Global Initiatives' five pillars provide a strategic framework for our team to be leaders in comprehensive internationalization both at UC San Diego and among peer public research universities. Our offices are mindful of these core values, and our staff are dedicated to integrate and advance these pillars in all facets of our professional lives.

The examples below highlight our impactful work as it relates to the five pillars:

Pillar 1: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI)

We believe in a diverse, interconnected, inclusive, equitable and just world. We value the intersections between internationalization and the principles of JEDI and ground our work in a steadfast commitment to access and equity for all in this global space.

• Facilitates academic success, transition, and engagement of international undergraduate and graduate students in a welcoming and inclusive environment  
• Partners with the International Institute to bring to campus threatened and dislocated scholars identified from the Scholars at Risk program through UC San Diego’s Exchange Visitor program sponsorship  
• Recognized as a top producing institution for Gilman Scholarships (sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs) during the past 20 years 
• Fosters an ongoing partnership with the UC San Diego Passport Office, beginning with the collaborative ‘Passport Caravan’ which provided free passports to 100 high financial need students 
• Collaborates with Undergraduate Admissions to develop a strategic international recruitment plan to target geographic regions with low application, acceptance and yield rates with an emphasis in countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America

Pillar 2: Social Responsibility and Service

We address the world’s most urgent challenges and opportunities through meaningful, sustainable, and innovative collaborations. We accept and embrace our role in this work, and we serve toward this end with a spirit of altruism in solidarity of the greater good.

• Supports the most talented individuals from all over the world on our campus who generate innovative research that addresses local and global challenges—from climate change to the global refugee crisis to terrorism and health crises— tomorrow’s future world leaders, ambassadors, problem solvers and innovators  
• Supports and develops programs including UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)’s Social Justice and Activism program in France, and Global Seminars Health, Healing, and Sustainable Community Development in Bali, Designing Programs for Sexual Health in Bangkok, Change in Modern South Africa in Cape Town, and People, Politics, and Power in Puerto Rico, among others.
• Hosted 23 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows for an Enhancement Workshop on Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions,™drawing on the deep, interdisciplinary expertise of faculty coupled with the unique perspectives of our geographic location

Pillar 3: Student-Centeredness

At our core, we are student-centered. We empower and inspire students to apply their passion, knowledge and expertise on their academic, professional and personal journeys to becoming global changemakers.  

• Reimagines the international student experience to include the entire student lifecycle with an emphasis on building connections belonging and engaging with campus and student life and each year, hosts 200+ events with 8,000+ participants 
• Collaborates with The Hub Basic Needs Center and Student Affairs Case Management to offer the iTable Program. Since 2020, iTable has provided grocery gift cards and supplemental housing support to international students experiencing unexpected financial hardship or impacted by global events 
• Supports student access to global learning opportunities by partnering with Financial Aid to have a dedicated financial aid advisor dedicated to study abroad students embedded with the Study Abroad team
• Spearheads UC San Diego’s annual International Education Week celebration — a joint initiative between the U.S. Departments of State and Education — to champion and showcase the benefits of international education and exchange and during IEW 2022, offered 30 different events and programs ranging from arts and music to athletics and career opportunities
• Coordinates jointly with Globally Engaged Tritons offices UC San Diego’s Globally Engaged Tritons Co-Curricular Record (GETCCR) for students to develop the core competencies of understanding global context, teamwork and cross-cultural collaboration, and self-reflection by participating in 30 hours of activities and events

Pillar 4: Collaboration, Innovation and Impact

We foster partnerships across the campus and the world to underscore the importance of collective impact and inclusive excellence. We connect faculty, scholars and industry partners to the education and research enterprises in support of transformational innovation at the local, regional and global levels.

• Serves international students’ holistic needs — including health, wellness, financial, career and academic —through numerous collaborations with student-serving units across the campus  
• Partnered with UC San Diego Advancement to secure a $3m gift from the J. Yang Foundation to support the development of a community of scholars and mobility programs form Taiwan and in year three, nearly 30 graduate students, primarily doctoral students, have joined the vibrant UC San Diego community  
• Launched a Senior International Officer Community of Practice, to share best practices, identify opportunities for collaboration and demonstrate San Diego’s regional academic strength on the international stage with University of San Diego, San Diego State University, and Point Loma Nazarene University   
• Partnered with Global TIES (UC San Diego’s internationally recognized program in social innovation and sustainable development, housed in the Jacobs School of Engineering) to develop a “Global TIES/Fulbright Program” course aimed at undergraduates and launching this Spring Quarter, 2023 
• Strategically partner with peer institutions to provide students more affordable study abroad options (Macquarie University in Australia) and research and internship opportunities that support students in their pursuit of graduate school or employment after graduation such as with Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne in Switzerland, Ecole Polytechnique in France, TU Munich in Germany, etc.

Pillar 5: Stewardship and Operational Excellence

We give our best to the university, the populations we serve and the institutions and organizations with which we partner. We operate with integrity, grace and accountability, and we are an efficient steward of the resources including labor, land, capital, and entrepreneurial initiatives in our care.  

• Transitioning to a new international student and scholar case management and batching system in partnership with Extended Education and Information Technology Services to reduce wait times and increase advising capacity, improve user experience, and migrate to one system intaking and processing student and scholar document requests 
• Commits to keeping costs low for students while providing the safest and most healthy environments and support within its programs and works closely with campus Risk Management, with Procurement, and with UC-wide risk management to this end 
• Implementing a talent management program that priorities the professional growth and advancement of employees and will strive to retain, champion and engage employees so they know their contributions are valued and appreciated.