Some believe new technologies are powerful forces that dictate social, cultural and political relations. These “technological determinists” focus on the technology itself, questioning whether it produces positive or negative outcomes in society. Others believe people use technologies in ways that suit existing goals and interests. These “social constructionists” think about new technologies as tools that can be seized, adapted and appropriated by the public. While there is plenty of middle ground between these two perspectives, this dichotomy draws attention to a key question in the study of new technologies. Who has the most power: technology or people? This question, and how it has been answered throughout history and around the world, will be central to an upcoming WorldCanvass discussion, featuring University of Iowa faculty from Communication Studies, Journalism & Mass Communication, and Computer Science. The program, “Encountering New Technology,” will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Iowa City’s nonprofit cinema arts organization FilmScene on 118 E. College St. The program is free and open to the public.

The spring 2016 Bijou Horizons film series begins Tuesday, Feb. 9, with the screening of Theeb, a film from the United Arab Emirates. UI students who attend all five movies will once again be eligible to have their names entered into a drawing to receive a $1,500 study abroad scholarship, plus round-trip airfare. UI International Programs, the home of Study Abroad, provides the scholarship to one student each semester, chosen via drawing from the pool of students who’ve attended each of the screenings. A FilmScene donor also provides round-trip airfare.

Preparing for a trip abroad may have just gotten easier. Students and staff at the University of Iowa requiring visas, passport renewals, or other travel document services will now be offered these services at a discounted rate. The Committee on Institutional Cooperation has signed a contract with CIBT Visa Services to provide passport and visa services to the UI and other Institutional Cooperation institutions — which include other schools in the Big Ten.

Iowa City ranked seventh in the Peace Corps’ 2015 listing of the country’s top volunteer-producing metro areas per capita. This is the first time the Iowa City metro area (defined as Washington and Johnson counties) reached the top 10 on the list of currently-serving Peace Corps volunteers.

If the phrase "academic research" brings to mind tweedy professors poring over rare manuscripts or bespectacled scientists in lab coats examining glass beakers — you’re probably not alone. Nor is the stereotype entirely wrong; I’ve certainly dressed the part of rumpled geek during my career, to the occasional chagrin of my family. The prolonged and often unglamorous work of studying how social, economic and political forces shaped history, or how the universe operates down to the subatomic level and out at the furthest edges of space can seem mysterious, tedious and irrelevant to people outside of academia.

Congratulations to our very own India Winterim study abroad program, recipient of the prestigious 2016 Institute of International Education (IIE) Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the India Winterim program, with over 1,000 students and faculty participating since its inauguration. Geography professor and India Winterim creator Raj Rajagopal and International Programs' Assistant Provost Doug Lee will accept the award at a ceremony in Davis, California, in March.

While Abby Restko was in college at the University of Iowa, she embarked on a study abroad experience in Venice, Italy. Restko, who was a majoring in marketing with a minor in art, knew then that she should have a jewelry store that offered Murano glass locally. So she opened Glassando in a small space in the Old Capitol Mall just a week after graduation in 2005.

Two CPH students traveled to southern India to research the occupational conditions of workers who harvest tea leaves by hand.

Natalia Santos and Ben Scott share insights from their international experiences in Ecuador and Brazil.

Chinese students at the University of Iowa continue to try making do in a system that isn’t tailored to them, from the admissions process to academics and life on campus, despite moves by the university and others over the past several years to make life more pleasant for them in the United States.

This is the first time in Havana´s history where an independent and comprehensive plan has been developed that provides a long-term, holistic vision for the entire city. It is based upon the city´s needs for a contemporary update, but its fundamental concepts are rooted in Havana´s geography, history and traditions, as well as the idiosyncratic nature of the Cuban people.

In response to comments on multiple social media platforms that insulted various members of the University of Iowa community, five UI officials released a campus-wide letter Tuesday reaffirming the institution's commitment to diversity, decency and respect.