Renowned author Yaa Gyasi, whose novel Homegoing won the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for best first book and the Pen/Hemingway Award among others, will be our guest for “The Ghanaian-American Experience in Literature and Art” on the first WorldCanvass of 2021. Joining her will be fellow author and graduate of the UI Writers’ Workshop D.K. Nnuro and Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Russ Ganim. Nnuro will engage with Gyasi writer-to-writer in a special interview segment introduced by Ganim. The one-hour program, hosted by Joan Kjaer, begins at 7 p.m. on February 24. WorldCanvass is free and open to all. Register here.

Joan Kjaer and guest panelists discussed the impact of COVID-19 and whether teaching and learning has been forever changed on this December 8 WorldCanvass.

On November 16, the 2020 International Impact Award and UI Global Student Awards were presented during WorldCanvass. Access the recording and read the media coverage.

The changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic have impacted every person, every industry, every region, and every communal activity for nearly the whole of 2020. Even after the much-hoped-for vaccine is developed and distributed, some believe that life and work patterns have been forever altered. What comes next in the field of global education is the subject of the December WorldCanvass on the topic “Teaching and Learning Post-COVID.”  WorldCanvass will be held virtually through Zoom, from 5:30-7 p.m. on December 8.

Sarah Lande, a lifelong proponent of citizen diplomacy and key figure in the history of Iowa's relationship with China, and Patrick and Susan Keefe, whose commitment to serving the health needs of under-resourced and marginalized communities has taken them to many parts of the U.S. and the world, are the recipients of the UI's 2020 International Impact Award. UI President Bruce Harreld and International Programs Associate Provost and Dean Russell Ganim will present the International Impact Awards during WorldCanvass, the official kick-off for the UI celebration of International Education Week (November 16-20).  Recognition will also be given to Mishma Nixon and Nicholas Stroup, recipients of the UI's Global Student Awards.  WorldCanvass will be held virtually this year through Zoom, beginning at 5:30p.m. on November 16.

The International Impact Award recognizes distinguished alumni and other individuals with significant ties to the UI who have made important contributions internationally or, in the case of international alumni, abroad in their home countries. It honors exceptional individuals in any field who have made sustained and deep contributions internationally or in the U.S. to promote global understanding.

On Thursday, October 22, host Joan Kjaer and guests held a robust discussion surrounding the present-day challenge of pursuing racial justice.

Human beings are meaning-making creatures, and in tumultuous periods of history many turn to the arts for solace, instruction, and delight. Poets and novelists, painters and sculptors, composers and choreographers—all seek to frame their particular experiences in enduring works of art, which can help us articulate those bewildering questions that in extremis may beset us at any moment.

The United States is undoubtedly undergoing a period of reckoning over race, not only a reexamination of our historical past, but a present-day challenge to what many perceive as institutional racism, injustice in policing and judicial systems, inequality of opportunity based on race and ethnicity, and a lack of diversity in our public institutions which serves to perpetuate inequities and minimize the claims of those who feel underrepresented. We invite you to join us on Thursday, October 22, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., for “Pursuing Racial Justice,” the first program in the 2020-2021 season of WorldCanvass. 

On February 21, expert guests from UI Hospitals and Clinics, the Iowa State Hygienic Lab, UI Student Health, and UI International Programs joined host Joan Kjaer to discuss the virus and its potential for harm here in Iowa as well as the measures the university is taking to inform, protect, and support its students, staff, faculty, and the surrounding community.

While public concern over the recent coronavirus outbreak continues to grow, four UI officials sat down to discuss realities and perceptions of the virus at a panel Feb. 21.

What does the museum of the 21st century look like?  What does it house?  What is its role in the community? Does it see itself differently than museums of the past? And how do galleries, libraries, archives, and museums capture the zeitgeist of the time and reinvent themselves as expectations change? Host Joan Kjaer and guest panelists covered these topics at the February 6 WorldCanvass program, "The Future of Museums."