by Derrick Meads, Carmen Stinson

(March 25, 2014) — Have you ever wondered what it is like to be part of a culture totally different from your own? The Cross Cultural Workshop, held at Natural Bridge State Resort Park Saturday, March 29, will help students explore and understand intercultural experiences.

The workshop, hosted by the University of Kentucky International Center and CATalyst, will bring international and domestic students together to talk about culture, learn interactively from each other, and clear up confusion and tension that cultural discussions often cause.

Students will participate in simulations that will teach them how to react in culturally diverse situations, partake in group discussions, and hike through the

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 24, 2014) ­― As part of the year-long Viva Mexico program, University of Kentucky Libraries and the UK College of Arts and Sciences will host a speaker on “Mexico on the Digital Frontier: Creating Access in Archives and Libraries.” Linda Arnold, professor emerita of history at Virginia Tech University, will speak on the topic at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, in the Niles Gallery of the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library on UK’s campus. A reception will follow in the Little Library foyer.

Arnold spent 29 years at Virginia Tech, where she developed and taught more than a dozen undergraduate writing-intensive courses, and directed nearly 30 undergraduate independent studies.  She was a pioneer in digital history who, along

by Whitney Hale, Whitney Harder

(March 14, 2014) — The relationship between two of the world's largest powers, the U.S. and China, continues to expand and become increasingly multifaceted. The University of Kentucky's Confucius Institute, UK's gateway to China, will present a talk by David Adams, a former administrator of the Fulbright Scholar Program, on the importance of the countries' partnerships in education.

"Chinese-American Educational Exchanges: A Window on the Bilateral Relationship," will begin at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at the University of Kentucky Athletics Auditorium in William T. Young Library. The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will

by Whitney Hale

(March 13, 2014) — Two University of Kentucky students have been awarded Critical Language Scholarships to study the Arabic and Turkish languages. Marketing and media arts and studies sophomore and Global Scholar Jordie Gamble will travel to Morocco for her Arabic language studies, while anthropology doctoral student Lydia Roll will return to Turkey for her second consecutive year of language coursework in Turkish.

The Critical

by Katy Bennett, Student Activities Board

(March 12, 2014) — Time to take a bite of the world at the second annual International Dessert Contest hosted by the Student Activities Board’s Multicultural Affairs Committee. The event will be held at 6 p.m. today, Wednesday, March 12, in the Student Center Small Ballroom and will feature desserts worth a thousand bites.

Organizations that embody different cultures submit recipes that will be executed by UK Catering. A panel of judges as well as the audience will then judge the dishes, and a winner will be selected. This event serves as a fun way to educate people about different cultures and foods, and it also serves as a way for students to

by Whitney Hale, Whitney Harder

(March 11, 2014) — University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections is illuminating the rich culture of Appalachia and challenging stereotypes of the region with its "Immigrants in the Coalfields" exhibit on display now in UK's Margaret I. King Building. The free exhibition will be open to the public 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 4.

Images, maps, documents and oral histories from UK Special Collections tell the story of Appalachia unheard to many, a mix of cultural, ethnic, and racial identities and a cultural mosaic illustrated in the coal camps of Eastern Kentucky.

Visitors to the exhibit first experience a national perspective of Appalachia, often

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 27, 2014) – As part of "¡Viva Mexico!," University of Kentucky Libraries presents "Alebrijes of Oaxaca, Mexico: an Exhibition of Mexican Folk Art from the State of Oaxaca." Showcasing more than 30 Oaxaca alebrijes on loan from UK faculty members' personal collections, the free public exhibit is on display through April 25, in the atrium of the William T. Young Library.

Whimsical carvings depicting animals, people, objects and imaginary creatures, alebrijes are known for their paintings of intense colors and intricate patterns. Carved from the twisting branches of the copal wood, the figures are sanded and painted with a base coat of paint. The final painting is done meticulously with detailed designs and

By: Mary Venuto

Quirky Japanese fact #68: Folklore contains a creature known as Ashiarai Yashiki, a giant foot
that crashes through the roof in the middle of the night, demanding the terrified homeowner to
wash it.

Quirky Japanese fact #108: There are 67 different flavors of Fanta and over 200 flavors of Kit
Kats in Japan.

Sure, not only will you discover other fun cultural oddities, but you will also distinguish yourself
through unique summer study in Japan, where field learning opportunity and social network
will give you the best prospect to succeed for professional career in East Asia and the US.

Students enrolled in the Japan summer field seminar travel by bullet train across the country
and experience a wide variety of Japanese landscapes, multiple cities, regions

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 21, 2014) — The axolotl may look like a creature from a science fiction movie, but researchers at the University of Kentucky say these strange little salamanders have a lot to teach us.

On Monday, Feb. 24, the university will host a daylong symposium, titled "How Mexican Axolotls Promote Science, Conservation, and Creativity," sponsored by the UK College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, and Department of Hispanic Studies.

The axolotl (rhymes with "tax a bottle") is unusual in that it does not undergo a metamorphosis between its juvenile form and adulthood, as do most salamanders, a trait known as paedomorphism, the retention of juvenile traits by adults.

"Axolotls are the most famous paedomorphic

by Kathy Johnson

(Feb. 14, 2014) — WUKY's "UK Perspectives" focuses on the people and programs of the University of Kentucky and is hosted by WUKY General Manager Tom Godell.  On today's program, WUKY News' Chase Cavanaugh is guest host, and he talks to Jon Huntsman, former U.S. ambassador to China and Singapore, Utah governor, and presidential candidate, who will present a lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in Memorial Hall. 

To listen to the podcast interview from which "UK Perspectives" is produced, visit http://wuky.org/post/conversation-jon-huntsman.  

"UK Perspectives" airs at 8:35 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. each Friday on WUKY 91.3, UK's NPR station.

by Katy Bennett, Student Activities Board

LEXINGTON, Ky (Feb. 17, 2014) — Genocide Awareness Week at the University of Kentucky will begin with Derreck Kayongo, a refugee of the Ugandan civil war. Kayongo will share his experiences as a refugee and how he turned his struggles into an opportunity. He will point out how small contributions can save thousand of lives. Kayongo will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, in the Student Center's Center Theater. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Student Activities Board's Multicultural Affairs Committee.

After many years of witnessing devastation in his homeland, Kayongo is now a philanthropist and the founder of the Global Soap Project. Used hotel soaps are collected, cleansed,

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2014) — College & Research Libraries News, published by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), currently is featuring a familiar image as its January 2014 issue cover photo — an Aztec tribute poster from "A Glimpse into Ancient Mexico: Writings of the Aztecs, Mixtec and Maya" exhibit at the University of Kentucky's William T. Young Library.

The exhibit at Young Library is one of many events presented by UK Libraries as part of UK College of Arts & Sciences "Passport to the World: ¡Viva México!,"

by Whitney Hale

(Jan. 28, 2014) — Evan Sweet, a University of Kentucky geography senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., has been selected to present the 20th annual Edward T. Breathitt Undergraduate Lectureship in the Humanities at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, in the UK Athletics Auditorium at William T. Young Library. Sweet's free public lecture focuses on how "slums" are depicted in society and in particular in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The Breathitt Lectureship was named for an outstanding UK alumnus who showed an exceptional interest in higher education and the humanities, Gov. Edward T. Breathitt. The lectureship is awarded to

by Jenny Wells, Derrick Meads

(Jan. 27, 2013) — Former governor of Utah, 2012 presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to China and Singapore Gov. Jon Huntsman will visit the University of Kentucky next month.  His talk, “China: Opportunities and Challenges,” will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in UK’s Memorial Hall. While tickets are required for entry, the event is free and open to the public.

Huntsman will discuss his years of experience working closely with American business owners to facilitate commerce in the growing Asian market, and outline ways to bring jobs and capital back to America, engage China from a position of strength and level the economic playing field in order to protect the U.S. economy.

View a flyer about the event. 

by Derrick Meads

(Jan. 15, 2014) — Although it is Viva México in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences’ Passport to the World initiative, very few students choose to study there.

To open opportunities for international study in Mexico, a delegation of faculty from UK, Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) and Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) visited Oaxaca, Mexico to review Sol Education Abroad (an affiliate education abroad partner of UK). Led by UK Education Abroad, the faculty members

by Whitney Hale

(Dec. 16, 2013) — Huajing Maske, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Kentucky, has received a 2013 Confucius Institute Individual Performance Excellence Award. The honor recognizes UK's director as one of the top 15 leaders of 430 Confucius Institutes worldwide.

Maske received the international award at the opening ceremony of the eighth Confucius Institute Conference held Dec. 7, in Beijing. The award is

by Jenny Wells, Derrick Meads

(Dec. 12, 2013) — The University of Kentucky has more students participating in Education Abroad (EA) programs than any other higher education institution in Kentucky, according to recently released data by the Institute of International Education. The 2013 Open Doors Report revealed that UK sent 845 students abroad in the 2011-12 academic year.

The report also showed that UK enrolls more international students (nearly 1,900 in 2011-12) than any other institution in the state, a lead the university has maintained for many years.

“A UK education creates a hunger in its students to learn more," said Susan Carvalho, associate provost for international programs. "By pursuing educational opportunities abroad they refine their skills of discovery and equip themselves for the

by Grace Liddle & Whitney Hale

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 20, 2013) – Given the growing Korean population and surging interest in Korean culture in Lexington, several University of Kentucky campus groups have come together to organize a festival where students and community members can experience Korean music and culture through a combination of vibrant performances and hands-on educational activities.

Join UK for this special Korean Music and Culture Festival beginning 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, in the Student Center Grand Ballroom (3rd floor). Performances will begin at 4:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Performances will feature some of Lexington’s up-and-coming Korean musicians, such as Tae Eun Moon (voice) and Yuri Kim (piano), who will captivate the

by Keith Hautala

(Nov. 20, 2013) — Sarah Lyon, University of Kentucky associate professor of anthropology, has been selected as the editor-designate of Human Organization, the flagship journal of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Lyon was congratulated by her colleagues at a reception on Monday. 

Lyon will assume the appointment at the start of 2015 for a term of three years. Previous incumbents have included several renowned scholars including Conrad Arensberg, Elliot D. Chapple and William Foote Whyte. Human Organization was based at UK on one previous occasion (1967-1970) when it was edited by anthropology Professor Marion Pearsall.

>>View the photo album

Lyon joined the faculty at UK in 2005, after completing her doctorate at

Video courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 14, 2013) — The University of Kentucky is celebrating its commitment to international education with various events Nov.18-22, joining institutions across the country to celebrate the benefits of international education and worldwide exchange.

International Education Week (IEW) is a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment. 

International education is growing steadily on campus. The number of international undergraduates has increased by 6 percent over last fall's enrollment.  English as a second language (ESL) undergraduate students have increased by 42 percent