Dear all,
Happy February!

Spring semester has begun, and it is invigorating to see everyone back on campus. As usual, International Programs has been busy with several notable activities. First and foremost is the appearance of our 2024 Annual Report. Like a string of pearls, each annual report from International Programs is unique and beautiful, but this year’s version particularly stands out in terms of its content and its production values. The annual report is IP’s most effective means of conveying our impact to the campus community and beyond. It underscores our department’s internationalization efforts by highlighting the achievements of faculty, staff, and students in all the UI’s colleges. In addition, the annual report provides detailed testimonials from domestic and international students on how global education has positively changed the direction of their lives. This year, we are especially proud of our community and alumni engagement sections, as they underscore IP’s role in forging partnerships at home and abroad. 2024 saw many awards to faculty with the purpose of organizing lectures, symposia, workshops, and cultural events on topics of global importance. The final section focuses, of course, on our students whose achievements have been rewarded with fellowships and scholarships that advance the Hawkeye brand all over the world. Please glimpse at this year’s report, if only to get a brief sense of the breadth and depth of the Iowa experience across the globe.
In January, this experience took us to Japan, for a quick visit to Ritsumeikan University’s Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC). Professor Sato Ashida from the College of Public Health and I were invited to OIC to attend the Transnational Meeting on Human Science, which brought together scholars from all over the world to discuss current trends in human health and behavior. Ritsumeikan, ranked 10th among all universities in Japan, is a key UI partner with campuses in Kyoto and Shiga in addition to Osaka. At present, our collaborations focus on public health as well as creative writing, literature, and translation. At the same time, many opportunities exist to develop cooperative research and teaching initiatives in several other fields. From a larger perspective, the University of Iowa has multiple partnerships with Japanese institutions of higher learning, and given student and faculty interest in the country, there are many opportunities to expand these relationships in the coming months and years.
January also saw the UI welcoming new international undergraduate and graduate students. Mid-year numbers do not equal those from the fall, but we are always impressed by the quality of our new and existing international students who hail from the world over. We owe a special debt of gratitude to our International Student and Scholar Services unit, who again organized very successful orientation sessions for our new global Hawkeyes.
In terms of Iowa students going abroad, we note that over 140 Hawks studied in countries such as the Dominican Republic, Greece, India, the United Kingdom, and Australia during the winter term, signaling that we continue to regrow this important segment of our study abroad offerings. Applause goes to our Study Abroad unit for preparing these students and ensuring they made the most of their time overseas while returning home safely.
Looking ahead, the month of February will be busy with events. We kick things off with the Provost’s Global Forum taking place from February 6-8, followed by the next installment in our Cultivating Success series, focusing on international teaching. Capping the month will be our Lunar New Year celebration, where we will ring in the Year of the Snake! In the meantime, we hope your new year has started well, and we thank you for spending part of it with your friends in International Programs.
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.