The UI Center for Human Rights and the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility will host a screening of the documentary film "Sandy 2012," followed by a panel discussion"Remembering Hurricane Sandy: What We Have Learned, Where Are We Headed" at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 29 in room 140 of Schaeffer Hall.

The African Studies Program (ASP) is hosting its next baraza, or discussion – this time focusing on Northern Zimbabwe, an area claimed by the Portuguese but annexed by the British in late 1890. Titled Late Precolonial Struggles, European Expansion & the Making of Colonial Authority, the talk will ask how the making of the geography of European colonial possessions in Africa was influenced by local political struggles among Africans.

On Wednesday, September 23, I traveled from Ifrane to Casablanca (yes, that Casablanca, the one with a movie about it) with a friend to stay with her family for the long weekend of Eid el-Kibeer.

On October 13, 2015, the WorldCanvass program brought 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. Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests explored the topic of "The Evolution of Climate Change: 25 Years and Counting" at FilmScene in Iowa City. This is a recap of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

On the next WorldCanvass, Rebecca Arnold, UI Masters of Public Health graduate and senior program officer at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communications Programs, will receive the UI’s 2015 International Impact Award. This is the sixth year of the award, which is given to exceptional individuals who have made sustained and deep contributions internationally or in the U.S. to promote global understanding. The presentation and following WorldCanvass discussion will begin at 5 p.m., November 10, at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City and is free and open to the public.

Every year, International Programs - in conjunction with Study Abroad and International Student and Scholar Services - hosts a number of contests open to our returned study abroad and international students. Cash prizes are awarded to the winners in each category. The deadline submission to the photo and video contests is October 31, 2015. Submit your entries today!

Beijing is vast. I’ve been here the span of seven Hawkeye football wins, and the city’s vastness is overwhelming at times. The vastness is geographical. At 6,000 square miles – larger than Connecticut – the city’s rings stretch outward into rural villages masquerading as suburbs. Try taking the subway from the northwest corner of the city, where Peking University is located, to Yizhuan Culture Park, in the southeast corner; the bus or taxi through typical traffic will take even longer. The vastness is also historical. It reaches back through Mongol, Chinese, and Manchu dynasties, when the city was passed back and forth among occupiers.

The Japanese program at the University of Iowa will be seeing several improvements thanks to a $350,000 grant from the Japanese Foundation. Sawako Kojima of the Japanese Consulate in Chicago presented the award to UI Associate Provost and Dean Downing Thomas, who accepted the grant on behalf of the UI on Oct. 16.

It was impossible to get lost. The address of the archives was clear on the website: monumental area, next to the cathedral. It was not my first time in Cuenca, but I did not know how long it would take me walking from downtown, where my hostel was. I left two hours before the archives opened to make sure I would take full advantage of the four hours a day the archive is open.

So, you’ve decided to study abroad. What’s your first instinct? Convince your best friends to make the trip with you for a semester long adventure? I’m here to tell you that you should highly consider going abroad without your best friends.