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 strategic nterests, 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. 

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

Visit Criteria

For a visit to be considered, it should meet at least two of the following criteria:

  • The visit involves senior leadership (e.g., a Chancellor, Vice Provost, President, CEO, etc.) from international peer universities or public agencies 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 (e.g. Minister of Education, Ambassador, head of state, etc).
  • Visitors have requested to meet with UC Berkeley's cabinet-level leadership, including the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, or Vice Provosts.
  • Meetings requested involve multiple units on campus, and more than one academic unit or department is interested in the visit.

How to request a visit

  1. Complete the Delegation Visit Inquiry form at least 6 weeks before your proposed visit date (contact us if you need a PDF). Be ready to provide a full list of attendees and titles, proposed dates/times, your organization's existing relationship with UC Berkeley, specific meeting requests, and discussion topics.
  2. A member of our team will contact you within 1-2 weeks to follow up on your request. Please note that UC Berkeley is not able to accommodate all visit requests, nor all requests to meet with leadership. We appreciate your interest!

Important dates to avoid: Visits cannot be scheduled during university holidays or weekends; refer to the Academic Calendar and the campus Holiday Schedule for closure dates. Due to our academic calendar, please note that campus constituents are less available the first three weeks of January, during spring break (typically late March), from mid-May through mid-August, and the last two weeks of December.

Delegation inquiry form

Signing ceremony protocol

GEO's Escalation Protocol

Foreign dignitary protocol

Delegation guidelines & important information

  • Size of delegation: We recommend 15 or fewer participants to ensure a productive meeting and space availability. 
  • US & Federal regulations:
    • We conduct a Restricted Party Screening on all delegations and their affiliations 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) to ensure certain visits are appropriately reviewed.
    • In addition, per federal regulations, government representatives from China and Cuba must provide prior notification of their visits to educational/research institutions to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions: OFMSanFrancisco@state.gov.
  • Foreign dignitaries: The Chancellor is the appropriate party to formally accept or extend invitations to high-profile foreign dignitaries for official visits to UC Berkeley. Prospective visitors and UC Berkeley faculty/staff are urged to review the foreign dignitary protocol and contact GEO before requesting or extending an invitation to a foreign dignitary.
  • Signing ceremonies: Campus-level MOU signing ceremonies are rare and held at the discretion of the Vice Provost/Senior International Officer, or other designated signatory. Please review our Signing Ceremony Protocol for more information. 
  • Interpretation: If you will be bringing an interpreter, please inform us in advance to account for timing. We are unable to provide interpretation services.
  • Invitation letters: UC Berkeley leadership do not routinely issue visa invitation letters for delegation visits. We strongly advise departments and faculty to consult us prior to considering such requests. 
  • Practical tips: Our campus is very large, so please wear comfortable shoes, and inform us if your group requires any accommodations. We are a tobacco-free campus. We are also unable to assist with transportation, hotels, or luggage storage.

What we do NOT arrange

Due to our small staff size and focus on high-level partnerships, the Global Engagement Office is unable to organize the following types of visits:

  • Individual faculty meetings: Please contact the faculty member directly. You can find potential peers and contact information in the Faculty Expertise Database or the Campus Directory.
  • Single departmental visits: If you only need to meet with one department, and your visit does not involve senior leadership or a foreign dignitary, please contact them directly to coordinate.
  • Training, workshops, or professional development: For these types of visits, we recommend contacting one of UC Berkeley's fee-based Executive Education programs.
  • Study Abroad & student groups: Inquire with UC Berkeley Global Custom Programs about a fee-based program.
  • Corportation/industry visits: Please direct your inquiry to the Industry Alliances Office or refer to UC Berkeley's fee-based Executive Education programs.
  • Lectures, fireside chats, academic talks, etc. International visits hosted by GEO and campus leadership are typically for 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 unit(s).
  • Third-Party or Tour Groups: We do not organize visits initiated by third parties, such as consulting firms or tour companies. 

Event Planning Support

Due to a small staff, GEO is unable to lend staff to provide event planning and logistics support for engagements we are not organizing. If you are UC Berkeley faculty or staff and plan to host a large, public-facing event and need support, we strongly advise you to submit an External Relations Event Request to University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) as soon as possible.