Discover the cultural significance of cats across Eastern Europe and Eurasia with the latest addition to the Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies' Digital Culture Tour. This interactive online feature explores feline roles in folklore, literature, history, and the internet.

>> Visit the Cats in East European and Eurasian Culture page

Elizabeth Gould, ISP director, made a spring trip to Japan to visit partner universities and high schools including Sano Gakuen College, Omi Brotherhood High School, and Kansai University. Kansai students join us at KU each March-December for Applied English Center classes, work experience, volunteering with ISP, and KU courses in the fall.

>> View photos from the trip

As a 2025 Leadership Transformation Grant partner of the Kansas Leadership Center, representatives from KUIA have begun attending the training opportunities. The KLC is a nonprofit founded by the Kansas Health Foundation to foster leadership for stronger Kansas communities. As part of this competitive program, KUIA attendees receive training opportunities to build a culture of leadership and drive progress on key challenges.

>> Read the original KLC announcement of awardees

The NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo recently took place in San Diego, California, with several KUIA staff members in attendance, including Laila Kakar, Katherine Liu, Zulia Ismailova, Jason Foster, and Isa Alcazar. Key takeaways included the need to prioritize welcoming international students and scholars to study and thrive in the U.S. NAFSA, the leading organization for international education, urges its members to advocate for policies supporting global learning and exchange.

>> Visit the NAFSA Take Action Page

A selection of photos and video from the Division over the past month:

>> CEAS Security Conference / Remarks

>> CREES Valery Dzutsati talk

>> CREES Talks on China and Central Asia

>> CREES Laird Essay Contest winners 

>> ISS International Student Graduation Celebration 

>> CREES Baldwin AP Art Class

Thursday and Friday, June 5-6, Symposium on African Digital Humanities

Monday, June 9: First-year student orientation sessions begin.

Tuesday, June 10: Last day to apply to attend the Popular Education Summer School (Aug. 10-17) in El Salvador.

Thursday, June 19: Juneteenth holiday, University closed. 

Friday, July 4: Independence Day, University closed.

Friday, July 11: Free K-12 Educator Workshop, Digital Explorations: Tools, techniques, and strategies for the
classroom in the age of disinformation, social media, and AI.

Publication note: The Division Update will be on hiatus until students return for the fall semester.

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.