This month, I had the honor to attend a reception at the ambassador's residence, organized by the US-China Strong Foundation and Project Pengyou. The event was an opportunity to mingle with fellow students and educators who are living and studying abroad in China. Regarding Sino-Chinese relations, Ambassador Branstad has reiterated his commitment to his friendship with Chinese president Xi Jinping and the well-established connection between Iowa and Hebei.

A new staffing model for the UI’s four cultural and resource centers empowers the staff members to bring passion to their roles and foster a sense of community for students.

International Writing Program members discuss free press and fake news on an global scale.

International Programs will host a Boren Awards and Critical Language Scholarship information session on Wednesday, October 18, from 5-7 p.m. in 1100 University Capitol Centre. Learn about award requirements, the application process, and have your questions answered by Boren representative Randi Butler and CLS Campus Advisor Karen Wachsmuth. 

UI students who are interested in studying abroad in Germany are invited to attend an information session on The Academic Year in Freiburg program, on Monday, November 6, from 4-5 p.m. in 315 Phillips Hall. 

WorldCanvass started its ninth season by teaming up with Hancher and its Embracing Complexity project for a multi-layered program exploring the beauty of Islamic art and the diversity within Islamic cultures. Joan Kjaer and guests discussed the great diversity that exists within Islamic cultures and traditions, ancient and modern, near and far.  They examined the many aesthetic, artistic, architectural, and other elements of Islamic expression that have made their way into the global consciousness and talked with a playwright who’s documenting the contemporary Muslim experience in Iowa. The show was closed out with a performance by musical group, Niyaz. They shared their musical vision, which is rooted in ancient poetry and Sufi mysticism, and their hopes to unite different peoples and traditions through a common humanity.

Come enjoy the culinary delights of Asia at the Confucius Institute’s Bite of Asia tasting event, which will be held Friday, November 3, from 6-7:30 p.m. in 1117 University Capitol Centre. Free and open to the public.

Madeleine Green is the third speaker in the Commitment to Internationalization lecture series. Her talk, "Are We There Yet?:  The Long (and Winding) Road to Global Learning for All," will be on Thurday, November 2, at 4:00 p.m. in the Old Capitol Senate Chamber. This lecture continues the conversation about the UI's vision and strategic themes for campus internationalization.

Are you interested in learning about earning UI credit while spending eight weeks during the summer interning full-time in the field of your choice in Dublin? UI students are invited to attend an information session with IES Abroad, featuring guest speaker Stephen McMahon, faculty member at IES Internships.

Wow sometimes it’s hard to believe how quickly time passes. I feel as though I’ve only just arrived and yet I’m already a quarter of the way through my exchange semester! I do attribute some of this feeling to the fact that I have yet to begin my actual classes. The semester officially began this week, but my first class isn’t until next Monday.