"Just like there are two sides of the same coin, the UI’s smaller number of international students could lead you to greater opportunities as a unique person who stands out. Be willing to accept new things and say yes to every opportunity that comes your way, because it will guide you to greater opportunities. If you can do it at Iowa, you will for sure become a global leader!”

When the plan to return to his homeland in Nigeria was interrupted by COVID-19, Ya’u Adamu decided to join the University of Iowa to start his doctoral studies in interdisciplinary human toxicology, which has been a great experience for him in many ways. Learn more about Ya’u.

After completing a bachelor's degree in dental surgery and a master's degree in health administration from Bangalore, India, Khyathi Gadag chose to apply to the University of Iowa after conducting comprehensive research on the university’s rankings, principles, and community. Learn more about Khyathi.

Among more than 2,000 international students from over 100 countries and territories, Ifeoma Anyaoha, a graduate student in business analytics and finance from Nigeria, is set apart by her role as a Life in Iowa program assistant. 

University of Iowa student Gul Rukh Mehboob will return to Pakistan with a PhD, and through her art leave a piece of herself behind in Iowa. Her watercolor painting of Old Capitol was selected to celebrate the university’s 175 years as an institution and to commemorate the installation of President Barbara Wilson.

Established in Fall 2020 by the International Student Advisory Board (ISAB), the iPeer Mentorship Program (iPeer) pairs new international students (mentees) with returning international students (mentors). As the only peer-to-peer mentorship program designed for international students on campus, iPeer aims to provide support to new international students for their transition in the first semester and personal development, as well as to empower them to become leaders on campus.

Despite being an international student on paper, Pareen Mhatre, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in business administration, lists Iowa City as her hometown.

All across Asia, the arrival of spring is celebrated. For the Chinese, Koreans, and various Southeast Asian communities, it is marked with the beginning of the new year on the lunar calendar.

Ebenezer (“Eben”) Aidoo, PhD student in the UI Department of Communication Studies, had several admissions offers from other graduate programs, but chose the University of Iowa “…because of the outstanding teaching and learning resources available for graduate students, reasonable cost of living, stellar health insurance package for graduate teaching and research assistants, and the vibrant academic community in Iowa City.”

Hao Zhou, a third-year MFA student in film and video production, recently added a Student Academy Award to the list of film awards and nominations he has received over the years. As the University of Iowa’s first recipient of this honor, he won the Gold Medal award in the category of Alternative/Experimental for his film Frozen Out. He submitted Frozen Out for a 2022 Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film and will learn soon whether it is selected.

Born and raised in Brazil, Gustavo Campos is a fourth-year finance student from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business who will start his career at the London office of Jefferies Group LLC, an American multinational independent investment bank and financial services company, after graduation in May 2022. He will be working as a sales and trading analyst in the emerging markets desk. Gustavo says he was drawn to this career path by a combination of extracurricular activities, internships, and the fact that he was born and raised in an emerging country.

Over 170 meals were served to University of Iowa students and members of the surrounding community during a special Thanksgiving meal event on Monday, November 22.