About Us
The Office of International Affairs supports the University’s global vision by providing leadership, raising awareness, facilitating the pursuit of international education and encouraging global collaborations for the University community and the Commonwealth.
To meets its mission OIA houses several units:
International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)
ISSS supports more than 1,500 international students and scholars attending the University of Kentucky by providing:
- Immigration advising and assisting with travel documents, permission to work, transfers and extensions of stay
- Social programs and activities that help students make new friends and learn about life on campus
- Opportunities for community involvement through activities such as helping with language translation, and teaching children through the International Classroom Program.
Education Abroad (EA)
Education Abroad facilitates high-quality, academically sound and experientially rich study abroad, research abroad, and intern abroad programs for UK students. EA also oversees international student exchange programming with our partner universities around the world, and all other international experiences, including non-credit bearing programming.
The EA team has extensive professional experience in international education programming and strives to offer insightful guidance, on-going orientation and on-going support to any student considering or planning an education abroad experience.
Community Outreach & Engagement
OIA’s Community Outreach & Engagement office promotes cross-cultural education, as well as involvement with Kentucky’s international community. Projects and presentations are designed to meet the needs of various groups, from school classrooms to Habitat for Humanity to the YMCA.
The office also coordinates the International Hospitality Program which promotes partnerships between the Lexington community and international students. The program gives international students a culturally rich experience outside the classroom and offers local residents the opportunity to make international friends.
The Confucius Institute
The Confucius Institute provides leadership, support and coordination for Chinese language and programs in K-12 schools and UK’s campus; establishes and maintains faculty and student exchange with Shanghai University's College of Fine Arts; conducts Chinese language and
cultural exchange; and promotes education about China throughout Kentucky.
The Asia Center
The Asia Center provides leadership and coordination for Asian Studies at UK and promotes formal and informal education about Asia throughout Kentucky by:
- Publicizing Asia-related programs and events and raising awareness of and interest in Asia
- Supporting the creation of new opportunities to learn about Asia, including an interdisciplinary curriculum in Asian Studies
- Encouraging and supporting research in Asia and Asian Studies, sponsoring events and providing opportunities for local and regional engagement
- And, fostering linkages among UK, the Commonwealth, and institutions and peoples in Asia
International Advisory Council
In Fall 2009 the International Advisory Council was established to guide the global aspects of UK’s Strategic Plan. Their work has led to many successes, including:
- A significant increase in UK's international undergraduate population
- The expansion of a successful and innovative grant with the German Fulbright Commission to create opportunities for the study of diversity in both the German and the US contexts
- Increased funding for Education Abroad scholarships
- Significant work with the Iraqi Education Initiative
- And recognition by the Association of International Education Administrators
Global KY
To highlight these and our many other stories we launched our quarterly newsletter, Global KY. If you have any questions or would like to share your own initiatives please feel free to contact our office at any time.