Dear All,
As we enter October, International Programs finds its fall semester off to a solid start despite the continued challenges posed by the pandemic.
While our incoming class of international students is understandably smaller than that of last year, the roughly 270 new students from international destinations have comfortably settled into fall term. While a good portion are in Iowa City, a number have remained in their home countries and are taking courses online. The hope is that they can arrive in Iowa this coming January. In the interim, we continue to provide academic, logistical, and emotional support for all members of our international community while underscoring the innumerable contributions they bring to our university.
Although the UI is still unable to send its students to international destinations, interest in study abroad remains high. We note that our annual Study Abroad Fair - held virtually from September 14-17 - saw participation from hundreds of students. At present, we continue to address student demand for study abroad through virtual global internships and faculty-led programs. When the day comes that we can return to conventional study abroad, there is no doubt that demand will be considerable. We look forward to that day, but in the interim, will continue to advise students on their options and will promote global opportunities at home be they in the classroom or online.
In conjunction with the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS) and the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, International Programs hosted an extremely successful webinar entitled “Pandemic, State, and Society” on September 18 and 25. The webinar represented an interdisciplinary look at COVID-19 that brought together international experts from the fields of medicine, anthropology, public health, journalism, and sociology. Scholars from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and North America gathered to explain the global response to the pandemic as well as a path forward.
Please let me congratulate CAPS Director Cynthia Chou, Associate Director Dongwang Liu, and the CAPS faculty on putting together a superb program that included hundreds of participants from all over the world.
The discussion and response were tremendous, and thanks to their herculean efforts, we have again shown how vital the UI is in contributing to research as it relates to Asia and the global stage.
With warmest regards,
Russell Ganim
Associate Provost and Dean, International Programs