Berkeley International Group (BIG) Meetings

The Berkeley International Group (BIG) is composed of UC Berkeley faculty and staff who meet monthly to collaborate and participate in informal discussions related to the international work that we all do on campus. Each meeting is hosted by different units on campus. The group meets for one hour during the first week of every month, with the host deciding upon the topic, date, time, and location of the meeting.

May 14, 2025: BIG Book Club | My Invented Country [in-person]

Please join us on Wednesday, May 14 from 12:10-1 p.m. for the final 2024-2025 meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll informally discuss My Invented Countryby Isabel Allende

Hannah Fisher, Associate Director of the Evening and Weekend MBA Program at Haas School of Business, will start our May meeting. Hannah will tell us a little about their...

May 13, 2025: Building Community in Support of International Education [in person]

Come celebrate the end of the semester and the strength of our international education community! Join the Berkeley International Group (BIG) on Tuesday, May 13th from 4–6pm at Jupiter in downtown Berkeley (2181 Shattuck Avenue) for an upbeat, informal networking and social hour.

In a time when the federal...

January 28, 2025: BIG Book Club|Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 (in person)

Please join BIG on Tuesday, January 28 from 12:10-1 p.m. for the next meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll informally discuss Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo, translated by Jamie Chang. The novel, set in Seoul, is heralded as the book that ignited the 4B Movement, a feminist movement in South Korea that has received considerable attention in the U.S. following November’s presidential election.

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November 19, 2024: BIG Book Club | Crazy Brave: A Memoir (in-person)

Please join BIG on Tuesday, November 19 from 12-1 p.m. for the second meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll gather and informally discuss Crazy Brave: A Memoir, a brief but powerful book by Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Nation and the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate. In 2021, Harjo delivered UC Berkeley’s Avenali Lecture

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September 17, 2024: BIG Book Club | Solito: A Memoir (in-person)

Please join BIG on Tuesday, September 17 from 12-1 p.m. for the first meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll gather and informally discuss Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora. (Participants are responsible for securing and reading the book in advance) We will meet in person and in a location on or near campus. We’ll announce the location in the weeks before the meeting.

The Berkeley International Group is a recognized Staff Organization ...

December 4, 2024: Current international student, scholar, and employee trends & federal relations update

Please join BIG on Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 on zoom from 12-1pm to learn more about the latest data on international students and scholars at Berkeley. The Berkeley International Office team will be providing an update on current trends related to matriculated international students, scholars, and employees at UC Berkeley. Gina Daly, Director of Federal Government Relations will be...

November 19, 2024: International Education Week Social (in-person)

Please join the Berkeley International Group (BIG) on Tuesday, November 19th from 4-6pm at Edmond’s Cafe at International House at UC Berkeley (2299 Piedmont Ave) for an informal networking and social hour during International Education Week.

UC Berkeley’s international education staff professionals (and enthusiasts!) are invited to connect and network with peers. Mochi donuts & muffins from Third...

October 29, 2024: International Admissions at UC Berkeley (for staff)

UC Berkeley staff are invited to get an inside look at the work of UC Berkeley’s International Admissions Team, from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. We'll share updates on international student enrollment, new efforts to increase geographic diversity, and how different campus departments can pitch in to support our goals. Learn about the unique challenges we face, the data behind our decisions, and the role of the campus community in our process. This is a great...

March 20, 2024: International Education at UC Berkeley: Community Building and Career Pathways (in person)

Please join the Berkeley International Group (BIG) on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 from 12-1:30pm for an in-person panel discussion with UC Berkeley staff who work in international student and scholar advising, study abroad, international partnerships, global affairs, global research, and area studies at UC Berkeley. Participants will deepen their knowledge of a variety of global...

February 7, 2024: Part 3: UC Berkeley's current trends and goals in undergraduate study abroad

Please join the Berkeley International Group (BIG) staff organization on February 7th on zoom from 12-1pm to learn more about the current state of undergraduate study abroad at UC Berkeley. Berkeley Study Abroad, part of the Summer Sessions, Study Abroad, Lifelong Learning, and Extended Education (SSALLEX) Division, will give an overview of Berkeley Study Abroad program offerings, describe the students that participate in various overseas programs, including Berkeley Global Internships, UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) and Berkeley Summer Abroad opportunities, and explore trends...