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 are a high priority for the university. The Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs proactively supports our international students, faculty, and staff on campus and those in the Cornell community who are 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
Brandon Lanners, Executive Director, Office of Global Learning
Support for Times of Crisis
Cornell is a global community. Natural disasters, political conflicts, and violence happening around the world can profoundly affect our campus community. We care deeply about your well-being. Cornell offers support services to help students, faculty, and staff cope with turbulent times. Learn more about available resources.
A Community of Belonging
Cornell Stands Against Hatred and Bias
Cornell has a set of core values that were created after extensive discussions with people from all parts of our community and that are rooted in our long history. Among those core values is our commitment to being a community of belonging.
“We strive to be a welcoming, caring, and equitable community where students, faculty, and staff with different backgrounds, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect.”
Excerpted from former president Martha Pollack's September 2022 statement.
Belonging at Cornell provides diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, including anti-racism resources, resources to combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia, and other biases due to religion to the university community.
Discussing Difficult Topics
Community Agreements and Classroom Resources
Explore the resources Cornell has available for faculty that help foster an environment of community agreement across campus. The university has compiled guides to support effective tactics for talking respectfully across differences and advice on responding to incidents that affect the teaching and learning climate.
Happenings
International students studying at Cornell will find many opportunities to interact with both international and domestic students inside and outside the classroom.
2024 International Fair
The 2024 International Fair, held on August 28 on the Uris Terrace, showcased Cornell's global opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Hundreds of students visited the fair to learn about international majors and minors, language study, study abroad, funding opportunities, global internships, Cornell Global Hubs, and more.
Select Recent Events
- (Oct. 2024) Naomi Klein, author and activist, spoke at the Einaudi Center's 2024 Bartels lecture on threats to democracy.
- (May 2024) Explorations of Global Free Speech: Student Showcase, the inaugural cohort of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies' undergraduate global scholars, showcased their capstone projects.
- (April 2024) Getting to Climate Justice: A Global Approach, was this year’s Lund debate, hosted by the Einaudi Center, explored how citizens and policymakers worldwide can act to increase justice in our shared climate crisis.
- (Mar. 2024) Students Discuss Navigating Identities Abroad, four undergraduate student panelists spoke about their perspectives on gender, sexuality, race, and identities that impacted them while abroad at a global freedom of expression event.
- (Mar. 2024) Immigration Law Panel Debates “Who Has the Right to Free Speech?” A panel discussion about free expression and the First Amendment in the context of immigration was sponsored by Global Cornell and its Migrations Initiative.
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 Cornell 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.
- (Sept. 2021) 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 impose new H-1B wage levels for international employees at the university have been vacated. Learn more about the victory.
- (June 2021) Cornell joined 150 other higher education institutions on an amicus brief in support of OPT for international students.
- (May 2021) Vice Provost Wolford sent a letter to Secretary of State Blinken 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 annually invites proposals from Cornell faculty for multiple types of research grants. Learn more about their funded research.
- The Einaudi Center supports faculty, postdoc, and student research through numerous funding opportunities and partnerships on campus, in our region, and worldwide. Global Summer Internships are offered for summer and winter sessions.
- The International Research Intern Program offers qualifying international student research opportunities on campus for up to 12 months under the direction of a Cornell faculty member.
- International Cornell Curriculum grants offer opportunities to create, develop, or improve curricula that provide students with international experiences.
- Global Hubs offers faculty joint seed grants with Hubs partners to explore potential research collaborations with colleagues at Hubs partner universities.
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 Orientation
Prepare is the preorientation program for incoming international undergraduates, where first-year and transfer students meet new people and get a head start on life on campus.
Wellness
Cornell Health offers resources 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, and you can come to us with questions.
Moments of Delight
Wherever we are, there are moments of delight and caring that bring a smile to your face and bind us together.
Halloween Bash
More than 90 international students participated in the Office of Global Learning’s pumpkin carving Halloween Bash.
Telling Your Stories
Race and Racism Across Borders
Prose, poems, and visual art by Cornell students and alumni who gained new knowledge about racial dynamics by crossing a literal or figurative border.
In the News
- (Oct. 2024) Mursal Rahim MPA '25, an Afghan scholar studying human rights and social justice, says her Cornell education is a dream come true. Read her story.
- (Sept. 2024) The Migrations Initiative funded an outdoor photo exhibit that illustrates migrant workers’ stories.
- (May 2024) First Remote IIE Fellow Visits Cornell, Eugene Nikiforovich, a fluid mechanics expert from Ukraine, has been able to continue his work with support from Cornell since leaving Kyiv two years ago.
- (April 2024) Elja Sharifi’s Voice for the Powerless, Afghan visual artist and scholar Sharifa “Elja” Sharifi fled Afghanistan in September 2021, a month after the Taliban seized control. She found a new beginning at Cornell's Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art.
- (Mar. 2024) Students Discuss Navigating Identities Abroad, Four undergraduate student panelists spoke about their perspectives on gender, sexuality, race, and identities that impacted them while abroad at a global freedom of expression event.
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 with 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.