News. Fake news. Disinformation. Fact-checking. Sourced news. Unverified sources. Social media incursions by foreign nations. Cleverly disguised mass propaganda that masquerades as a heartfelt message from a friend…….who knows what to believe anymore when even undeniably true facts are in dispute? This question is at the heart of the upcoming WorldCanvass discussion, when the topic is “Journalism and a Free Press in the Age of Fake News.” The live event takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. on October 18 at MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street, and is hosted for UI International Programs by Joan Kjaer. We invite you to come at 5 and join us for a pre-show catered reception!

Howard Kerr, a native Iowan, 1960 graduate of the UI, and former naval commander and advisor to U.S. presidents, has been named the 2016 recipient of the International Impact Award. UI Provost Barry Butler and Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Downing Thomas will present the award to Kerr at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, as part of the television/radio/internet program WorldCanvass. Also appearing on WorldCanvass to discuss the challenges and opportunities offered by increasing internationalization in higher education will be Ellen Hazelkorn, policy advisor to the Higher Education Authority, Ireland, and Barbara McFadden Allen, executive director of the Big 10 Academic Alliance. The program takes place in the Recital Hall of the Voxman Music Building from 7:30-9:00 p.m. No tickets are required and the public is invited to enjoy a pre-show reception from 6:30-7:30.

What defines a nation, or a state? What’s the meaning of sovereignty, and how do communal or religious identity figure into demands for self-determination? The world community in 2016 appears to be a fractured place with aspirations to statehood like those we’ve seen in South Sudan and Palestine, as well as civil disruptions and realignments like those between Crimea, Ukraine, and Russia. Amidst all of this there are non-state actors like ISIS challenging sitting governments and established states. The 2016 Provost’s Global Forum, The Nation, the State, and the Global Redefinition of Self-Determination, will address these questions and more during a series of lectures and panel discussions on October 13-15. A highlight of the forum will be the October 15 WorldCanvass, which will be held for the first time in Des Moines at the John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center, from 5-6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and begins with a reception at 4 p.m.

The University of Iowa is one of the top producers of Fulbright students for 2015-16, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Twelve University of Iowa students were awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant to conduct research, attend graduate school, undertake creative projects, or serve as English teaching assistants abroad in the 2015–16 academic year. This is the greatest number of placements the UI has ever secured in a single calendar year, resulting in a tied ranking for 27th on a list of peer institutions.

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 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 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.

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.

The four century saga of knight-errant Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza will kick off the 2015-2016 season of the television, radio, and internet program WorldCanvass. Host Joan Kjaer and WorldCanvass guests will discuss the novel, the title character’s mark on artistic and public imagination, and fundamental questions raised by the work such as the relationship of fiction to reality, life to art, and the ‘ownership’ of an original creation. The public is invited to attend the WorldCanvass discussion at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City.