Dear all, 

April featured many events that would have commanded our exclusive attention had they occurred during any other month. However, they will have to share the spotlight with the official launch of the USAID-funded activity, Private Sector Partnerships for Strengthening Higher Education in Kosovo (PSPSHE). The University of Iowa has partnered with two other institutions—Iowa State University (ISU) and the Kosova Education Center (KEC) on a five-year, $4.7M cooperative agreement to assist public universities in Kosovo to develop curricula to meet market needs in the information and communication technology and agriculture sectors. 

This initiative is the brainchild of Professor Cassie Barnhardt (UI College of Education) and Professor Curt Youngs (Animal Science) of ISU. It was an honor for me to be with them, as well as Dean Dan Clay (UI College of Education), Petrit Tahiri (Director of KEC) our Chief of Party in Kosovo, Eli Gashi, and the rest of the team in Kosovo to participate in the official launch event on Monday, April 24. 

The ceremony was held at the National Library of Kosovo and was attended by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, officials from USAID, and the rectors of our partner institutions, the University of Prishtina, the University of Prizren, and the University of Pejë. Other dignitaries joined the launch, and we were thrilled by the local media coverage, including the live broadcast by Radio Television Kosovo, a video of which can be found here. 

The Iowa delegation spent the rest of the week visiting partner universities and touring small and medium sized companies that will contribute to the cooperative agreement. There will be more to come in the months and years ahead about our efforts in Kosovo, but for the moment, please join me in congratulating Cassie and Curt on their tremendous success and in thanking USAID for their confidence in this project. 

As congratulations and thanks are in order, I wish to extend our warmest appreciation to the UI School of Music for their marvelously successful Provost’s Global Forum, Festival of Contemporary Music from Israel. Professor and Director of the UI Center for New Music David Gompper, and Professor and Director of the UI School of Music Tammie Walker, worked tirelessly for two years to bring the world-renowned Meitar Ensemble as well as a host of other guest musicians and composers from Israel to our campus the week of April 17-23. 

The origin of this year’s Provost’s Global Forum is Iowa’s strong collaboration with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. The week of concerts, seminars, and masterclasses was extremely well attended, and featured work by students at both institutions. As part of its strategic priorities, IP is dedicated to showcasing the arts at Iowa. Music, dance, theater, and the visual arts—such as painting and sculpture—transcend the boundaries of culture, language, and history. As a result, their impact is universal, and given the magnificent facilities on our campus, it only makes sense to highlight the contribution the arts make to international education and understanding. 

The timeless quality of art was also reflected in The Future of a Tradition, Asian Craft, Iowa Innovation, and Japanese Papermaking, which took place between April 11-24. This two-week residency was funded by an IP Major Projects Award, and featured artisans from Japan, the Echizen province in particular, which has a tradition of papermaking that goes back 1,500 years. Professor Nicholas Cladis from the UI Center for the Book, as well as Professor Matthew Brown from the UI Department of English co-organized the event, which not only afforded students the opportunity to view this ancient craft, but to try their hand at it themselves! 

For his superb efforts in managing the logistics of both the Provost’s Global Forum and the Major Projects event, IP is forever indebted to Daniel Vorwerk of our Communications& Relations Team. Daniel has been with us for only a year, but his mastery in making schedules, keeping track of reservations and orders, and communicating with event participants is second to none. IP staff are to be commended for their daily contributions to our unit, and Daniel is a shining example of an all-star on a team of all-stars. And as we salute our staff, please let me close by recognizing the work of Ana Jiménez of our Study Abroad team who received a 2023 University of Iowa Mental Health Champion Award. Ana’s dedication to students and their well-being has always been well-known to us in IP, and we are delighted that it has been acknowledged across our campus. 

And please let me thank you, our dear friends, for contributing to our success. Without you, these stories of achievement would be beyond our reach. 

With all best wishes,

Russ 

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.