The focus of the UI Theme Semester in spring 2017 is the Internet, the global system of connectedness that has literally made the world smaller. It enables the efficient processing of complex information, the transfer of knowledge and ideas beyond the borders of language and geography, technological advances few would have dared imagine possible mere decades ago, and rapid communication that can save lives, start a revolution, crowdfund research, and play to both our better and worse natures in interpersonal exchange. WorldCanvass guests will talk with host Joan Kjaer about “Our Lives Online” on January 17, from 7:30-9:00 p.m., in the Recital Hall of the Voxman Music Building. The public is invited to attend both WorldCanvass and the catered, pre-show reception (6:30-7:30 p.m.).

David (Hosin) Lee, an International Programs Faculty Fellow, is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and public policy at the University of Iowa. Lee also serves as the director of the Laboratory for Advanced Construction Technology center (LACT). Lee coordinated a delegation visit of two Korean congressmen in March 2015, one of whom was recently elected minority leader in the Korean congress. In the following article, Lee recounts their visit to Iowa.