Earlier this month saw the world’s first celebration of all things emoji, Emojicon. The brainchild of Jennifer 8. Lee and designer Yiying Lu, founders of Emojination, and produced by Jeanne Brooks, the convention aimed to promote diversity and representation within emoji. It also brought together designers, enthusiasts, and members of the Unicode consortium.

Two schools will open branches in Dubai with a combined enrolment capacity of up to 4,000 students. [...] The Centre of Excellence for Arabic Language, Culture and the Arts located on the same campus, will be dedicated to the development of intra-cultural exchange, facilitate both teacher and student development, as well as promote a deeper understanding of the rich Arabic history and traditions.

According to the United Nations, 6.6 million people have been displaced by Syria's civil war. They have found refuge across the globe, facing economic hardship, language barriers, social and cultural acclimation. Despite their challenges, Syrians find hope and solace in their traditional food culture as a source of normalcy, stability, and hope in bridging cultural divides. 

A series of concerts entitled "So klingt Europa" (The Sound of Europe) organized by the country's treasury is aimed at showcasing the diversity of the eurozone through song and dance. Various performers from disparate parts of the EU have taken part in the event series, which was started three years ago, providing a platform for their respective cultural contributions to the European Union.

Veteran film journalist Esin Kucuktepepinar had just arrived back in Turkey after attending the Tokyo International Film Festival when she spoke by phone to Al-Monitor on Nov. 3 from the Istanbul airport. During the interview, she offered her impressions on the success of Turkish TV soap opera series. “Interest in Turkish series is growing everywhere,”

DNA research suggests that Māori originated from Taiwan. This week Te Kāea reporter Talisa Kupenga embarks on an Asia New Zealand Foundation-sponsored cultural exchange to the Island nation some 180-kilometres East of China. The exchange aims to explore the indigenous links and the potential for greater economic ties between Taiwan and Aotearoa.

The latest fashionable export from Denmark, following on from interior design and high-quality television drama, hygge is the Scandinavian country’s latest gift to the world. But this particular export is a concept. Roughly described as a feeling of cosy contentment, tips on how to achieve a sense of hygge fill lifestyle and fashion magazines. As is often the case with lifestyle concepts, an older cultural practice has been commodified.