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
Crisis in Ukraine
Statement from Vice Provost Wolford
War in Ukraine: Campus Support and Resources
Visit Global Cornell's new War in Ukraine 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 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.
New 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, women's advocate Gbowee to speak May 3
Hear from Leymah Gbowee at the in-person Bartels Lecture on Tuesday, May 3. Gbowee led an interfaith women’s peace movement that played a pivotal role in bringing warlords to the peace table and ultimately ending Liberia’s 14-year civil war in 2003.
Select Recent Events
-
Migration in the Media (Sept. 22) brought together, scholars, journalists, and practitioners to address the needs and challenges of producing stories about complex border issues along with the potential for different stories to effect real change. Watch the event on our YouTube channel.
- Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, was this year’s Bartels World Affairs Fellow. His May 5 lecture, “Attacks on Democracy (video),” examined the history and global patterns of democracy.
- The Police and the Public: Global Perspectives (Dec. 9), the Lund Critical Debate brought together the United Nations’ police commissioner and a noted expert on political conflict resolution to discuss strategies for public safety and law enforcement.
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 2021 Migrations grant awards.
- 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 2021
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
-
(May 15, 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 26, 2021) President Pollack denounces recent national and local acts of anti-Semitism. Read the statement on anti-Semitism.
- (March 17, 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
Even in challenging times, there are moments of delight and caring that bring a smile to your face and bind us together.
Two CALS students were in Thailand as part of the International Sustainable Studies Institute. Listen to them tell their story, which includes feeding the elephants!
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
-
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.
-
For Dissident Writer, The Fight for Russia’s Future Is Personal: A visiting critic in the Institute for European Studies, Dmitry Bykov will be in residence for one to two years, engaging with Cornell faculty and students and completing several writing projects.
-
Migrations Project Helps Refugees Claim Health Care Rights: A Migrations initiative collaboration crossing medicine, law, technology, and communication is aiming to encourage the use of health care benefits by refugees in the U.S.
- Afghan Women Scholars Find Safe Haven at Cornell: The nine undergrads are now part of the Cornell community, thanks to robust international and cross-campus collaborations.
- Nicaraguan Cartoonist Finds Refuge at Einaudi Center: Visiting critic and award-winning political cartoonist Pedro X. Molina joined LACS this fall as a visiting critic and IIE-Artist Protection Fund fellow.
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.