Inclusion, Engagement, and Advocacy
Global Cornell envisions and works towards a just, sustainable, connected world where differences are valued, and exchange encouraged. Our international students and scholars make a tremendous contribution to Cornell, both inside and outside the classroom.
Leadership and attentiveness in global matters have never been more critical for the university as we continue to confront COVID-19. The Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs has been action-oriented during the coronavirus's unprecedented demands, managing the associated impacts on international students, faculty, and staff on campus and those of the Cornell community who were studying, conducting research, and performing activities abroad. What follows are some of the ways we support our international community. Please reach out with questions, concerns, or just to say hello.
Wendy Wolford, Vice Provost for International Affairs
Gustavo Flores-Macías, Associate Vice Provost for International Affairs
Brandon Lanners, Executive Director, Office of Global Learning
Throughout the past year, Global Cornell has provided leadership, oversight, and programming to support our international community and partners worldwide.
Crisis in Ukraine
Statement from Vice Provost Wolford
War in Ukraine: Campus Support and Resources
Visit Global Cornell's new War in Ukraine resources page for more university statements and resources for the campus community and Cornell's Ukrainian and Russian students, faculty, and staff.Discussing Difficult Topics
Community Agreements and More
Check out these handy guides to effective tactics for talking respectfully across differences:
- Community Agreements Guide: Community agreements are “ground rules” that we establish early on to set expectations for how we want to communicate with each other. Establishing community agreements gives us a way to hold ourselves and others accountable for honest and respectful communication with one another.
- Using LARA Guide: LARA stands for Listen, Affirm, Respond, and Add Information. The aim of LARA is to help steer a conversation toward a mutual understanding of each other’s identities, lived experiences, and positions.
- Political Conversations Guide: This guide was prepared before the 2020 U.S. presidential election, but the content is applicable to many conversations surrounding politics and conflict.
Resources for Cornell Classrooms
Visit Cornell's Center for Teaching Innovation for classroom inclusion resources and new advice for faculty on responding to incidents that affect the teaching and learning climate.
Inclusion Opportunities
Global Women of Color Mentorship Initiative
Women of color on staff at Cornell face unique challenges. The Global Women of Color Mentorship Initiative (GWCMI) is a new program that brings together peers and mentors in a supportive environment. GWCMI encourages career advancement and retention, enhances campus diversity, and enriches quality of life.
Fostering Understanding Between International and Domestic Communities
Story Circles are intercultural understanding workshops designed to address international students' feelings of disconnection. Workshop leaders support students as they share their experiences and stories. Programming focuses on the intersections of nationality and other social identities.
Happenings
International students studying at Cornell will find many opportunities to interact with both international and domestic students, inside and outside the classroom.
Nobel Laureate Offers Wisdom for Forging Lasting Peace
Leymah Gbowee spoke to a crowd of more than 450, with hundreds more online, at the first in-person Bartels lecture since 2019. Watch a recording of the event.
Select Recent Events
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(May 2022) The Office of Global Learning hosted a graduation reception for international students that included reflections by Cornell's 2022 Global Citizen awardees.
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(April 2022) Cornell offered a virtual International Career Fair for international undergraduate and graduate degree students graduating before the fall.
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(Feb. 2022) The Lund Critical Debate, Migration in the Age of Pandemics, focused on how we can promote the best public health outcomes worldwide, while working to protect human rights, manage resources, and address inequality.
Immigration Advocacy and Statements
The Departments of State and Education put out a joint statement affirming their support of international students and collaboration.
“Many of our most pressing challenges are inherently global in scope and impact and can only be addressed by nations and individuals working together. From tackling pandemics and the climate crisis, to reducing economic disparities and building prosperity, to countering threats to democracy and maintaining peace – resolving these global challenges requires partnership and collaboration across borders. It is imperative that we continue to cooperate with our allies, invest in our relationships, and broaden our engagement worldwide.”
Read President Pollack’s statements on behalf of the international community.
Cornell values the contributions of international students, faculty, and staff and continually joins with other American universities to advocate for our international community.
- On September 15, Cornell-supported lawsuits to counter H1-B immigration rulings set by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Labor to end existing H-1B lottery procedures and imposed new H-1B wage levels for international employees at the university have been vacated. Learn more about the victory.
- On June 21, Cornell joined 150 other higher education institutions on an amicus brief in support of OPT for international students.
- Vice Provost Wolford sent a letter to Secretary of State Blinken on May 26 regarding recent visa denials for international students based on consular officials interpreting policies unevenly and unpredictably.
Funding Opportunities
Grants, Internships, Fellowships, and Research Support
Global Cornell is committed to supporting faculty through grants that foster global learning and collaboration. For students, funding can provide engagement opportunities with cultures worldwide, mastering languages, and travel for research projects.
- The Cornell China Center (CCC) annually invites proposals from Cornell faculty for multiple types of research grants. Learn more about the funded research.
- The Einaudi Center supports faculty, postdoc, and student research through numerous funding opportunities through partnerships on campus, in our region, and around the world.
- Migrations: A Global Grand Challenge is funding research and engagement that centers the connections between racism, dispossession, and migration in interdisciplinary, innovative, and impactful ways. Learn more about the Migrations grants.
- International Research Intern Program is designed to offer qualifying international student research opportunities on campus, for up to 12 months, under the direction of a member of the Cornell faculty.
Guidance for Students and Faculty
The Office of Global Learning (OGL) advises international students and scholars on U.S. immigration, tax, and labor regulations, and travel documents.
Protests and Your Rights
Do you feel passionate about a cause and want to get involved? Read our Protests and Your Rights page. You’ll find guidance on your rights and risks as an international visitor.
Prepare 2022
Prepare is the pre-orientation program for incoming international undergraduates, where first-year and transfer students meet new people, and learn about Cornell and Ithaca.Wellness
Cornell Health offers resources especially for international students to learn about health care in the United States, and services and support at Cornell Health.
Additional Resources
- Maintaining Your Status: Whether you are taking a leave of absence or extending your time at Cornell we have advisors to help you navigate your time as a Cornell student or faculty member.
- Travel: Do you have questions about travel documents, visas, or entry questions? We're here to help you whether you are coming or going.
- Employment and Taxes: Did you work on campus? Will you have to file income tax forms? U.S. tax law is complex, you can come to us with questions.
Cornell Stands Against Hatred and Bias
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(Sept. 2022) A statement was released by President Pollack reiterating our core value as a community of belonging.
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(May 2022) President Pollack issued a statement expressing sadness and anger at the shooting in Buffalo by a white supremacist. Read the statement on the shooting.
- (May 2021) President Pollack denounces recent national and local acts of anti-Semitism. Read the statement on anti-Semitism.
- (March 2021) President Pollack voices support for Asian and Asian-American communities and condemns the rise in racism and violence. Read the statement on anti-Asian violence.
- Global Cornell cohosted a teach-in to confront anti-Asian bias in April 2021.
Moments of Delight
Wherever we are, there are moments of delight and caring that bring a smile to your face and bind us together.
The alumni Cornell Clubs of Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen and the Cornell China Center cohosted a hybrid international new student send-off. Read about this Memorable Moment between Cornell students and alumni.
Telling Your Stories
Race and Racism Across Borders
Prose, poems, and visual art submitted by Cornell students and alumni who gained new knowledge about racial dynamics by crossing a literal or figurative border.
In the News
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(Sept. 2022) Afghan Students—Now Cornellians—Look to Future: Nine Afghan undergraduates who fled their country after the Taliban took control in August 2021, have been admitted as Cornell students with full financial aid.
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(May 2022) 2022 Commencement Speech in Four Languages: Read President Pollack's commencement address in Chinese, Hindi, Korean, and Spanish.
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(May 2022) Cornell Celebrates Bumper Crop of Fulbright Students: In 2022–23, 15 U.S. Student Program winners from Cornell will head out to host countries worldwide. The program is administered by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.
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(April 2022) Story Circles Foster Intercultural Conversations, Belonging: Launched by the Office of Global Learning, the story circles initiative is intended to bridge the gaps in intercultural understanding between Cornell’s international and domestic populations.
Getting to Know You
Student organizations on Cornell's Ithaca campus total more than 1,000 and about 150 of these have an international orientation. These groups provide students opportunities to connect with those who share similar backgrounds, and with those who don't.
Ethical International Engagement
Cornell is committed to global engagement and supports open, international collaboration.
- In 2019 Cornell announced a set of guidelines for ethical international engagement to help maintain relationships and collaborations overseas.
- Guidelines on Ethical International Engagement (2019)
- Update on International Research and Engagement: Guidance for the Cornell Community (2020)
Speaking to Each Other
Educating the Educators
- Teaching International Students: Tips for Instruction provides information to support the unique needs of students in other time zones and more.
- English Language Support Office offers effective ways to mentor multilingual and international graduate and professional student writing.
English-Language Proficiency
English for International Students and Scholars is a 1-credit summer and winter class offered by the School of Continuing Education.
Learning Languages
At Cornell 58 modern and ancient languages are available for study.