On December 17, 2014, U.S. President Obama and Cuban President Castro announced a new era of openness and interaction between their two countries. On December 8, 2015, Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests discussed "Cuba: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" as the one year anniversary approached. Check out this ReCap of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

Dr. James Zogby will visit the UI for "How we should be discussing the Arab world and Islam in 2016," a lecture in which he will discuss the significance of political discourse regarding the Arab world and Islam. The event is free and open to the public, and will take place on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in 1117 University Capitol Centre. It is co-sponsored by International Programs, CIVIC, the UI Honors Program, the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication, UICHR, and the UI Department of History.

On December 5-6, International Programs hosted the Global Education Institute for Teachers in partnership with the Stanley Foundation. The annual professional development workshop is offered to Iowa's K-12 teachers, with an aim of increasing educators’ awareness of and capacity to teach concepts and skills necessary for developing globally-minded students.

Chinese students at the University of Iowa continue to try making do in a system that isn’t tailored to them, from the admissions process to academics and life on campus, despite moves by the university and others over the past several years to make life more pleasant for them in the United States.

This is the first time in Havana´s history where an independent and comprehensive plan has been developed that provides a long-term, holistic vision for the entire city. It is based upon the city´s needs for a contemporary update, but its fundamental concepts are rooted in Havana´s geography, history and traditions, as well as the idiosyncratic nature of the Cuban people.

In response to comments on multiple social media platforms that insulted various members of the University of Iowa community, five UI officials released a campus-wide letter Tuesday reaffirming the institution's commitment to diversity, decency and respect.

Part I. Tell Me How I’m Supposed to Breathe in This Air The first thing I check every morning is the U.S. Embassy’s AQI (Air Quality Index). This Tuesday, the AQI reads “beyond index” (>500 AQI), which is a diplomatic way of saying “deathly.” The annoying lump in my throat and its companion “Beijing cough” reappears. When I look outside, I wonder if I have been transported back to the 1950s to London’s Smog Menace when couples kissed with their masks on and people relied on the blind to lead them home. I can’t help but question why I chose to study here, a decision that will probably cost me in life expectancy.

Here's a fun fact about me: I almost never get sick. Aside from my annual two- to three-day stomach flu, usually in December or January, the most I get is allergy-related sniffles or the occasional migraine. Last year, my annual stomach flu fell during finals week of spring semester, which I maintain is the reason I did so poorly on my Computer Science Fundamentals exam. So it has been surprising (and somewhat irritating) to me that in the last three weeks I've gotten sick twice and missed more classes than the previous months of the semester combined.

For about a month, a group of international students and I planned on going to Marseille for a weekend trip. In light of recent events in France right now, some had to drop out. One of my friends, a wonderful American Muslim girl, decided not to go because she wears a hijab, and she was afraid of how people there will treat her. She already has trouble going through airports under normal circumstances, but now she's worried that even people on the streets in France will harass her, like they have many others. France doesn't have a history of dealing well with different religions and cultures, and Muslims in particular.

How was your week off for Thanksgiving? I hope you all had a good chance to visit with friends and family and also eat your fill of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and of course, pie. Being here in Japan, I’ve obviously been unable to celebrate in the traditional way. However, throughout the month of November I’ve been keeping myself busy in a few other ways.