Prof. Elke Heckner has received a Global Curriculum Development Award from UI International Programs (IP) to create a new course on recent developments in international criminal law as well as non-juridical approaches to conflict resolution, providing students with up-to-date tools of critical analysis regarding war crimes. As Prof. Heckner notes on the IP website for these awards, “since the UN Security Council (due to Russia's and China's veto power) can no longer prosecute, stop, or effectively intervene in ongoing massive human rights abuses or near-genocidal conflicts, it is important for undergraduate students who are interested in the areas of international and humanitarian law to be aware of other avenues in which international criminal law can be effectively mobilized to prosecute aggressor states and perpetrators. The example of the invasion of Ukraine is [a] case in point. It is important for our students to understand the limitations and possibilities of current human rights interventions in the international arena.” The course is currently under development for Spring 2024. It will strengthen and expand the University of Iowa's existing engagement with international conflict zones such as Kosovo and serve as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration with the School of Law and the UI Department of Political Science.

A new International Programs (IP) affinity group, the Anne Frank Initiative (AFI), launched last week, and its mission is to investigate Anne Frank’s literary contributions and her legacy in a more contemporary context. The initiative was conceived by Kirsten Kumpf Baele, a faculty member in the University of Iowa (UI) Department of German, who also serves as the director of AFI. Kumpf Baele was behind the planting of a descendant of Anne Frank’s chestnut tree on the University of Iowa campus in April 2022, which in turn inspired numerous events, including the Provost’s Global Forum: Teaching Anne Frank, a workshop, traveling exhibit, lectures, and film screening, which all focused on the continued importance of Anne Frank’s legacy.