrgyzstani and Tajikistani cuisine.
“The multicultural environment enables us to learn new things from each other,” said 20 year old Kazakhstan student Nuriyen Azamat who is pursuing Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Games Art Development. “It really makes me happy to see everyone learning about each other’s tradition.”
For Iranian student, Nasim Molany, who is studying Architecture, the celebration made her appreciate cultural diversity more.
“We learn to respect each other more and work better because we understand each other’s difference,” she said. “If I am going to work in different countries, it will be easier for me because I am familiar with their culture.”
Limkokwing University incorporates cultural diversity as part of its educational experience. Students learn to communicate globally while fostering cultural awareness among future graduates.
