The International Student Council works to meet the needs of 2,345 Iowa State international students and helps them overcome simple and complex problems.

“ISC is an umbrella organization of international student clubs at ISU,” said Sidi Tandia, ISC adviser.

The ISC has been around since 1979. Tandia said it is funded by the Government of the Student Body and unites about 18 international student clubs, including the Chinese Student and Scholar Friendship Association, the Korean Student Organization, the Indian Student Association and the Association of Malaysian Students.

Sheikh Hasan, vice president of ISC and junior in management information systems, said ISC tries to increase cultural understanding through various events such as International Week, Veishea, Free Coffee Friday and the International Food Fair.

“The international students at ISU recognize the need to have a council representing our aspiration and promoting fellowship between people of different cultures,” Hasan said.

Hasan said one purpose of ISC events is to expose American students to the cultures of international students.

During International Week, the biggest ISC event, students participate in an international dance party, movie night, a global food festival, cultural displays, seminars and a music festival, said Choong-Hong Liew, executive vice president of ISC and senior in management information systems.

“Through this event, American students can know about students from different countries and different cultural backgrounds,” Liew said. “And the international students also can learn more about themselves.”

Besides promoting mutual understanding, ISC also raises funds for International Student Financial Aid, Hasan said. He said every semester, three to five committee members from ISC select scholarship recipients who demonstrate financial need.

Hasan said the number of recipients and the amount of the award varies depending on the total funds raised each year.

Tandia said ISC also provides shuttle services for new international students. At the beginning of each semester, volunteer drivers pick up students from the Des Moines International Airport.

“I am very proud of the shuttle services and the volunteers,” Tandia said. “They are not paid and some may stay up until 2 or 3 a.m.”

This semester, ISC is working closely with the Intensive English and Orientation Program and the Multicultural Task Force, Hasan said.

All of these programs help international students prepare for their futures, Hasan said.

“In the future, a lot of people have to move out from their own spaces and have jobs where they don’t know people of the culture and need to know about the culture,” he said.

Hasan said the informal education of learning about other cultures by meeting people with different cultural backgrounds should be an important part of every student’s college experience.