My name is Marcus Smith and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the spring 2016 semester in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was without a doubt the best 5 months of my life, and gave me the chance to grow intellectually, emotionally, and culturally. That being said though, I did have several concerns before my departure, and a majority of them had to do with how my identity as a black male would be received over there.

A new major in global health studies is now available to undergraduates after long efforts by campus faculty.

Although my daily life in Bolivia is so much more than a class schedule, I want to describe what college is like in Cochabamba. It’s (almost) perfect and I (almost) never speak English. From indigenous languages to week-long field trips, my class schedule is anything but dull. Here’s a look at my classes

The Japan Foundation Institutional Project Support (IPS) Grant is funding graduate students to conduct research in Japan, with additional support from the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS). Laurel Taylor is a second-year student in the UI's MFA in Translation program who conducted research on the culture of translation in Tokyo in the summer of 2016. At Iowa, she is translating short stories and a novel by the contemporary Japanese novelist Shibasaki Tomoka, a participant in the International Writing Program for 2016.

In the Old Capitol Senate Chamber on Thursday night, Melissa Fleming, the head of communications for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, described the dire situation facing most of the world’s refugees.

The 2016-2017 Fulbright Lunch & Learn seminar series kicks off Friday, October 7 with "Classical and Folk Traditions: Exploring the Mahabharata in the Himalayas."

Are you prepared to sell your study abroad experience in a job interview? Learn techniques to tie together your stories and experiences abroad with the skill sets employers are looking for at a hands-on career prep workshop with UI Study Abroad on Thursday October 20, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in 1117 University Capitol Centre.

I know I promised to deliver a blog about my classes this week, but consider that cancelled for the moment. Instead, I feel it is necessary to discuss my past week in Potosí. I’m fortunate to be studying here on a program that takes us to 6 major cities of Bolivia and even into parts of the countryside. I was not, however, mentally prepared for Potosí.

The fall 2016 Fulbright Lunch & Learn seminar series kicks off Friday, October 7. Bring your lunch and learn from alumni and current grantees about their Fulbright experiences. Presentations will last 20-30 minutes, allowing time for discussion and socializing. All meetings will be held in University Capitol Centre Room 1117. 

My daily commute to class is something that makes even me jealous. When I was given my housing assignment the first day I arrived in Florence I was a bit panicked because it seemed so far away from the main school building and I was obviously worried that I would get lost in the labyrinthine streets of Florence. However, I quickly realized that it was not nearly as far as it seemed and while it took me a bit to get the hang of my commute without getting lost, once I did, I realized that it was a blessing in (not so subtle) disguise.