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.

July 1, 2026 | 5:00 - 7:00 pm | [in-person] Watch the World Cup with BIG!

Please come out and watch the 2026 World Cup with the Berkeley International Group (BIG). This get-together is free and informal, so feel free to drop in at your leisure to support your team, whether it’s USA or Bosnia and Herzegovina, and get to know your BIG peers. Light refreshments will be provided by the BIG, drinks are on your own.

This happy hour will be held on Wednesday, July 1 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at Headlands Brewing on campus, located at 2465 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

We look forward to watching...

September 1 2026: BIG Book Club | The Lion Women of Tehran

Please join us on Tuesday, September 1 from 12:10-1 p.m. for our first 2026-2027 meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll informally discuss The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

~ ~ Bonus! ~ ~ For those who want to get started reading over the summer, a limited number of new copies of...

May 13, 2026: End-of-year Drop-in IE Happy Hour [in person]

Please join the Berkeley International Group (BIG) for our End-of-year celebration drop-in, informal, no-host happy hour to foster community among UC Berkeley staff who work in or are interested in the field of international education. Light appetizers will be provided by the Berkeley International Group, refreshments are on your own.

This happy hour will be held on Wednesday, May 13 from 4:00 - 6:00pm at Hotel Shattuck bar in downtown Berkeley located at 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

We look forward to cheers-ing to...

May 12, 2026: BIG Book Club | Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani (in-person)

Please join us on Tuesday, May 12 from 12:10-1 p.m. for the final 2025-20026 meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll informally discuss Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani by Queen Liliuokalani

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...

March 18, 2026: BIG Book Club | The Undocumented Americans (in-person)

Please join us on Wednesday, March 18 from 12:10-1 p.m. at 420 Social Sciences Building (map) for our March meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll informally discuss The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Part memoir,...

February 12, 2026: Bi-monthly Drop-in IE Happy Hour [in person]

Please join the Berkeley International Group (BIG) for our second bi-monthly drop-in informal, no-host happy hour to foster community among UC Berkeley staff who work in or are interested in the field of international education. Light appetizers will be provided by the Berkeley International Group, refreshments are on your own.

This month’s IE happy hour will be held on Thursday, February 12 from 4:00 - 6:00 at Hotel Shattuck bar in downtown Berkeley located at 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

We look forward to cheers-ing to...

November 19, 2025: BIG Book Club | The Best We Could Do [in-person]

Please join us on Wednesday, November 19 from 12:10-1 p.m. for our next meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll informally discuss Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do. A graphic novel, this American Book Award winning novel details the family’s escape following the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s and the subsequent difficulties they faced building new lives. This is the second book in our...

January 29, 2026: International and Research Partner Due Diligence

Please join us on Thursday, January 29th from 12-1pm for a best practice discussion about International and Research Partner Due Diligence. Sponsored jointly by the Berkeley International Group (BIG) and Berkeley Research Administrator’s Group (BRAG) staff organization ...

January 28, 2026: BIG Book Club | The End of the Myth - From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America (in-person)

Please join us on Wednesday, January 28 from 12:10-1 p.m. at the Golden Bear Center (map) for our next meeting of the Berkeley International Group Book Club. We’ll informally discuss The End of the Myth - From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America by Greg Grandin

...

December 4, 2025: Bi-monthly Drop-in IE Happy Hour [in person]

Please join the Berkeley International Group (BIG) for our second bi-monthly drop-in informal, no-host happy hour to foster community among UC Berkeley staff who work in or are interested in the field of international education. This month’s IE happy hour will be held on Thursday, December 4th, 2025 from 4:00 - 6:00 at Hotel Shattuck bar in downtown Berkeley located at 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

This is a recurring, bi-monhtly no-host event where you can drop-in and connect with colleagues in an informal setting. Join us for 15...