I hope this message finds you and your loved ones, in California and around the world, safe and healthy. As we all continue to adjust to the unprecedented and evolving circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19), I am reminded of how interconnected our world is and of the resiliency of our UC Davis community. Global Education for All, our goal of preparing each and every UC Davis student to navigate the challenges and opportunities of a globally interconnected world, feels more timely than ever before.
I hope you will join me in congratulating our 2019-20 Humphrey Fellows: Nazmul Ahsan, Jihad Atallah, Issam Chariag, Fabrice Inkonkoy, Vindyani Jayasinghe, Ojja Martin Kapaya, Alain-Georges Moukoko, Zuomei Ning, Rommel Reconco, Karina Vergara, and Thu Vo. Being selected for this prestigious fellowship is an honor in itself. The collaborations these 11 truly remarkable international leaders have formed and the projects they have started over this academic year are even more impressive.
We continue to follow the developments of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and monitor situations on campus and around the world. Your safety, wellbeing, and educational experience are our priorities. As such, we are writing to assure you protocols are in place to support you. We are also writing to reiterate campus updates and remind you of the information and resources available to support you during what we understand may be a challenging time for you and your family.
We are following the news of the continuing conflict between the United States and Iran, and we want to assure you that we are here to support you in any way that we can.
Wishing you a happy holiday season and bold new year from all of us in Global Affairs at the University of California, Davis. We hope you’ll enjoy our 2018-19 Annual Report full of updates on exciting global programs and initiatives happening on campus, in California, and around the world.
In recent weeks and days, we have seen increased discussions and gatherings related to the protests in Hong Kong on our campus. As stated in our campus Principles of Community, “we affirm the right of freedom of expression within our community.” We fully support the open exchange of ideas and expression of perspectives. We are proud that UC Davis is a global campus, with a diverse community of people coming from many different backgrounds and countries, having many different identities, experiences, and perspectives.
As you know, here at the University of California, Davis, we are committed to building a diverse community of students, scholars, faculty, and staff. This includes the over 10,000 international students and scholars we welcome to campus from around the world. Changing government rules regarding the definition of persons considered a “public charge” have created much uncertainty among our international community. We hope that the following summary will provide you with an introduction to this issue.
On behalf of Global Affairs, I would like to congratulate and welcome Nancy Erbstein, associate professor in residence in the School of Education, as our new Associate Vice Provost of Global Education for All in Global Affairs, effective June 1, 2019.
I am pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the second cohort of the Curriculum Enhancement Through Global Learning program. This faculty development program, set to run in fall 2019 and winter 2020, aims to engage faculty members in infusing global learning into the classroom, aligning with the campus goal of Global Education for All students.
Let there be no doubt: At UC Davis, we highly value our international researchers, scholars and students. Indeed, our international relationships and collaborations form an essential part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion. All members of our community have contributed to our excellence in research, teaching and service.
