UC Berkeley Foreign Dignitary Visit Protocol

For diplomatic purposes, the Chancellor is the appropriate party to formally accept or extend invitations to certain high-profile foreign dignitaries for official and sanctioned visits to UC Berkeley. Such dignitaries may include (but are not limited to):

  • Current or former chiefs of state/heads of government and/or their spouses
  • High-ranking members of royalty
  • Religious or spiritual leaders such as the Pope. 

Such visitors typically expect to be received by the most senior representative of the university, often require additional campus resources and coordination beyond the host unit (including campus special events security, UDAR Special Events/External Relations staff, and the Global Engagement Office), and may carry significant diplomatic or reputational risks. UC Berkeley faculty/staff considering hosting such events should contact the Global Engagement Office (GEO) or the Office of the Chancellor before accepting or extending an invitation. All costs associated with such visits will be paid by the hosting unit.  (Note that additional security and press/media attention considerations may be needed for high-level foreign government visits other than those outlined above, so it is always advisable to consult with the Global Engagement Office for such visits, if in doubt.)


Before obligating the university to host a foreign dignitary, the Delegation Request Form should be completed by the applicable host unit or external party, as early as possible, and a minimum of 8 weeks in advance. GEO will then consult with the Office of the Chancellor, UDAR External Relations / Events staff, Community and Government Relations, UCPD Special Events, and other units as needed to collectively determine the campus and Chancellor's potential involvement. For official and sanctioned events, this could include personally extending the invitation and/or participating in the visit. Campus departments impacted by the visit should be notified before the visit is confirmed, such units may include the Global Engagement Office, UDAR External Relations, Community and Government Relations, Public Affairs, UCPD, Facilities, Academic Units, etc.

When assessing requests for such visits to UC Berkeley, the campus considers the strategic value to our campus, the interest of our university community, the resources required, alignment with UC Berkeley’s Principles of International Engagement, and the availability of senior leadership and staff.

Costs:

Costs associated with a dignitary visit to UC Berkeley are the responsibility of the department/unit sponsoring the visit.  Such costs, such as security expenses, parking, gifts, and room reservations, can be significant and should be carefully considered before issuing invitations. 

Chancellor’s Role:

It is diplomatically most appropriate for the Chancellor to fulfill any or all of the following at their discretion for an official and sanctioned campus event involving high-level foreign dignitaries: 

  • Personally extending invitation letters to dignitaries for official visits to UC Berkeley

  • Including the Chancellor’s name as host/co-host on invitations sent to guests

  • Greeting dignitaries and their delegations upon arrival

  • Providing welcome remarks and introducing the dignitary

  • Presenting any honors bestowed upon the dignitary

  • Presenting a university gift

Another university official designated by the Chancellor may conduct the Chancellor’s role. In consultation with UDAR External Relations, the Global Engagement Office will advise on the appropriate protocol.  

Non-departmental users and major events:

Non-departmental users of campus facilities, such as registered student organizations, private individuals, groups and businesses, and non-profit organizations are subject to the terms of the Campus Policy on Major EventsThe Global Engagement Office does not support events held by non-departmental users. Refer to UCPD Special Events and Security Assessments for such events.