In the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump being named the winner of the 2016 presidential election, international students at the University of Iowa began contacting on-campus resources to ask about the effect of the results on their legal immigration status and personal safety.

The number of international students at the University of Iowa who study abroad has increased.

Howard Kerr, a native Iowan, 1960 graduate of the UI, and former naval commander and advisor to U.S. presidents, has been named the 2016 recipient of the International Impact Award. UI Provost Barry Butler and Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Downing Thomas will present the award to Kerr at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, as part of the television/radio/internet program WorldCanvass. Also appearing on WorldCanvass to discuss the challenges and opportunities offered by increasing internationalization in higher education will be Ellen Hazelkorn, policy advisor to the Higher Education Authority, Ireland, and Barbara McFadden Allen, executive director of the Big 10 Academic Alliance. The program takes place in the Recital Hall of the Voxman Music Building from 7:30-9:00 p.m. No tickets are required and the public is invited to enjoy a pre-show reception from 6:30-7:30.

The UI offers resources specifically geared toward international students to help them transition to life on a U.S. college campus.

Food is life. Food is culture. Food is home. It’s not until we’re away from home that we realize how important food is to our well-being. But not just any food. The food we know. Being in a foreign country brings a great deal of excitement when it comes to trying new foods and discovering the culture behind them. But it’s not long until we may start to miss the foods we know and love. Food has the power to cure us, and longing for your favorite treats can actually make some homesick.

Steve Liu (M.B.A, accounting ’02, M.Ac. accounting ‘04) and four other alumni - Yichen Wang (B.B.A. finance, B.S. mathematics ‘14) Jinn Li (M.S. actuarial science ‘12), Joy Chen (B.B.A. finance ‘14) and Ruihao Min (B.B.A. marketing and economics ‘13) - are trying to bring the Hawkeye spirit back to China with the newly-founded Beijing IOWA Club.

UI graduate Dong Mao (B.A. accounting and finance ’13) recognized the need for a Shanghai IOWA Club when he attended a Big Ten alumni event earlier this year. He found that many other Big Ten schools had dynamic alumni networks that strengthened alumni connections. “I thought it would be a great idea if Iowa alumni in Shanghai could form their own community and help each other,” the Zhengzhou, China, native said. And so, Mao set his sights on making a Shanghai IOWA Club a reality.

Starting this year, international students will go through campus tours as part of their Orientation, and domestic students will volunteer as tour guides.

The number of international students and scholars at the University of Iowa has risen every year for the last decade, and there are more than 4,500 international students on campus, according to a recent report by the UI International Student and Scholars Services.In the past, because of logistical challenges, international students have faced the disadvantage of not being able to participate in campus tours as many domestic students do during their summer Orientation.

Iowa City is a place of milestones for Wu Hao and Wu Ximeng. For the two University of Iowa graduates, the town is where they became enamored of the UI community, pursued their education, found love, and, later, returned to marry.

More robust orientations planned as signs point to a softening of international enrollments

International programs experts credit the United States’ top quality higher education system, in part, for the rise in global applications. And Downing Thomas, associate provost and dean of UI International Programs, said students who come to Iowa from abroad gain valuable exposure to the U.S. educational system, culture and post-graduation opportunities.