Dear Colleagues,
Over the past year, there has been increasing discussion within the Federal government about U.S. universities and their engagement with international institutions and governments. Several Federal funding agencies have tightened reporting guidelines around sources of foreign funding, and new rules are being discussed and/or put in place to increase review of international visitors and scholars.
Berkeley has long been at the forefront of international engagement, with international collaborations and exchanges comprising a vital element of our research enterprise and scholarly community. As the Chancellor wrote in her February 20, 2019 message to the campus, “At a time when national security issues involving foreign countries make the front pages of our newspapers, it is critical that we not become any less welcoming to students, staff, faculty, visiting scholars, and other members of our community who come from those countries, or for whom those countries are an ancestral home. [...] We therefore write to reaffirm that Berkeley remains open to people from all over the world, and ask that you continue to make all members of our community feel welcome and respected.”
While ensuring the highest degree of academic freedom, Berkeley is committed to developing policies and practices that comply with Federal and sponsor requirements. We have thus convened the International Engagement Policy Task Force, charged with reviewing existing campus international policies and protocols and, where appropriate, proposing new policies, practices, and resources to strengthen them. The Task Force is comprised of members of the standing International Activities Coordination Group (IACG), along with faculty representatives from across the campus, and is jointly chaired by the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Vice Provost for Academic Planning.
The Task Force will present its full report in December 2019, but will be sending out periodic updates throughout the fall.
In the meantime, we encourage faculty and staff to consult the following resources:
- For guidance on developing international activities and partnerships, please consult the Campus Guidelines for International Activities and Agreements. Questions can be directed to the Global Engagement Office.
- For guidance on new research disclosure or sponsor requirements, visit a new resource page on the Sponsored Projects Office website, and sign up for the SPONews listserv to receive ongoing updates. You can also contact your BRS Research Analyst or the SPO Contract and Grant Officer (CGO) assigned to your unit (use the search function at the top of the SPO Contact Us-Staff List webpage).
- For guidance related to hosting visiting scholars or visiting student researchers, please consult Visiting Scholars and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA).
Anyone with questions about the Task Force are encouraged to visit the Task Force website and/or contact the Vice Chancellor for Research Office at vcr@berkeley.edu, the Vice Provost for Academic Planning Office at vpap@berkeley.edu, or the Global Engagement Office at geo@berkeley.edu.
Sincerely,
Lisa Alvarez-Cohen
Vice Provost, Academic Planning and Senior International Officer
Randy H. Katz
Vice Chancellor, Research
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