The African Studies Program and Caribbean, Diaspora, and Atlantic Studies Program will co-sponsor an upcoming forum entitled, “Crossing Borders Symposium: Rethinking Memory and Trauma: New Directions in Cultural and Visual Studies.” This event is free and open to the public, starting at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, April 22, through 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, in 315 Phillips Hall.

Traveling to Pondicherry with the 2016 India Winterm Program was my first trip abroad and the experiences I had over the three weeks I was there were life changing. I enrolled in the course Serving Children with Disabilities, Empowering Local Women, Assisting Older Adults (SEA). My enrollment in this course provided me with the opportunity to volunteer with nonprofit organizations in the area, attend lectures with guest speakers, and visit ancient temples and other cultural sites. I volunteered at SARVAM, an after school program created by the Sri Aurobindo Society that works to advance the educational attainment of children in rural areas.

Join the Organization for the Active Support of International Students (OASIS) in celebrating their annual cross cultural event, Bridging Fiesta 2016, "Under the Sea." This year's aquatic themed event will be an affair to remember, including live bands, dance performances, food catered by Formosa and OASIS, photo booths, raffle prizes, multicultural activities, and more!

WorldCanvass tackles informatics—also known as big data—on its final program of the 2015-2016 season. Guests from the diverse fields of computer science, medicine, sociology, public health, and geographical and sustainability sciences will discuss the proliferation of big data and their attempts to both understand and utilize this massive and, in many ways, untamed digital resource. “Big Data: Big Brother or Big Sister?” is the topic at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at FilmScene. WorldCanvass is free and open to the public.

Visiting Assistant Professor Melissa Moreton will discuss her work examining the material culture of late medieval, Renaissance, and early modern Italy (1300-1650), combining methodologies from history, material book studies, art history, and the quantitative sciences.

Has French Cinema lost its roots and become a nondescript mass of so-called European film traditions? Is transnationalism just a weighted synonym for ‘international coproduction?’ Can popular cinema also be art?

Misunderstandings and misconceptions of Islam and Muslims are issues students in the University of Iowa Muslim Student Association aim to alleviate during the second-annual Islam Awareness Week.

An Iowa alumnus settled in London, England, Alex Boyce first started thinking about connecting with fellow alumni living across the pond when he was asked to speak to a class of students as part of the Tippie College of Business’ Winter Study Abroad Program.

The Study Abroad Office, Peace Corps, the School of International Training (SIT), and the Blank Honors Center will hold two upcoming informational sessions - "Not Your Ordinary International Experience: SIT Study Abroad and the Peace Corps!" These events are free and open to the public, and will take place from 7-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, in room 2390 of the University Capitol Centre, and 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, 2016, in room 350 of the Blank Honors Center.

The European Studies Group and the French and Italian Forum will co-host an upcoming talk, "Le Soleil Couchant by Théophile Gautier (1830): An Introduction to Reading French Poetry." Featuring guest speaker Geoffrey Hope, a professor of French at the UI, a reading and discussion will take place on the poetry of Théophile Gautier, in honor of the retirement of Professor Wendelin Guentner.