MIT International Students Association holds iFair on April 25
Mohit Hulse ’26 and Mahdi Afshari ‘27: “We believe that reviving this tradition will help create a space for the MIT community to share and celebrate their cultures”
Photo courtesy of Eddy Ogola '25
Photo courtesy of Eddy Ogola '25
Vivian Hir–The Tech
On the sunny Friday afternoon of April 25, the MIT International Association (ISA) held the International Fair (iFair), an outdoor event where over 40 cultural and regional clubs hosted booths on Kresge Oval. In addition, the fair featured a dozen live performances outside the Student Center, from mariachi music to Chinese lion dances. Hundreds of people attended the fair, including local residents and visitors.
This year’s event marks the return of iFair after a nearly decade-long hiatus; the fair was last held in 2016. iFair started in 1978 as an event for international students to celebrate their cultures and grew over time to become a “cornerstone of MIT’s cultural calendar,” according to the MIT ISA website.
In an email statement to The Tech, ISA Co-Presidents Mohit Hulse ’26 and Mahdi Afshari ’27 wrote that they wanted to start iFair again after learning about the event from the organization’s archives. “We believe that reviving this tradition will help create a space for the MIT community to share and celebrate their cultures,” they said.
Although organizing iFair was challenging due to the limited documentation of past iterations, Hulse and Afshari stated that the hiatus also allowed them the “freedom to redesign it for today’s MIT.” These initiatives included greater involvement from both the undergraduate and graduate student body, as well as collaborations with MIT offices such as the International Student Office (ISO); Student Organizations, Leadership, and Leadership (SOLE); and the Graduate Student Council (GSC).
Fair attendees could sample international dishes and snacks, participate in interactive activities and games, and learn more about various countries’ cultures at club booths. International students represent 10% and 40% of MIT’s undergraduate and graduate populations, respectively. The clubs at the booths reflected this diverse student body, from the MIT Brazilian Student Association to Thai Students at MIT. Club booth representatives enjoyed the fair as a venue for sharing their culture with the broader MIT community.
Georgian Student Association member Tamar Korkotashvili ’25, who ran the club’s booth at iFair, found the experience “amazing” and “meaningful.” At the booth, attendees played trivia quizzes about Georgia to win prizes and practiced writing Georgian scripts. “In my four years at MIT, I feel like iFair was the moment where I felt my culture being appreciated the most,” Korkotashvili wrote. “I have never gotten this many questions or as much interest about Georgia at MIT before, especially from American students.”
Sloan MBA student Fakhri Guniar, one of the iFair representatives for the Association of Indonesian Students at MIT, also appreciated the opportunity to showcase his country’s culture. The booth displayed facts about Indonesia, from its rich wildlife to unique geography. Guniar also enjoyed visiting other booths at iFair: “Everyone is really nice and passionate about sharing their culture and experiences as well.”
Similarly, guests enjoyed iFair for the diverse array of booths. Almira Nurlanova ’27, an international student from Kazakhstan, said that the fair was “so much fun,” and hoped to organize a booth for the Central Asian Association next year. Adam Lipson, a visitor from Newton, Massachusetts, found the booths to be “very interesting,” particularly the calligraphy activity hosted by the MIT Chinese Students Club and the aforementioned quiz about Georgia.
Besides organizing these booths, iFair also showcased performances on the Student Center steps throughout the event — traditional dances, music, and so on. One particular event that showcased the unifying spirit of iFair was the fashion show. Models showed off all kinds of traditional attire, from the colorful blouses and floral embroidery of the Honduran traje tipico hondureño, to the flowing sleeves of Chinese hanfu robes, to the long, sleek, and elegant South Asian kurta tunics.
Yichen Gao ’25, the organizer of the fashion show and a member of the ISA executive board, was excited to incorporate her dual interest in “fashion and art” to “not only highlight beautiful clothing” but also to give students a “space to express their identities and backgrounds.” She noted that students often “get caught up in the academics here [at MIT],” but she hoped that the fashion show — and iFair as a whole — helped to remind people that MIT’s community is global and infused with the “unique experiences and customs” of every student.
Following the success of this year’s iFair, participants looked forward to next year’s iteration. Muele Wilcox, a second year Sloan MBA student who led the African booth (a collaboration between several African student organizations), echoed this sentiment. “If you weren’t here this year, make sure to be [at iFair] next year!” she said.
2026 marks ISA’s 50th anniversary as a club, and the organization plans to invite alumni to next year’s iFair.