Bob Kiaii, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at UC Davis Health, is an international expert in robotic heart surgery who leads a surgical team that treats complex diseases of the chest using minimally invasive techniques. Born in Iran, Kiaii immigrated to Canada as a child with his family. His path in medicine eventually brought him to UC Davis Health, a relocation feat that was not without its challenges.
Global Affairs provides a plethora of training resources that help staff support scholars and students throughout their global educational journeys by offering staff learning and development courses through Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) and the Global Learning Hub.
Global Affairs staff are returning to offices within the UC Davis International Center, located on the corner of Russell Boulevard and California Avenue. The International Center is now open. This fall quarter, Global Affairs teams will work in a hybrid format, offering limited in-person advising. Other services will be available in a virtual or hybrid format.
In recent days, news of Afghanistan’s citizens in peril, a devastating earthquake in Haiti, destructive wildfires and the surging Delta variant has touched all of us in the UC Davis community, causing grief and sorrow for many. We have Haitian and Afghan families who are part of our larger community, as well as families who have suffered from the fires and COVID-19. I want to express my condolences to those who have experienced losses resulting from these tragedies. These events can be overwhelming, but I am grateful to see Aggies responding to support people in need, both here at home and a world away. Here are a few ways that is happening.
In celebration of your hard work, dedication, resilience, and determination, Services for International Students and Scholars and Global Affairs has a special message for the graduating international students in the Class of 2021.
The University of California, Davis, has taken top spot among universities in the nation for its inclusiveness, diversity and internationalization in rankings released today (May 5). In the second annual QS USA University Rankings, UC Davis ranked sixth overall among public universities (34th among all institutions) in the nation and fourth among public universities (seventh among all universities) in California. In the diversity and internationalization category, the campus tied for top spot with the private New York University; last year it also tied for first in the category with New York University and UCLA.
Adjusting to online classes has been challenging for every student, but international students living outside of the country have faced a completely different set of challenges. Jennifer Li, a first-year undeclared student who has been living in Singapore throughout the pandemic, shares her experience in participating in an online school in a 16-hour time zone difference.
Although this year has brought unprecedented challenges, Global Affairs remains proud to welcome the world to UC Davis and connect UC Davis with the world, albeit virtually at the moment. As we leave 2020 behind, we celebrate the Global Affairs news and announcements featured this year with this top 20 of 2020.
UC Davis has an ambitious goal: to provide all students—undergraduate, graduate, and professional—with international and intercultural learning experiences before graduation. Global Affairs offers programs, funding, and resources that support students in achieving their global learning goals