Over the last year, there has been an increasing discussion led by U.S. Federal agencies and Congress about the nature of U.S. universities and their engagement with international institutions and governments. This oversight and inquiry is expected to continue and increase, with new disclosure and compliance requirements a likely outcome in the near future. Berkeley has long been at the forefront of international engagement, with a myriad of activities administered by numerous offices. In this growing era of more scrutiny of international activities, we must continue to take the lead in developing policies and practices that comply with sponsors requirements, while ensuring the highest degree of academic freedom.
To address this evolving environment, Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, Vice Provost for Academic Planning, and Randy Katz, Vice Chancellor for Research, have convened the UC Berkeley International Engagement Policy Task Force in 2019, charged with providing guidance to campus leadership on the critical and timely activities necessary to respond to emerging guidance from UCOP and requests from external agencies. To align efforts, the Task Force will leverage the structure and expertise of the standing International Activities Coordination Group (IACG), combined with strong faculty representation and additional guidance from VC Research Randy Katz.
The Task Force is convened from April-December 2019, with full review and recommendations completed in December. The work of the Task Force will be conducted through three sub-teams:
- International Agreements & Research Funding
- International Students, Visitors & Travelers
- Communications
Questions about the Task Force can be directed to the Global Engagement Office (geo@berkeley.edu) and Vice Chancellor for Research Office (research@berkeley.edu).