1. Global Affairs AT the University of Connecticut
Zahra Ali
Director, Global Partnerships & Outreach

2. Who Are We? Education Abroad International Student & Scholar Services
Global Partnerships & Outreach
Global Training & Development Institute
UConn American English Language Institute
Human Rights Institute
Human Rights
@ UConn
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
International Studies Association
Special Initiatives

3. Education Abroad Where do students study abroad?
In AY students studied abroad
in 48 countries
More than 95% of the 995 students are undergraduate.

4. Education Abroad Where do students study abroad?
In AY students studied abroad
& 452 students registered other travel in 66 countries
In 2015 the University instituted a mandatory travel registry for all students traveling abroad for university sponsored or university related activities. So, in addition to these 995 students going on formal study abroad programs, 452 students went abroad for volunteer, research or internship opportunities.
Including these students, you’ll see the number of countries visited goes from 48 to 66. And there is a substantial increase in students going to Sub-Saharan African and Latin America & Caribbean countries.
Of the 452 who registered their travel, 210 were undergraduates and 242 graduate students.

5. Education Abroad How does Ed Abroad work with faculty?
Ed Abroad assists faculty with the development of new study abroad programs that are integrated into department or program curricula. Faculty work with Ed Abroad to promote these opportunities among students.
Ed Abroad assists faculty with the development of new study abroad programs that are integrated into departmental or program curricula. There is a preference for program that promote:
foreign language acquisition;
creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; and/or
experiential learning in the form of field work, service learning, internships, video projects or other kinds of hands-on activities;
There are a variety of program options, such as faculty-led, exchange, or direct enroll. Also, programs can vary in duration and run during Winter Intersession, May Term, part of the summer or for an entire semester.
If you are interested in developing a program, you will need to complete the Program Proposal Form online. For more information visit abroad.uconn.edu and click on the Faculty & Advisors link in the main menu.

6. International Student & Scholar Services
TOTALS: , , , ,784

7. International Student & Scholar Services
World Regions
(AY 16-17)
Grad
Undergrad
Non-degree/ESL
TOTAL
East Asia
1141
1041 57
2239
Eurasia 41 5 2 48
Europe 82 25 76
182
Latin America & Caribbean 16 66
Middle East/North Africa
128 3 22
153
North America 6 36 42
Oceania 23 27
South Asia
582 21
603
Southeast Asia 24 8 9
Sub-Saharan Africa 37 45
2091
1163
193
3447
*Other Countries include: Germany, Bangladesh, Turkey, Australia, Japan, Nepal & UK

8. International Student & Scholar Services
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS = 337
World Regions
(AY 16-17)
# of Scholars
East Asia
220
Eurasia 8
Europe 51
Latin America & Caribbean 25
Middle East/North Africa 10
North America 4
Oceania 1
South Asia 14
Southeast Asia 3
Sub-Saharan Africa
TOTAL
337
*Other Countries include: Canada, France,
Germany, Iran, Mexico, Spain, Turkey & UK

9. International Student & Scholar Services
How does ISSS work with faculty?
ISSS provides guidance to faculty wishing to invite international scholars, and works with faculty and their departments on the visa sponsorship process.
Uconn sponsors a number of J-1 visas for international visiting scholars annually for the purpose of fostering cultural exchange through research, teaching, interning, consulting, observing or demonstrating special knowledge or skills. ISSS is responsible for managing the visa sponsorship for your visitor on behalf of UConn, and must issue a Form DS-2019 for your incoming exchange visitor to certify institutional sponsorship of the visa BEFORE he/she can apply for the J-1 visa. If you are inviting an international visitor to your department—in addition to your department head’s support—you will need to work closely with ISSS well in advance of the requested program start date to ensure that your visitor’s visa and pre-arrival needs will be met in time to start their program at UConn.

10. Global Partnerships & Outreach
49 Countries

11. Global Partnerships & Outreach
How does Global Partnerships & Outreach work with faculty?
We provide guidance to faculty wishing to institutionalize relationships with international partners, and assist with drafting a variety of agreements.
Faculty come us to propose new institutional partners. We provide guidance, coordinate with other offices that need to be involved depending on the proposal. We work closely with the Offices of the General Counsel and the Attorney General on drafting a variety of international agreements.
We also work with faculty to keep track of activities with various partners, provide information on existing collaborations and help connect faculty with researchers at partner institutions.

12. Global Training & Development Institute
GTDI has trained over 10,000 participants, from about 133 countries, since It offers academic services and specialized training to international students and professionals through exchange programs across multiple disciplines, through State Department grants. Current programs include SUSI and YSEALI—catering to students and young professionals from the MENA region and SE Asia respectively. These programs introduce participants to US culture, business practices, and entrepreneurship while helping them develop a business plan for a social entrepreneurship project to implement back home—with seed funding provided by the grant.
In addition to developing and delivering academic enrichment programs and professional training, and supporting social development projects, GTDI coordinates international non-degree mobility programs, allowing students from international partners enroll at UConn as non-degree students for one year of study.
CHINA - Central University of Finance & Economics, China Agricultural University, China Foreign Affairs University, Guizhou University, Lanzhou University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Renmin University, Sichuan University

13. Global Training & Development Institute
How does GTDI work with faculty?
GTDI works with faculty who wish to set up entrepreneurial programs or service agreements with partner institutions. While Global Partnerships & Outreach drafts the agreements, GTDI coordinates the implementation.

14. Uconn American English Language Institute
Since 1990, UCAELI has provided ESL instruction to more than 3,000 students from countries throughout the world. Some students are non-degree students only attending intensive English programs, while others are conditional admits to UConn or students planning to attend other universities in the region, who need additional preparation before their transition to mainstream academic courses.
UCAELI also overseas the International Teaching Assistants program, which prepares international graduate students serving as TAs to meet the language and pedagogical needs of the specific departments in which they will teach.

15. Human Rights @ UConn 1993 Ground broken on Dodd Center
1995 Dodd Center construction was completed and building was dedicated by President Bill Clinton.
2003 Human Rights Institute founded
2012 Human Rights Major
Human rights has been a major focus of the University of Connecticut for over 20 years. Our commitment was embedded into the foundation of the University—literally, when we broke ground on the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center in 1993.
Thomas Dodd was a former Senator for the State of Connecticut who also served as Executive Trial Counsel in the International Military Tribunal during the first of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. Completed and established in 1995, the Center was devoted to the study and promotion of human rights. Since then, UConn has continued to add faculty, staff, and resources to building a comprehensive academic approach to the study and practice of human rights.
Another transformative moment was when the interdisciplinary Human Rights Institute was founded in 2003, engaging faculty across the university and introducing them as leading scholars in the field. HRI began offering a major in human rights in 2012, which has already become one of the largest human rights majors in the country.
In 2014, UConn restated its commitment by identifying Human Diversity, Disparity, and Rights as an area for strategic academic emphasis in its new academic plan.

16. International Studies Association
Founded in 1959, it boasts more than 7,000 members worldwide.
Headquartered at UConn
ISA is a premier international studies organization globally, linking scholars and practitioners.
Founded in 1959, it has over 7000 members worldwide, more than half outside North America.
ISA is a United Nations ECOSOC-accredited NGO with roster consultative status.
In July 2015, with the appointment of Mark Boyer as the Executive Director, ISA’s headquarters moved to for the duration of his 5 year term. About a dozen new staff were hired at UConn to support ISA.

17. International Studies Association
ISA publishes six journals: International Quarterly, International Review, International Perspectives, Foreign Policy Analysis, International Political Sociology, and the Journal of Global Security Studies.
ISA also co-sponsors a seventh journal—International Interactions—and publishes the International Studies Encyclopedia
Having ISA on campus opens up more undergraduate and graduate research opportunities, enhances faculty and student access to ISA network and positions UConn as a centerpiece for international studies globally
Co-Sponsors of International Interactions Journal

18. Special Initiatives Abrahamic Programs Cuba Baden-Wurttemberg
M.A. International Studies
Metabolic Research Alliance
Middle East Studies
Norian Armenian Programs
As a whole, Global Affairs aims to open up new global opportunities for UConn faculty and students, help build global research teams, connect with international alumni, fundraising for global projects, and provide seed funding (matching Department/College/ School funds)

19. Strategic Objectives
Build sustainable global partnerships in all world regions
Increase and diversify education abroad participation and opportunities
Improve programming and services that facilitate international student success
Build interdisciplinary global education curricula
Connect global education with on-campus multicultural programming and community co-curricular activities
Support interdisciplinary research and development and outreach projects on contemporary issues with global and local impact
Contribute to the economic development of the State of Connecticut
Improve networking with international alumni
Substantially increase Global Affairs fundraising

20. International Travel Policies & Guidelines
If the U.S. Department of State issues a travel warning/travel alert for a particular country or region within a country, UConn will suspend approval of any university- sponsored or university-related travel unless an application for a waiver of this policy is submitted and approved by the Provost or his designee, the Vice President for Global Affairs. This applies to faculty, students and staff.
Note for students you advise: Graduate and undergraduate students must register all university-sponsored or university-related travel with Education Abroad, regardless of destination.
Travel to Cuba is regulated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Please contact Global Affairs and UConn’s Export Control Officer in OVPR before planning any travel to Cuba.

21. Questions? Global Affairs Phone: 860-486-3152
Web: