Visiting International Delegations

As a public university, UC Berkeley is pleased to consider delegations from international academic institutions and government agencies that are interested in furthering collaborations that reflect our research and academic interests, align with our Principles of International Engagement, and serve the mission of the University of California. Visits are typically with existing partners, focused on strategic collaboration interests, and do not involve signing ceremonies. If you do not yet have an existing relationship with UC Berkeley, please consult our steps to establishing a partnership.

Please feel free to reach out to geo@berkeley.edu with any questions.

Visit Criteria

The Global Engagement Office (GEO) considers short-term visits (one day or less) that meet at least two of the following criteria:

  • The visit involves senior leadership (typically cabinet level) from international peer universities, research or government organizations that have significant existing partnerships with UC Berkeley, such as student exchange, research, or other forms of academic collaboration.
  • The delegation involves high-ranking government officials representing country leadership (ie Minister of Education, Ambassador, head of state, etc).
  • Visitors have requested to meet with cabinet-level leadership, including the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, or Vice Provosts.
  • Meetings requested involve multiple units on campus and extend beyond one academic unit or department.

Please note: Delegation and international visits hosted by GEO are typically for diplomatic and partnership development purposes, aligned with strategic interests of the university. Visitors wishing to give academic lectures, fireside chats, or other public speaking engagements will need to identify an academic host. In some cases, GEO may partner with units to support related activities, when they align with strategic interests of campus leadership.

Request a visit

Please complete the Delegation Visit Request form at least 6 weeks prior to your proposed visit. A member of the Global Engagement Office will be in touch within 1-2 weeks. 

Visits cannot be scheduled during university holidays, and campus constituents may be less available from mid-May until mid August, the last two weeks of December, the first two weeks of January, and spring break (late March). Please refer to the Academic Calendar and the campus Holiday Schedule and contact us for more information. 

Please understand due to a high volume of demand, UC Berkeley is not able to accommodate all visit requests, nor all requests to meet with leadership. We appreciate your interest.

Delegation request form (2023-24)

Signing ceremony protocol

GEO's Escalation Protocol

Foreign dignitary protocol

Delegation guidelines

  • Size of delegation: We recommend 15 or fewer participants in order to ensure productive partnership discussions and availability of space. Larger delegations may be accommodated only in exceptional circumstances. 
  • US & Federal regulations:
    • Per standard protocol, GEO conducts a Restricted Party Screening (RPS) to ensure that none of the visiting international delegation or their affiliations are subject to restrictions or prohibitions by the U.S. government. 
    • GEO also follows a coordinated escalation protocol (CalNet ID login required) with research administration and compliance to ensure higher risk visits are appropriately reviewed, including visits from countries of concern and/or any lab visits. 
    • In addition, representatives from certain countries may be responsible for providing prior notification of their visits to educational/research institutions to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions (OFM). OFM can be reached for this purpose at OFM-Info@state.gov or by telephone at (202) 647-3417. 
  • Foreign dignitaries: For diplomatic purposes, the Chancellor is the appropriate party to formally accept or extend invitations to high-profile foreign dignitaries for official visits to UC Berkeley. UC Berkeley faculty/staff are urged to review the foreign dignitary protocol and contact GEO or the Office of the Chancellor before accepting or extending an invitation to a foreign dignitary for an official campus visit.
  • Signing ceremonies: UC Berkeley prefers to recognize accomplishments rather than the symbolic signing of MOUs or other agreements. Campus-level MOU signing ceremonies are rare and held at the discretion of the Senior International Officer, or other designated signatory. Please review our Signing Ceremony Protocol for more information. 
  • Invitation letters: UC Berkeley does not routinely issue invitation letters from campus leadership for visa purposes for delegation visits, and strongly advises academic departments and faculty to consult GEO prior to considering such requests. Individual faculty are strongly advised not to issue invitation letters for delegation visits.
  • Interpretation: Groups in need of interpretation should make independent arrangements. If the meetings will include interpretation, please inform GEO in advance.
  • Campus tours: Schedule permitting, GEO may provide a brief campus tour as part of the visit. Please indicate your interest in a tour on the delegation request form. Delegations that are not being hosted by GEO and wish to tour our campus may book a tour directly with Visitor Services at least 14 days in advance. 
  • We are a tobacco free campus: For a healthier community and cleaner environment, smoking is not permitted anywhere on our campus. 
  • Transportation & travel information: We are not able to assist with hotel or transportation arrangements. Refer to Visitor Services for more information. 
  • Wear comfortable shoes! We are a large campus, and your visit will likely include considerable walking between meetings. Please inform us if your group will require any mobility accommodations.

Event Planning Support

Due to a small staff, GEO is unable to lend staff to provide event planning and logistics support. If you are UC Berkeley faculty or staff and plan to host a large, public-facing event, we strongly advise you to submit an External Relations Event Request to University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) as soon as possible.

GEO does not organize the following types of visits:

  • Individual faculty meetings: individual faculty members from abroad who wish to engage with UC Berkeley faculty can contact them directly, and do not need face-to-face meetings to begin collaborations. You may search our Faculty Research Database and Campus Directory to identify potential peers. 
  • Singular departmental or scholarly interest: Delegations that wish to meet with a single department or unit, and that do not involve senior leadership or a foreign dignitary may contact the department directly to coordinate the visit. 
  • Exploratory, training, and professional development visits: Visits geared toward professional development and training purposes are best organized by one of UC Berkeley's Executive Education programs. For a fee, these programs can customize your visit schedule to include presentations by subject matter experts, and manage all of the logistics including professional interpretation and translation of materials if needed. 
  • Tour groups and third parties: GEO does not organize visits to campus initiated by third-parties, such as consulting firms, recruitment agents, or tour companies, in particular those who will benefit monetarily for setting up a tour for international academic visitors to UC Berkeley.
  • Study abroad & customized programs in Berkeley: Universities seeking to develop customized study abroad or tour programs should contact UC Berkeley Global Custom Programs, housed within UC Berkeley Extension, to create and co-design a fee-based program that combines relevant courses with visits to leading companies in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Corportations/industry: Please direct your request to the Industry Alliances Office
  • Lectures, fireside chats, etc. International visits hosted by GEO are typically for diplomatic and partnership development purposes. Visitors wishing to give academic lectures, fireside chats, or host public-facing events will need to identify a willing academic host. In some cases, such visits may be supported by GEO, in partnership with their host units.