The South Asian Studies Program (SASP) will kick-off its fall semester activities with a lecture by Paul Robbins on the intertwined fates of India's wild animal species and its rural populations. The event is free and open to the public and will be held on Thursday, October 29, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm in UCC 2390 (Executive Boardroom, 2nd Floor UCC).

2015 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of "Don Quixote," volume two. In a prelude to a special Obermann-International Programs Humanities Symposium, Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests explored the topic of "Don Quixote's Four Century Saga" on September 15, 2015 at FilmScene in Iowa City.

In this report, CCTV America, the U.S. division of China's state-run English news channel, takes a look at our very own University of Iowa. The video touches on the dramatic rise in its Chinese student population over the last five years, the challenges and successes that have come with that change, and the ways in which Iowa's relationship to the Chinese president has fueled interest in the university.

Come celebrate with us as Ms. Sawako Kojima, of the Japan Information Center and Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, presents the Japan Foundation Institutional Project Support Program in Japanese Studies to the University of Iowa.

On the next WorldCanvass, we’ll bring together members of the scientific research community, political leaders, and entrepreneurs to consider the topic of climate change and how it’s evolved in both scientific understanding and public discourse over the past twenty-five years. The WorldCanvass discussion will take place at 5 p.m., October 13, at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City and is free and open to the public.

Leaders from the University of Iowa and the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs gathered in Des Moines earlier this month to sign an agreement that creates an externship program abroad for UI law students. The externship is available to any UI law student who has completed at least one year of law school, takes place at the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs and involves international law research.

Dia duit! That means hello in Irish. My name is Kelsey O’Donnell and I am junior at the University of Iowa studying International Studies and Anthropology. For my entire junior year, however, I am studying abroad in Cork, Ireland at University College Cork. While here, I am taking classes in History, Folklore, French, Literature, and Politics. I chose to study in Ireland because it is a beautiful country with friendly people. I knew that it would be a good choice for my first long-term stay abroad. University College Cork has a great international reputation and the campus is gorgeous.

My sexual identity has never been an easy subject with me. I like to say it is similar to having your worst fear tattooed on your forehead. So, I was branded with “GAY” on my forehead. There were nights where I hated every part of myself because of this one little section of my being, but there were also nights that I felt amazing because of my differences. Going to a nation that the majority of popular opinion is opposed to gay marriage was daunting and it made me think about more than just my sexual identity.

First, a question for my fellow study abroad students (or potential ones). Is there such thing as the perfect host family? Well, I think so, and they go by the names, Harumichi and Machico. However, they have requested I call them ‘Otousan’ and ‘Okaasan,’ or ‘Father’ and ‘Mother.’ To my fellow Americans back home who are unaware of Japanese culture, this may seem slightly odd. However, in Japan, this is actually seen as quite normal and also, to a degree, respectful. They are an elderly couple who have a few children of their own (who now live elsewhere) and have done everything they can to make me feel like part of the family.

On the first day of class, I can’t tell if the teacher is giving an overview of the course or trying to convince people to drop it. Perhaps the culprit of my confusion is my participation in a rigorous study abroad program at Peking University, known as the “Harvard of China”, through which I am directly enrolled in classes with Chinese undergraduate students at the School of Economics and the School of International Studies.