Dear all,
It’s been a lovely fall in Iowa City now that the weather has cooled and the leaves have turned. I hope that the change of seasons has been as pleasant where you are. Fall brings its bounty in numerous ways—from harvest to Halloween—but in International Programs (IP), autumnal plentitude comes in the form of events that spotlight IP’s mission to bring the world to Iowa.
On October 14, IP, along with the Japanese Program in the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (DWLLC) and the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS), hosted the visit of the Honorable Shigeo Yamada, Ambassador of Japan to the United States. Ambassador Yamada was accompanied by the Consul General of Japan in Chicago, Jun Yanagi, as well as the First and Second Secretaries to the Ambassador, Tomoko Nakamura and Miku Yamada. The event highlighted the strength of the Japanese Program at Iowa. Kendall Heitzman, associate professor of Japanese and chair of the Department of Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures, served as master of ceremonies. IP gave a formal greeting, as did administrators from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Ambassador Yamada elegantly expressed his appreciation for the gathering, which consisted primarily of readings from Japanese authors currently participating in the International Writing Program, as well as translations of the writers’ work by students in the Japanese program. The evening concluded with a dinner hosted by CAPS and IP. To see Japanese at Iowa shine on such a stage is testament to the wonderful work of the faculty and students.
Translation also played a large role in an event co-organized by the Anne Frank Initiative, an International Programs affinity group, and Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature at the Iowa City Public Library on October 20. Entitled “Anne Frank’s Diary—A Multilingual Multimedia Reading,” the event featured readings in 15 languages from students in Iowa City and the surrounding area. Held to commemorate what would have been Anne's 95th birthday, the activity provided an opportunity to recall the diary’s impact worldwide while creating a sense of community locally. Capping the event were observations from Theodore Rosengarten, a National Book Award winner and former professor in the Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston who also taught in the Honors College at the University of South Carolina.
The end of October saw a flurry of activity. We were honored by the visit of colleagues from Romania, Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova who are part of the iCREATE program, an NIH-funded venture sponsored by the Fogarty International Center. You may recall that we visited the University of Babes-Bolyai (UBB) in Cluj, Romania, last summer to observe a weeklong summer school program, SCOPE, which focused on violence and injury prevention. Several students from the UI College of Public Health—both graduate and undergraduate—participated in that program, which rotates between partner universities in the countries mentioned above. Last summer, we met the students from these countries while this fall, we met their instructors. Their visit provided an excellent occasion to follow up on SCOPE and discuss the direction in which the program is headed. UBB is one of Iowa’s key international partners, and solidifying these connections will create numerous research and learning opportunities for Iowa faculty and students not just in Public Health, but across many disciplines.
As October closed, we were delighted to confer the International Impact Award on Richard (Dick) J. Tyner, whose gifts to International Programs, the Departments of French & Italian and Political Science, and the Honors Program, have provided countless opportunities for Iowa students to study abroad, pursue internships, complete degrees, and pursue rewarding careers. I have known Dick for close to a decade, and his dedication to global engagement, especially as it applies to student access and support, is unmatched. Dick has lived and worked in Europe and the Middle East for decades, but his heart and home remain in Iowa with our university and our community. We are so fortunate to have Dick Tyner as a friend and owe him much more than the International Impact Award could ever convey.
Lastly, October concluded with the fascinating visit of Debra Cagan (BGS ‘75, MA ‘77), a proud Iowa graduate, who returned to campus to deliver our annual Commitment to Internationalization Lecture. Her talk was entitled, “Perspectives on Contemporary Geopolitics.” As senior advisor at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and distinguished fellow at the Transatlantic Leadership Network, Debra spoke about America’s global role, shifting alliances, and emerging security challenges. Debra also met with several groups of students in Political Science to give career advice, share insights into the thoughts and actions of world leaders, and to challenge conventional assumptions regarding how war, diplomacy, and politics are conducted in the global sphere. We are deeply grateful to Debra for reengaging with our campus and hope to have her back in Iowa soon.
As always, please allow me to express my gratitude to you for allowing us to share the bounty that International Programs and its friends offer to our great university.
All the best,
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.