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.

November 4, 2021: Best Practices for visiting scholars at UC Berkeley

Event Summary:

The Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) office is UC Berkeley’s central resource for the campus’ postdocs, visiting scholars, and visiting researchers. Join us as the VSPA staff (re)introduces the office’s new website, shares best practices related to hosting visiting scholars and researchers at UC Berkeley, and discusses...

October 12, 2021: What is “foreign influence,” and how does it affect our international students, scholars, and collaborations?

Event Summary:

UC Berkeley’s reputation for excellence in teaching and research is built, in part, on its long tradition of robust international engagement. In recent years, federal agencies and Congress have increasingly scrutinized international engagement in US higher education. Their concern is called foreign influence: the idea that international institutions or individuals may be using access to academic research in an attempt to compromise the United States’ economic competitiveness and national security....

(POSTPONED) May 5, 2021: A Journey of Hope from Earth to Mars: Elevating the Role of Women in STEM Education and Advancing US-Arab Relations

Event Summary

Can a mission to study Martian climate inspire a generation of young Arabs to pursue STEM careers? How does the UAE foster widespread female involvement in STEM fields?

Join us on May 5 at 12 PM to hear about the Amal (Hope) interplanetary probe and how this ambitious mission is driving societal, economic, and educational development in the UAE. The UC Berkeley Space Sciences Lab (SSL) is a major knowledge-transfer and educational partner in this historic endeavor, providing technical support and summer research...

April 13, 2021: Facilitating Intercultural Learning Programs in a Virtual Era

Event Summary:

What does it mean to connect and communicate skillfully across cultures in a virtual era? In this session, Berkeley Study Abroad and the Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership (CIL) will share their insights from the past year of facilitating rich international experiences for students and professionals, despite and in...

March 16, 2021: The importance of local leadership: contributing to campus equity and inclusion goals through visiting scholar programs

Summary:

Local scholars are best positioned to identify and address challenges in their own communities and countries. The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) at UC Berkeley helps train scholars from low- and middle- income countries to lead rigorous research in their home countries and regions. Through semester-long fellowships at UC Berkeley, visiting scholars audit development economics courses, present their work at seminars, apply to competitive...

February 4, 2021: Outlook for International Relations and Immigration under the Biden Administration

With the recent transition to the Biden Administration, many of us working in higher education have questions about what changes this will bring for our international programs, research, and constituents. Please join the Berkeley International Group for a briefing from the Director of Federal Relations for UC Berkeley, Gina Banks Daly, to learn about current and anticipated policy changes and executive orders related to immigration, international affairs, and higher education. Participants will also learn about Federal Relations’ advocacy role with congressional leaders and...

January 27, 2021: A Year in Review: International Student, Faculty, and Scholar Issues and the Future of US Immigration

2020 was a momentous year for UC Berkeley's international students, scholars and employees. In addition to facing travel restrictions related to COVID-19, they also were confronted by an array of other regulatory changes that challenged their status in the US. Join us to learn about these policies and to hear how Berkeley International Office is working to help our international community navigate them.

Nov 2020 BIG Meeting: UC Berkeley COVID-19 International Operations Briefing

With international travel grinding to a halt across the UC system in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted UC Berkeley’s international operations and programming. Please join the Berkeley International Group for a panel discussion with key international leaders across the campus, including representatives from the Global Engagement Office, Berkeley Study Abroad, Summer Sessions, and UC Berkeley Extension International Programs. Our colleagues will share their perspective on the opportunities and challenges the pandemic has presented to their work and programs, as well...

Fall 2020 BIG Event Series: Anti-Racism in International Education

How can international educators lead in crafting a vision for a post-racist world? How can they leverage the multiple tools that intercultural learning and cross-cultural communication provides to develop the next generation of anti-racist leaders? How can they work to normalise cross-cultural and intercultural diversity in the communities that they inhabit?

Sept. 2020 BIG Event: Courageous Conversations Workshop

Speaking up and speaking out about racism and white supremacy has become a priority for organizations and institutions across the globe, including here at UC Berkeley. However, when it comes to confronting the ways racism shows up in our everyday lives and relationships, it can be difficult to create environments where people can be truly courageous in their own growth and encourage the growth of others. In multinational/multicultural environments, this is further complexified, yet equally critical. In this session, we will focus on skills and practices for higher education professionals...