FAQs

We recommend reaching out to GEO early-on in the development of your international agreement to ensure you are connected to the appropriate office. More information about navigating international agreements at UC Berkeley is available here.

A diplomatic statement of mutual interest.

Non-binding international MOUs are typically undertaken with international universities or governmental organizations for diplomatic purposes and to promote mutual goodwill. A non-binding international MOU is a general statement of mutual interest to explore opportunities for collaboration, and does not include commitment of university funds, staff, space, facilities, or other university resources, nor promises of expected deliverables.

The Global Engagement Office has developed agreement templates to simplify the process. More information is available here.

Our agreement templates are available for download here.

It depends.

For international non-binding MOUs, if participating parties do not pose substantial changes to our template, the MOU could be executed in 3-5 weeks, sometimes faster. However, for more complex arrangements or agreements with international governments, depending on the communications between concerning parties, the time frame could be up to multiple months.

We recommend reaching out to GEO as early as possible to help streamline the process.

No.

Each type of agreement has its own authorized signatory, please see here for more information. While a Berkeley faculty member can serve as a point of contact for, or sponsor the creation or renewal of, a non-binding MOU, they do not have the delegated authority to sign on the University’s behalf.

Situationally, the Dean of the sponsoring academic unit may serve as a secondary signatory but this is at the discretion of our office.

Consult us at geo@berkeley.edu.

As a central hub for international activity, our office can help with prospective partnerships at any stage. If you are in the exploratory stage, we recommend starting by looking at UC Berkeley’s Global Partnership Database to view active institutional relationships by country.

Additionally, we are founding members of several leading global networks and our office can help facilitate closer collaboration with their member Universities and respective faculty researchers. If you are already in contact with a faculty member, researcher, or government entity overseas, consider what you and the partner would ideally like the potential agreement to accomplish. The most effective international partnerships are developed out of mutual faculty interest.

At this stage, the best next step is to reach out to our office so we can help you determine which agreement type would yield the desired outcome, make sure your bases are covered in terms of federal compliance and risk mitigation, and streamline the administrative processes involved.

No.

Guidelines for advisors:
The University has a clear delegation of authority over who has the right to sign liability-related documents
on its behalf. Indemnification agreements on behalf of the University may not be signed by individuals
without written delegated contracting authority. Academic advisors do not have this authority. Proposed
indemnification agreements and similar liability related contracts should be referred to the office of
Business Contracts for processing: 6701 San Pablo Ave., 642-3128
http://businessservices.berkeley.edu/contracts

Guidelines for students:
If students have questions regarding legal aspects of internship commitments they should consult with the
Division of Student Affairs’ Office of Student Legal Services, 102 Sproul Hall https://sa.berkeley.edu/legal
Questions related to employers’ request for waivers of liability should be referred to UC’s Office of Risk
Services, 615 University Hall, risk@berkeley.edu or 510-642-5141.
https://riskservices.berkeley.edu/home

If you are visiting as an individual, the best first step is to explore the campus Visitor Services Office and our visitor resources page.

You can also set up a tour of UC Berkeley.

Our office coordinates all delegation meetings and events with UC Berkeley’s senior administration, namely those involving representatives from our international partner institutions and government officials.

Formal visits are not guaranteed and require advance notice (minimum 6 weeks) through our office. Additional information, including our Delegation Visit Request form, is available here.

• All degree-seeking students must complete all formal application processes:
  • Degree-seeking undergraduate students should refer to the Office for Undergraduate admissions requirements for international students.
  • Degree-seeking graduate students should refer to the Graduate Division admissions requirements for international students.
• International students interested in short-term exchange and study abroad programs at UC Berkeley should explore the Student Exchange and Short-Term Study Options on this page.
• International students interested in visiting research opportunities at UC Berkeley should refer to the Visiting Student Researchers section on this page. Generally, visiting student researchers must hold a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree or its equivalent. The first step for a prospective visiting student researcher will be to seek out a faculty member willing to sponsor and collaborate with you on your research project. Students are responsible for identifying their own sponsors.

UC Berkeley has a wide variety of international programs available to undergraduate and graduate students. We recommend speaking to your academic advisor at your home university to discuss each program’s alignment with your academic and career goals. If you have questions about specific programs, you should reach out to the program manager directly.

You are also welcome to consult the Global Engagement Office (geo@berkeley.edu) with questions, or refer to the opportunities for students. Ultimately, students are responsible for determining which program suits them best.

Please contact Berkeley Dual Degree Programs Office directly: dualdegree@berkeley.edu.

• Undergraduate Study Abroad programs are managed by Berkeley Study Abroad.
• Graduate study abroad and research opportunities are often managed by the department. We recommend contacting your advisor to learn about options within your department.

Each partnering institution has its own requirements, and some may or may not have an agreement with UC Berkeley. If you are seeking to study at a specific university, please reach out to us with your questions and we will be happy to inform you about exchange opportunities we are aware of and point you in the right direction.

We also encourage students to contact the International & Area Studies Institutes which often have research exchange agreements with overseas universities.

The Global Engagement Office is happy to field your questions about international programs and direct you to the right office, program, or staff member. Please reach out to us geo@berkeley.edu.

Please contact the Berkeley International Office. 

The Global Engagement Office is the central international office at UC Berkeley. We facilitate and coordinate global engagement at UC Berkeley by:

• Serving as a central hub for global activity and clearinghouse for international resources.
• Supporting Senior Administration to advance Berkeley’s international operations and strategy.
• Liaising with international partners to facilitate engagement with campus units.
• Hosting and connecting international delegations to UC Berkeley faculty and staff.
• Ensuring the success and sustainability of international partnerships by advising units on best practices and guidelines for international agreements and partnerships.
• Bridging international conversations across campus through the International Activities Coordination Group (IACG), the Berkeley International Group (BIG), and serving on campus committees and task forces.

It depends.

Please refer to the Berkeley Coronavirous website for travel here and feel free to contact GEO at geo@berkeley.edu if you have questions about the travel protocol.

The Berkeley International Group (BIG) is a recognized Staff Organization Community of Practice, and composed of UC Berkeley faculty and staff, who are invited to meet monthly to collaborate and participate in informal discussions related to the international work we do across UC Berkeley. As long as you are UC Berkeley faculty or staff, you are eligible to join.

If you would like to receive announcements of future BIG events, please add yourself to the bConnected list or email berkeleyinternationalgroup@berkeley.edu. Please note this group is for UC Berkeley faculty and staff only and is not open to the public.

We recommend reaching out to GEO early on in the process so that we can direct you to the appropriate office. Since different agreements serve different purposes and the components are varied, identifying which type of agreement you have in the making would be the first step.

Please refer to this matrix to navigate and reach out to GEO if you have further questions.

Yes.

Since GEO manages international non-binding MOUs, we have a database where all the active international non-binding MOUs can be found.

Contact GEO as soon as possible.

Our office coordinates all international delegations with UC Berkeley’s senior administration, namely those involving representatives from our international partner institutions and governmental officials. Formal visits should align with UC Berkeley’s strategic priorities and Principles of International Engagement.

Visits with senior administration are not guaranteed and require advance notice (minimum 6 weeks) through our office. Additional information, including our Delegation Visit Request form, is available here.