UC Berkeley's Principles of International Engagement

The University of California, Berkeley’s reputation for excellence in teaching and research is built, in part, on its long tradition of robust international engagement. The University’s engagement with the world offers the best chance for solving societal challenges that benefit the citizens of California, the nation, and the world.

These six principles of international engagement for the University of California, Berkeley, are rooted in our mission of teaching, research and public service. Aligned with our Principles of Community, every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a welcoming environment in which these values can thrive.

  • Welcoming Environment: We welcome students, faculty, visitors and scholars from around the world, and strive to create a campus community that encourages cross-cultural understanding in a welcoming environment.
  • Academic Freedom: We value and protect an educational setting that encourages freedom of expression and is conducive to scholarship and learning.
  • Expanding Horizons: We encourage UC Berkeley faculty and students to go out into the world to engage in the pursuit of knowledge wherever it leads them.
  • Advancing Knowledge: We embrace new international partnerships and research collaborations that advance knowledge.
  • Global Leadership: We demonstrate leadership in the ever-changing environment of international engagement through our unwavering commitment to academic freedom, excellence, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Responsible Stewards: We pledge to conduct our international affairs seeking the well-being and security of all, as responsible stewards of the investments and trust that our research sponsors, donors and citizens have placed in us, in compliance with the law, with appropriate controls, accountability and transparency.


The University of California, Berkeley's “Principles of International Engagement” statement was developed in 2019 by the International Engagement Policy Task Force, and issued by the Chancellor in 2020. Its intent is to convey the importance of international engagement to UC Berkeley's academic mission and standing, and condemn actions that discriminate against and alienate the international community. This statement received input from the Chancellor's Cabinet, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), the Graduate Assembly, the Faculty Academic Senate, Council of Deans, and the International Activities Coordination Group (IACG).