The changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic have impacted every person, every industry, every region, and every communal activity for nearly the whole of 2020. Even after the much-hoped-for vaccine is developed and distributed, some believe that life and work patterns have been forever altered. What comes next in the field of global education is the subject of the December WorldCanvass on the topic “Teaching and Learning Post-COVID.”  WorldCanvass will be held virtually through Zoom, from 5:30-7 p.m. on December 8.

Associate Provost and Dean Russell Ganim provides a welcome back message

Staff members at International Programs at the University of Iowa created a video message for students to convey the message, "we are here for you." President Harreld and Provost Fuentes also lent a hand to the video production. 

Concerns about the present and future danger of the 2019 novel coronavirus will be addressed by an expert panel on a special WorldCanvass called "Coronavirus: Perceptions and Precautions" to be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m., February 21, in 1117 University Capitol Centre (UCC). The event is free and open to the public.

When Downing Thomas ends his tenure as associate provost and dean of International Programs at the end of the semester, he’ll be making two significant shifts in his life. Professionally, Thomas will return to teaching French literature as a professor in the Department of French and Italian in the College of Arts and Sciences, effective Dec. 31. The second significant shift in his life is personal. Thomas and his wife, Joy, are expecting a baby in December.

The final production of our tenth season inaugurated this year's Provost's Global Forum, "Why School? International Perspectives on Education and Social Transformation."  Host Joan Kjaer and expert panelists discussed school and educational systems around the world, and how schools are both products of society and a process for effecting changes in society.  Panelists answered questions such as: What is the purpose of schooling in society? And what are the relationships between educational reform, globalization, and social change?

WorldCanvass will celebrate International Education Week* with a program on “Educational Cross-fertilization: the Iowa/India Connection.” The program will feature UI President Bruce Harreld’s presentation of the 2018 International Impact Award to Rajat Jay Sehgal and the Sehgal Foundation for their leadership in support of community-based development activities, educational access, and the empowerment of women, particularly in rural India. Sehgal will also be recognized for the foundation’s multi-year partnership with the University of Iowa’s award-winning India Winterim program. Joining the discussion about the Iowa/India educational connection are Craig Just, Marian Muste, and Allen Bradley from the College of Engineering, Stephanie Gilbertson-White from the College of Nursing, Vijay Kamalumpundi from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Downing Thomas. WorldCanvass begins at 5:30 on November 13 at MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street, with a pre-show reception from 5-5:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.

WorldCanvass begins its tenth season of internationally focused discussions on October 9 with “The Politics and Impact of Immigration.” Arguments over reasonable and desirable immigration legislation and the control of U.S. borders have long vexed the political class, policy makers, and the American public, but they’ve become extraordinarily polarizing under the heightened rhetoric of recent years. WorldCanvass will explore, from diverse and often divergent points of view, the complexities that make the immigration discussion so nuanced and difficult. We’ll also hear stories of recent immigrants who’ve chosen to bring their skills, talents, and energies to their new home, Iowa. Joan Kjaer hosts the program, which takes place in downtown Iowa City at MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street, from 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, and is free and open to the public. We invite you to come at 5 and join us for a pre-show catered reception.