We live in an age of new technology, expecting any day to wake up to yet another jaw-dropping device or a discovery that simply changes everything about the way we live and work. The rate of innovation in the modern age can be breathtaking, but technological advances have jolted humans into new and unfamiliar territory since the dawn of humankind. On the next WorldCanvass, we’ll contemplate the larger implications of the adoption of new technologies—how do they change the ways in which individuals interact, the sharing of information, the movement of people and ideas from place to place, and what does all of this mean to the shape and form of a culture? WorldCanvass guests will discuss “Encountering New Technology” at FilmScene on February 9, beginning at 5 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.

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.

The University of Iowa is ranked among the top 35 public universities in the nation (U.S. News & World Report) and is renowned not only for its academic excellence but for its research profile. But what does it mean to be a ‘research university?’ WorldCanvass guests will answer that question from multiple perspectives when they gather at Iowa City’s FilmScene at 5 p.m. on January 26 for a program called “Taking it to the Streets: Research to Real Life.” The program is free and open to the public.

On December 17, 2014, U.S. President Obama and Cuban President Castro announced a new era of openness and interaction between their two countries. On December 8, 2015, Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests discussed "Cuba: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" as the one year anniversary approached. Check out this ReCap of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

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.

On November 10, 2015, Joan Kjaer and a panel of guests discussed ”communicating for social and behavioral change" as part of a special edition of WorldCanvass. The program included the presentation of the 2015 International Impact Award. This is a ReCap of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

On December 17, 2014, U.S. President Obama and Cuban President Castro announced a new era of openness and interaction between their two countries. As the one-year anniversary approaches, WorldCanvass explores Cuba’s rich history and culture through its architecture and urbanism, focusing on the question ‘what comes next?’ We’ll learn about the long and complex U.S./Cuba relationship through the lens of public health, and discuss new openings for educational exchange and business development on the island. WorldCanvass, which is free and open to the public, begins at 5 p.m. on December 8 at FilmScene in Iowa City.

On October 13, 2015, the WorldCanvass program brought together members of the scientific research community, political leaders, and entrepreneurs to consider the topic of climate change and how it’s evolved in both scientific understanding and public discourse over the past twenty-five years. Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests explored the topic of "The Evolution of Climate Change: 25 Years and Counting" at FilmScene in Iowa City. This is a recap of the event with access to see and hear the full program.

On the next WorldCanvass, Rebecca Arnold, UI Masters of Public Health graduate and senior program officer at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communications Programs, will receive the UI’s 2015 International Impact Award. This is the sixth year of the award, which is given to exceptional individuals who have made sustained and deep contributions internationally or in the U.S. to promote global understanding. The presentation and following WorldCanvass discussion will begin at 5 p.m., November 10, at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City and is free and open to the public.

As we celebrate the 25 year anniversary of Iowa’s Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research it gives us the opportunity to reflect on how the issue of climate change has evolved.

International writers from the 2015 International Writing Program (IWP) residency will join activists and members of the academic community at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 16, in Art Building West for a special WorldCanvass Studio on “The Human in Human Rights: First Person Global Perspectives.” This is the concluding event in the symposium “Social Justice after Ferguson." Joan Kjaer, host of the monthly WorldCanvass television/radio/internet program produced by International Programs will moderate the discussion.

2015 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of "Don Quixote," volume two. In a prelude to a special Obermann-International Programs Humanities Symposium, Joan Kjaer and her WorldCanvass guests explored the topic of "Don Quixote's Four Century Saga" on September 15, 2015 at FilmScene in Iowa City.