Dear all, 

February has been an excitingly busy month and there is much to share with you. The week of February 20 was spent in Washington, D.C., where Assistant Provost Doug Lee and I attended the annual conference of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA). The conference organized several interesting sessions on student mobility, trends in global engagement, and the future of internationalization. The highlight of AIEA, however, was the reception honoring Fulbright Top Producing institutions. As many of you know, Iowa was named a Top Producer for the seventh time. Our Fulbright success is due to the hard work of Karen Wachsmuth, associate director of international fellowships, her assistant, Ari Natarina, and a dedicated group of faculty mentors. We were thrilled Karen was able to attend the reception and enjoy the recognition she so richly deserves.  

Time spent in Washington also presents the opportunity to engage with friends of International Programs (IP) and to advocate for projects that advance our—and the UI’s—priorities. Doug and I enjoyed a lovely dinner with Sandy Barkan, who, along with her late husband Joel, have been staunch supporters of IP’s initiatives. It was wonderful to catch up with Sandy and give her an in-person report on our present and future programming.

I also had the pleasure of lunch with Jane Schukoske, who is based in Washington and serves as the academic liaison for the Sehgal Foundation. Sehgal operates in both Delhi and Des Moines and has collaborated extensively with the UI College of Engineering to provide internships and study abroad opportunities for students interested in rural development in India. I also spent time on Capitol Hill visiting the staff of Iowa’s congressional delegation to brief them on Iowa’s successes and priorities regarding global engagement.

The trip to Washington culminated in a visit to the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo, as well as a reception honoring Kosovo Independence Day. It was my honor to meet with Ambassador Ilir Dugolli to discuss the Iowa-Kosovo partnership and commemorate the 15th anniversary of their country’s freedom. 

On the home front, we were just as active. The beginning of the month saw the annual Lunar New Year celebration hosted by the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS), an IP affinity group. As usual, the webinar was very well attended, and everyone enjoyed sharing recipes as well as stories of family traditions to usher in the Year of the Rabbit—whose qualities of patience, tranquility, and tact—we should all seek to imitate.  

IP rang in the new year in style by processing its 1,000th passport just after the Lunar New Year celebration. We were especially pleased that the 1,000th passport went to a member of a delightful family from Solon. Since opening the Passport Acceptance Facility in November 2021, a major goal of ours has been to provide resources to the community beyond the UI. It is eminently rewarding to see our outreach efforts result in opening global travel to our neighbors throughout southeast Iowa. 

The month culminated in a panel discussion of the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine on February 24. This event was hosted by IP’s European Studies Group, an IP affinity group, and led by its director, Professor Marina Zaloznaya. The conversation served as a follow-up to last year’s Major Projects symposium, Corruption, the Rise of Populism, and the Future of Democracy. We were both happy and humbled to see a turnout of nearly 80 people to mark this solemn occasion. The event carried with it excellent media coverage that underscored the seriousness of the war and its threat to geo-political stability. 

International Programs is once again grateful to the Stanley-University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization for making such consequential programming possible. As we move into spring, IP’s calendar is full of similar activities, both large and small. We thank you in advance for participating in these events, and look forward to sharing perspectives on the world, and Iowa’s role in bringing it to you. 

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.