From the Archives: Wittenborg Marks Mid-Autumn Festival Nearly 20 Years On
A 2007 Archive Post Reflects Wittenborg's Early International Community
As communities across the world celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, a small piece of Wittenborg history has resurfaced from the archives.
On Tuesday, 25 September, 2007, Wittenborg Online published a post titled Moon Festival or Lantern Festival, introducing the traditions and significance of one of the most important celebrations in many East and Southeast Asian communities. Almost 20 years later, the article offers an unexpected snapshot of the institution at a very different stage in its development.
The timing is striking. This year's Mid-Autumn Festival also falls on 25 September, creating a direct link between the present day and a moment in Wittenborg's past when the institution was still in the early stages of its international journey.
The 2007 article described the Mid-Autumn Festival, or 中秋节 (Zhōngqiūjié), as a celebration of abundance, family and togetherness. Falling on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, it is traditionally associated with the full harvest moon and is widely celebrated through family reunions, shared meals, mooncakes and lantern displays. Across many communities, the festival remains a time for reflection, gratitude and reconnecting with loved ones.
Yet the archive post reveals something beyond the festival itself.
Looking back at the article provides a glimpse into an important period in Wittenborg's development. During the early 2000s, Chinese and Vietnamese students formed a significant part of Wittenborg's growing international community. Long before internationalisation became a central theme across Dutch higher education, students from Asia were helping shape daily life within the institution.
Since then, Wittenborg has grown into one of the Netherlands' most internationally diverse higher education institutions, bringing together students and staff from more than 120 nationalities. The scale has changed considerably, but the archive entry suggests that one aspect of institutional life has remained consistent: recognising the cultures and traditions represented within the community.
That is perhaps what makes the brief 2007 message so relevant nearly two decades later. It reflects an understanding that internationalisation is not only measured by the number of countries represented in a classroom. It is also expressed through the acknowledgement of the celebrations, histories and traditions that students bring with them.
For many people across East and Southeast Asia, the Mid-Autumn Festival remains a time for family reunions, gratitude and reflection. While customs vary between countries and communities, the themes of togetherness and shared celebration continue to resonate across generations.
Viewed through that lens, the old Wittenborg post is more than an archive item. It is a reminder that cultural diversity has been woven into Wittenborg's story for many years and that some of the traditions celebrated by Wittenborg's international community today were already being recognised almost two decades ago.
Wittenborg wishes everyone celebrating this year's Mid-Autumn Festival a happy and enjoyable festival.
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