More than 1,400 writers from more than 140 countries have attended the University of Iowa’s International Writers Program since its inception in 1967, making it one of the strongest centers for international literary exchange in the United States.

Several thousand people converged on Hubbard Park Sunday, Sept. 29th for the UI 23rd annual Celebrating Cultural Diversity Festival.

UI student Meghan Ryan will share her Irish heritage and culture through her performance with the Champagne Academy of Irish Dance at the Celebrating Cultural Diversity Festival this Sunday, Sept. 29, held for the first time in Hubbard Park and as the kickoff to Homecoming 2013.

So how did you spend your summer? Numerous students and faculty in the UI Division of Performing Arts dotted the globe with their summer activities. Students gained valuable experience performing and working in music, theatre, and dance, while faculty taught at workshops, performed at festivals, and conducted research.

What does the reading public lose when a book is removed from the shelves? Writers from Burma/Myanmar, Pakistan, Panama, and Portugal—in Iowa City for the International Writing Program fall residency—will team up with Iowa City librarians for a public discussion on censorship Sept. 26.

Former Congressman Jim Leach, also a visiting professor in the UI College of Law, will present “Bridging Cultures: the Heart of the Fulbright Program” at an upcoming UI event celebrating the legacy of Fulbright programs at the university.

Distinguished international communication scholar Chin-Chuan Lee will give two public sessions on the University of Iowa campus Sept. 18 and 19, both free and open to the public.

Sydney Johnson, a Des Moines native, was determined to study abroad while at the UI. She chose a small Italian town off the beaten path to hone her language skills.

Pamela Bourjaily, the director of the Frank Business Communications Center, says the pronunciation program was developed as an effort to better respect Chinese students and encourage a more comfortable environment in the classroom, for both the Chinese and domestic community.

International Writing Program participant Craig Cliff shares his first impressions of Iowa with his readers back home in New Zealand.

Two-time Emmy-Award winner and University of Iowa alumnus Marcos McPeek Villatoro will visit the UI campus and local community Sept. 15-18 thanks to a collaboration between the UI Chief Diversity Office and the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

The 2013-14 season of International Programs’ WorldCanvass series begins with a program focused on human rights and the arts. The live event takes place on Friday, Sept. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Senate Chamber of the Old Capitol Museum.