Another great UCEAP Presents featuring UCEAP alumnae Leslie Gerson and Samantha Ku. If you are thinking about a career in international affairs or if you just want to hear some great conversation featuring two amazing UCEAP alumnae, check out this video!

Leslie Gerson studied abroad with UCEAP in Bordeaux, France, in 1968-69. Hear how her UCEAP experience had a direct impact on her lifelong career in international affairs. Leslie is celebrating 43 years of service with the U.S. Department of State!

Samantha Ku is a 2018 UC Irvine graduate and three-time UCEAP participant. Samantha will be starting her career with the State Department this month. She will talk about how she was able to apply her study abroad experiences and post graduate activities into a successful State Department application and recruitment. Bios for both Leslie and Samantha are available below.

This session of UCEAP Presents was moderated by Ben Read, Professor and Department Chair of Politics, UC Santa Cruz and former UCEAP faculty director for China.

Kum-Kum Bhavnani, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at UCSB and Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement, discussed her sociological research on gender and globalization.

The presentation included scenes from some of her award-winning documentaries.

Thirty years after it was imposed on citizens by a military regime, Chile’s Constitution is up for reform.

Excitement is in the air as Chilean society has never before participated in constitutional writing. Supporters hope the new constitution will retain the gains of the past – including political and economic stability, a certain degree of wellbeing – and address the many challenges: primarily, inequality, poor (and expensive) social services, and widespread distrust in political parties and government institutions. Javiera will describe the recent history that led to this moment, outline what come’s next, and share some reflections on the issues Chileans hope the new constitution will resolve. Watch Javiera's presenation here. 

More than 950 people registered for the first online UCEAP Study Abroad Fair, hosted in October.

Staff from every UCEAP department collaborated to create more than 30 online sessions covering topics like: Study abroad options by location, majors and fields of study, research and field work, funding and scholarships, and safety and support

Virtual information desks were open throughout the fair to answer student questions. Families were welcome to attend, including a session designed specifically for them.

In the late 1980s, Dr. Kluger was directing the university’s Education Abroad Program in Göttingen, Germany,

when she was struck by a bicycle and entered into a coma. When she emerged, her suppressed memories of the Holocaust were unleashed. She went on to write her autobiography, published as “To Continue to Live: A Childhood” in German in 1992 and in English nearly a decade later.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/us/ruth-kluger-dies.html

On May 26, UCEAP announced the suspension of 2020 fall and year programs in all locations due to COVID-19-related public health concerns.

While disappointing, this decision was not made lightly. Concern for the well-being of UC students made this the best choice, and UCEAP is committed to resuming international programs in the future. 

On March 5, the UC Davis community gathered to celebrate globally-engaged faculty, staff, and scholars. Among those honored was faculty director of UCEAP in  Spain, Cristina Martínez-Carazo, who received the Academic Senate’s Excellence in Teaching in Study Abroad award. 

Professor Martínez-Carazo has been  teaching and directing study abroad programs in Spain for over 20 years. During this time, she developed innovative and popular programs that have benefited thousands of UC students across majors. The curricula, which she also served as an instructor for, focused on building intercultural competence skills and helping students gain a deeper understanding of Spanish language, culture, and art. A true testament to the impact of her career, her students wrote several letters of support for her nomination for the Excellence in the Teaching of Study Abroad award. Congratulations, Christina!

UCSB Professor Emeritus John Ridland passed away on January 29. Professor Ridland taught for over 40 years at UCSB. A founding faculty of the College of Creative Studies and a professor in the English Department, he specialized in poetry and translation. 

In 1993 he served as a visiting professor at the University of Melbourne and stayed on three years as UCEAP faculty director of programs in Australia. Professor Ridland was beloved by all who knew him for his warm and approachable manner, thought-provoking lessons, passion for poetry, and sense of humor. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues around the world. 

Systemwide office, partner and field, and campus staff have been working hard to ensure that all students return home safely and are integrated back into their home campus. 

Over 1,600 students from spring and year programs, and another 2,300 from upcoming summer programs, have been impacted by program suspensions. Each student has unique problems to be addressed, and their academic and financial needs can vary according to whether they are from a quarter or semester campus, as well as how far into their UCEAP program they’d progressed by the suspension date. Staff continue to work closely with the registrars and financial aid officers to hold UCEAP students harmless; we successfully negotiated more favorable terms with insurance providers.

We will continue in the coming days and months to do our utmost to support our students, their families, and the entire UC community through this uncertainty.

Please join in welcoming Professor John Frankl as new program director/ liaison professor of UCEAP's Seoul Study Center.

John is a professor of Korean and Comparative Literature at Yonsei University. He started studying Korean in 1987 while at UC Berkeley and spent his junior year abroad. In addition to being fluent in Korean, John is also a skilled martial artist with a black belt in jiu jitsu. He enjoyed his time in Korea and at Yonsei so much that he returned to Korea immediately after graduation and enrolled in the Department of Korean Language and Literature to earn an MA in modern Korean fiction. After completing his PhD at Harvard and a postdoctoral fellowship at Berkeley, he returned to Korea where he has been a faculty member at Yonsei University for fifteen years. In considering his new role, John states: "My experiences during my UCEAP year abroad informed and transformed my life in so many positive ways that I could not have imagined or predicted at the time. I look forward to doing all I can to make sure the same is true for all current and future participants in this wonderful and meaningful program.” 

Sign up for our monthly giving program and receive a free UCEAP t-shirt.

Giving just $5-10 each month is an easy way to make a significant contribution over the year and help UC students study abroad. UCEAP alumna and student intern Leslie Hernandez pictured in the new UCEAP T-Shirt. Sign up today!

In August 2019, UC Merced saw its 1,000th student study abroad. This milestone represents a culmination of enduring and dedicated efforts to bring international education opportunities to Merced, California.

 
Just 13 short years ago, the first Bobcat participated in a UCEAP program. UC Merced’s first UCEAP participants, in true Bobcat pioneering spirit, forged their path to study abroad without the same level of support students enjoy today. It wasn't until spring 2008 that UC Merced hired the founding International Affairs staff member. Since then, the campus has steadily expanded access to an ever more diverse student population, sending growing percentages of first-generation and Latinx students. 

The Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce is looking for top students or graduates to join Swedish companies for training programs up to 18 months.

Sweden is home to many high tech andinnovative companies such as Spotify and Skypeand offers a vibrant start-up scene. We offer traineeships in business and technology companies. Click link to find our more about this opportunity or to submit your application today!

UCEAP cordially invites you to join us at our annual UCEAP Alumni Awards Celebration dinner and program featuring 2019 UCEAP Emerging Leader Award Recipients Justin Hinton and Justin Yee.

Justin Hinton is the Weekend Morning Anchor and Reporter for News 13 in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a 2016 winner of the National Associate of Television Arts and Sciences Southeast Emmy Award for Live News Reporting, and a 2019 Regional Murrow Award winner. He has covered big stories including Hurricanes Maria and Matthew from the Carolinas and Harvey in Southeast Texas, the Emmanuel AME Church shooting, riots in Charlotte following an officer-involved shooting, and historic flooding in Columbia. Born and raised in San Diego, Justin graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Mass Communications. He is a proud member of the National Associate of Black Journalists. Justin studied abroad with UCEAP in Egypt and Korea, and credits the footage he shot in both locations with helping him get his first job in journalism.

 Justin Yee is an emerging leader in environmental conservation and public lands management. He began his career with the National Park Service in 2014 as a vegetation intern for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. After graduating from UCLA (Class ’15) with a B.S. in Biology, he served as a biological science technician leading habitat restoration, native plant nursery, volunteer stewardship, youth training, and native seed banking programs in partnership with Los Angeles-based non-profits. Since 2016, he has coordinated the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a coalition of agencies, NGO’s, academia, and community organizations whose common goal is to revitalize and restore the Los Angeles River. Now working as a management assistant for the Santa Monica Mountains, he coordinates post-Wooley Fire recovery projects. 

We hope to see you at the event!

University of California students enhanced their education this year by discovering the world and themselves through study abroad. They built bonds and their confidence.

 They made dreams their daily reality. They learned to trust and connect. They became seekers and adventurers.

Collectively, more than 350 UC students who studied abroad in 36 countries shared moments of friendship, belonging, discovery, and self-acceptance from their time abroad in 2018. Each represented the kind of experience UCEAP hopes every student will have. Check out their Meaningful Moments. 

UCEAP celebated 50 years of exchange with Hebrew University in a series of October events in Jerusalem.

Current students and alumni enjoyed a fun Paint n' Sip event in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the old city, a lecture on "New Forces Affecting Israeli Society" by Dr. Meron Medzini, and a wonderful dinner on campus in celebration of this important milestone. Our time together allowed us to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. A big thank you to our colleagues at Hebrew University for their help in organizing the events. 

This past October, UCEAP celebrated 50 years of exchange in a gala reception at La Casa de la Universidad de California en México.

The event was hosted by Vivian-Lee Nyitray, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of UCEAP, and included remarks by Gloria Ornelas, Director of Exchange and Student Mobility at the Unversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), as well as Allert Brown-Gort, Executive Director of the Casa de California. UCEAP alumnus Diego Zarazoga Tejas (UCLA, UNAM 1999) and Brenda de Jesus Acosta (UCSC, UNAM 2018) spoke about their experiences studying in Mexico City through UCEAP. Karen Mead, Program Director of UCEAP Programs in Latin America, was the emcee. UCEAP also honored Verónica Tellez for her 25 years of service at the UCEAP Study Center in Mexico City.We look forward to another 50 years with our partners in Mexico!

Hallam C. Shorrock, Jr., a former missionary to East Asia with a long career in international education, passed away in Claremont, CA, on August 8th.

Shorrock, with his wife Helen (d. 2001), was one of the first American missionaries allowed into Japan during the US occupation. His service in postwar Japan was recognized in 1954 by the Emperor of Japan. In 1961, he was awarded a Public Welfare Medal by the President of South Korea. From 1963 to 1969, Shorrock was vice president for financial affairs at Tokyo's International Christian University (ICU). From 1970 until 1986 he served as the first associate director of the University of California Education Abroad Program and adjunct lecturer in Japanese history and culture at UCSB. In 1985 he co-edited Dimensions of International Higher Education with William Allaway. The next year, he was invited to return to ICU as special assistant to the president and dean of international affairs. For many years, Shorrock has been supporting UCEAP scholarships that help even more students experience an international education. He will be missed by countless friends and colleagues around the world.
Shorrock's memorial will take place in Claremont, CA on Saturday, September 29, 2018. See memorial details and read more about Shorrock's impressive life story on legacy.com. 

The UCEAP family offers sincere condolences to family, friends and colleagues of Professor Steven Botterill, who passed away on Saturday, May 5th, with his husband, Craig Davidson, at his side.

The news brings great sadness to those of us who worked with Steven during his time as UCEAP’s Italy Faculty Director. His dedication to the academic success and well-being of UCEAP students, and his commitment to the program in Bologna were exceptional. He was an outstanding guardian of academic excellence and a pleasure to work with. His dry wit and amusing observations about life in Italy enlivened his communications with staff, who remember him with respect and fondness. We are grateful for Steven’s longtime support for study abroad and his service to UCEAP. He twice chaired the Academic Senate’s review of UCEAP's programs in Italy (2003 and 2013) and he also served on the UCEAP Faculty Advisory Committee for Italy for a number of years. As recently as January, he indicated he wanted to be kept in the loop about developments in the program. We extend our deepest sympathy to all of Steven’s colleagues at UC Berkeley.

UCEAP is pleased to announce that the Institute for Mexicans Abroad has awarded matching grants to support scholarships for Mexican and Mexican-origin students from UCLA and UCR. These awards, managed by the Consulates of Mexico in Los Angeles and San Bernardino, will support students who go abroad through UCEAP in summer and fall 2018.

UCEAP is excited to introduce the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Awardees Monique Kovacs Nathan and Christine Liboon. 

018 Linda Duttenhaver Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient - Monique Kovacs Nathan

Monique is an International Volunteer Coordinator who has established lasting connections between maternal and child welfare non-profits in Nepal and the U.S., including Pushpa Basnet’s Early Childhood Development Center, One Heart World-Wide, Next Generation Nepal, and BlinkNow/Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School. She manages internship placement for international volunteers, and coordinated relief efforts after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. In addition, she successfully crowdfunded and currently manages a pilot program to provide nursing scholarships for disadvantaged young women from rural Nepal. Monique is also a professional photographer and business owner, who has collaborated with organizations in Nepal for product development in sustainable fashion and to promote the #MadeInNepal brand and campaign. She received a U.S. Department of State Professional Development Fellowship grant for photography in 2011. Monique received her B.A. in Political Science from UC San Diego, and spent two years abroad with UCEAP in Italy (University of Padua and University of Bologna). She later received her M.Sc. in Government from the London School of Economics. Monique is fluent in Italian and Spanish

2018 UCEAP Emerging Leader Award Recipient - Christine Liboon 
Christine is the Employment Services Coordinator for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in San Diego. She coordinates the Vocational ESL Plus Program for nearly 500 refugees every year, many newly arrived from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She started with IRC four years ago as an instructor in the VESL instructor, and has taught English to over 450 adult refugees. She works in San Diego, home to a large resettled population, to educate the greater community about the barriers faced by people forced to leave their homes due to war and violence and shape a more positive understanding of what it means to be a refugee. She has also advocated for enhancing trauma informed care processes within the IRC programs. In addition, Christine volunteers with the United Nations Association of San Diego, and has worked as an interviewer and evaluator for non-profits conducting evaluations of educational organizations. Christine received her B.A. in Ethnic Studies from UC Riverside, and she spent a semester abroad with UCEAP at the University of Santo Tomás, in Concepción, Chile. She received her CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in Barcelona in 2012, and speaks Spanish, Castellano, and Tagalog.

In 1995, Bill and Olivia Allaway wrote to UC president Richard Atkinson to announce their generous gift and plans for the creation of the Bill and Olivia Allaway Scholarship Fund.

Starting with the 1996-97 year, the fund would generate scholarships of up to $3,000 for UCEAP Reciprocity (inbound) students. Amongst the first recipients were students from the University of Bordeaux, France; University of Bergen, Norway; University of Stirling, Scotland; and University of Sussex, England.

By the mid-90’s, what started in 1962 with a group of UC students attending the University of Bordeaux, had become the well-recognized UC systemwide exchange program. In his response to the Allaways, President Atkinson said, “Your work with the Education Abroad Program is widely acclaimed for having established unparalleled opportunities for UC students in both academic programs and international understanding. The new program you envision raises understanding and opportunities to a new and significant level.”
From that inaugural year through 2017-18, over 80 Reciprocity students have benefited from a full or partial Allaway Scholarship. 

“Thank you so much for the opportunity to study at the University of California. This is quite a surreal experience for me, a few years ago I was working terrible bar jobs and had underwhelming life prospects, and now I am studying in Berkeley. I’m a Mathematics student and studying here, at one of the best universities in the world, is something I feel very lucky to be able to do. Thanks again for giving me this opportunity.” - Conor Osborne, University of Sussex, 2017-18 scholarship recipient.

Read more about the legacy of Bill and Olivia Allaway and learn about the UCEAP Memorial Scholarship funding student scholarships in their honor.  

UCEAP is proud to announce the launch of UCEAP Connect, a website for UCEAP alumni and friends.

UCEAP Connect will focus on four different professional engagement and networking opportunities. Find and reminisce with fellow alumni, become a mentor for a student or young professional, stay informed about UCEAP programs and volunteer opportunities and expand your professional network. Over 1,000 alumni and friends have joined. Log on and start connecting!

UCEAP is proud to announce Julie Osborn (Costa Rica 1991) as the 2017 recipient of the Linda Duttenhaver Distinguished Alumni Award, and Jeremy Hessler (United Kingdom 2005-2006) as the 2017 recipient of the UCEAP Emerging Leader Award.

Both alumni were honored at the annual UCEAP Alumni Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 22, held at UC Santa Barbara.Julie is the co-founder of Ecology Project International, an education non-profit that empowers youth to take an active role in conservation through hands-on field science. The program engages both local and international high school students, who come together to work collaboratively. More than 30,000 students across five countries have participated in EPI’s science and conservation programs. Julie participated in the Tropical Biology & Conservation program at the Monteverde Institute in Costa Rica, and graduated from UC Santa Barbara.Jeremy is a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, representing the United States in environmental law cases that involve endangered species and other wildlife. He also counsels federal agencies on how to best comply with environmental statutes in carrying out their missions. Jeremy studied at the Queen Mary, University of London in the United Kingdom, and graduated from UC Riverside.Julie and Jeremy both gave acceptance speeches, and shared lessons from their time abroad. Check out pictures from the event here. Congratulations to Julie and Jeremy for their outstanding contributions to their respective career fields, and for being leaders and great examples for current and future UCEAP students!

Did you join the Peace Corps after college? We want to hear from you. UCEAP is looking for alumni who are willing to be a mentor to UC students interested in the Peace Corps. Send an email to alumni@eap.ucop.edu today!

Sierra Schwellenbachm, a junior from UC Santa Barbara studying Computer Science, grew up playing basketball, and dreamed to one day play professionally.

Her dream has now come true in England! Sierra is spending the academic year at the University of Manchester. She joined the University’s basketball team shortly after arriving in the UK. She has since been recruited to play for the Manchester Mystics, a team in the Women’s British Basketball League. The Mystics’ games have been featured on BBC Sport, and the team won the WBBL Cup earlier this year! Sierra says, “I am so grateful for this experience. It has changed how I view the world and made me a more confident, aware person.” Congratulations to Sierra and her teammates on their victory!

While studying abroad in London with UCEAP, UC students have the unique opportunity to be mentored by one of the accomplished members of the expansive UC Alumni UK network.

Each mentorship pair is matched based on shared academic backgrounds and professional interests, and students have the opportunity to make international connections and ask questions about everything from living abroad to formatting resumés.This fall, UCLA alumna Celina Gorre mentored fellow Bruin and UCEAP participant Victoria Li, and the two bonded over their mutual passion for public health. Victoria shared that her participation in the UK Alumni Mentorship Program was one of the highlights of her semester abroad at King’s College London, explaining that “through this experience, I have found inspiration to pursue my goals in the healthcare industry. Not only were we able to discuss some questions I had regarding her work, but also talk about my path and my next steps as someone interested in medicine.”You can learn more about the UK Alumni Mentorship Program and read student reflections on the program on the UCEAP UK & Ireland blog

Share your story! The first 25 people who submit their alumni story will receive a UCEAP t-shirt! Your story of your time abroad with UCEAP may be featured on our blog and in a future newsletter! T-shirts are also available for purchase for $20, which includes a $10 donation to the UCEAP Guardian Scholars Fund 

On October 22, more than 150 UCEAP alumni and friends came together for a reunion at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. The reception recognized 50 years of study abroad exchange with Lund University in Sweden.

Hsiu-Zu Ho, UCEAP Associate Dean and Eva Wiberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Lund University, spoke about the value of international education and the impact of the partnership between UCEAP and Lund University. Lund University Foundation Board Member Robert Resnick (Sweden 1971-72) shared stories from his time abroad and encouraged attendees to join the celebrations in Sweden. Event photos available here.  

Join us April 5-8, 2017 for a series of 50th anniversary events. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

UCEAP is pleased to announce the winners of the 2015-16 Internship Awards.

The Internship Awards program recognizes exceptional students who have completed internships while on UCEAP. The 2015-16 winners are Tatiana Ferreyra- Brazil (UC Berkeley), Jaqueline Puliatti- Ghana (UC Santa Cruz), Cian Cardenas- China (UC Santa Cruz), Hannah Stroud- Spain (UC San Diego), and Dahhee Kim- Italy (UCLA). Read more. 

Last month, over 30 current UCEAP students and 100 UC alumni had the opportunity to meet at events held in Beijing and Shanghai. In addition to courses at Chinese partner universities and Chinese language study, UCEAP supports our students through internships and other service learning opportunities. Our UC alumni abroad are instrumental in creating internship opportunities for our students.

8&Beijing speakers included UCEAP alumni Addison Yang (UCLA, China 2015), Andy Zhang (UC Berkeley, Korea 2010) and James Flanagan from TEDXBeijing. In Shanghai, UCEAP alumnus Jason Chang from DLA Piper Law (UC Berkeley, China 2001) and France Lin from The Walt Disney Company (UCLA 2011), shared opportunties for students to participate in internships at their respective companies. A big thank you to our alumni for making these events a success and to our study center teams in Beijing and Shanghai for the planning and support of these events.

This past May, UCEAP students Betty Nguyen, UCLA (second from left) and Savannah Berkley, UC Berkeley (second from right), along with other University of Cape Town students, attended an intimate service with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  

Since his retirement in 1996, local congregants and international visitors gather for small and intimate services with the “Arch” and Father Michael Weeder, the Anglican Dean of St. George’s. Betty and Savannah were welcomed by the Arch and asked to say where they are from and their reasons for visiting the city. Prayers were then offered for those suffering in events unfolding in the world. The services offer an hour of peace, love, warmth and worship. These early morning services in the presence of the Arch and the people who attend are a good and timely reminder of his words, “Despite the ghastliness in the world, human beings are made for goodness. The ones that are held in high regard are not militarily powerful or even economically prosperous. They have a commitment to try and make the world a better place.”

STA is giving back to UCEAP.  This summer, three UCEAP students were selected to receive a $1,000 STA Start the Adventure Scholarship.

Read more about our parternship with STA.

On March 11, 2011 at 2:46 p.m, Japan's most powerful earthquake hit the Asia Pacific. The quake was followed by a devastating tsunami, with waves as high as 130 feet. The country was further devastated by damage to the reactors at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that forced nearly 100,000 residents to evacuate. These three compounding disasters left UCEAP with a complex and challenging task.

The new academic term had not yet begun and UC students were scheduled to depart for Japan in a week. There were also 77 UC students midway through their year-long study in Japan.  Their scattered whereabouts were not readily known that afternoon, as it also happened to be spring break in Japan. 

The work that followed is well documented in the NAFSA International Educator March-April 2012 article entitled Overcoming Chaos by Christopher Cornell. The article highlights UCEAP, providing quotes from a UCSB student in her University of Tohoku lab at the time of earthquake, photos of two UC students from Sendai and UCEAP Japan staff subsequently gathered together in Tokyo, and citing the myriad challenges faced by UCEAP and other international programs operating in Japan.   Within days all UCEAP students were located (with one far away visiting family in the Philippines, many traveling throughout Japan or Southeast Asia,  a few who had returned home to visit family and friends in California, with two up in Sendai at school).  The US Department of State issued a Travel Warning and the UC Office of the President suspended travel to Japan.  The UCEAP International Health, Safety and Emergency Response Director worked with the UC assistance providers to schedule emergency evacuations for all students from their locations back to the U.S..  Within weeks, the Tokyo Study Center staff visited all student housing through Japan, cleaned the students’ residences and packed personal items for shipment to a UCSB warehouse from which UCEAP staff shipped the belongings to students’ addresses in the U.S.

UCEAP suspended all programming in Japan for the spring term 2011.  After a careful assessment and many security briefings, a quick and informed decision was made to support student safety and to provide time to assess the situation in all partner locations.  Students scheduled to depart from California were required to cancel their plans to study abroad; those already in Japan were not offered continued study in Japan.  Japanese students studying as part of the UCEAP reciprocal exchange continued their studies in California.  Japanese partner institutions were gracious, understanding and helpful in accommodating the UCEAP decision to support UC students’ health and safety.

A slow resumption of operations in Japan started the following year.  Initially student interest was cautious but enrollment was better a full year following the earthquake—spring 2012-- when more was known about the extent of the impact on infrastructure and the health of citizens, students, their families and UC gained confidence.  

In the five years since this disaster, continued gains have been made.  New options have been developed with Japanese partners.  A beginning Japanese language summer program and summer lab research program at Osaka University, a spring trimester (quarter) and spring plus internship semester programs at International Christian University, a spring semester at Hitotsubashi University and revamped summer lab sciences program at the University of Tokyo augment the many offerings already available. 

The UCEAP International Health, Safety and Emergency Response (IER) Team and the UCEAP Japan staff are to be applauded for the diligence and service that has been, and continues to be provided in the face of such challenges, extensive program locations, ongoing global events, and changes in study abroad.  The University of California Education Abroad Program is one of the few institutions in the country with an office dedicated to international health, safety and emergency related to UCEAP programming around the world. Health, safety and emergency response at UCEAP follows a team approach, which includes local staff, staff in California, the students and UCEAP assistance providers.  The UCEAP robust emergency preparedness, response, and contingency plans are continuously reviewed and updated after every major incident.  The UCEAP IER Team maintains the highest standards of service through staff training, best practices within the field, and 24/7 global monitoring and assessment of UCEAP programming around the world. UCEAP is able to provide the highest quality of care, oversight, and due diligence in UCEAP operations both in California and abroad.  

Looking back, UCEAP Japan started in 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics, when the initial exchange cohort of twenty UCEAP students came to study in a small liberal arts college in the suburb of Tokyo. Just as the 1964 Tokyo summer games marked the first Olympic ceremonies in Asia, UCEAP’s partnership with our Japanese host institutions is considered to be the first student exchange agreement in Asia with a U.S. institution of higher learning. And now, more than 50 years after the first UCEAP cohort arrived in Japan, and five years following the temporary suspension of our programs, everyone feels the buzz and excitement in the air as UCEAP anticipates our strongest ever enrollment in programs in Japan, just as Japan is gearing up to host its second summer Olympics in 2020. Continuing both tradition and innovation, this is surely an indication that international education goes hand in hand with international competition and friendship.

In Brokie's Way, David Brokensha recalls his time with UCEAP as two of the most pleasant years of his career.  He and his life companion, Bernard Riley, lived in a flat in Kennington and traveled extensively around the UK visiting students and UCEAP university partners. His memoir is a wonderful story of love and work in Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.

To continue reading, click here. 

Newly appointed Associate Vice Provost & Executive Director of UCEAP,Vivian-Lee Nyitray, shares her memories of study abroad, her hopes for the flagship program of the University of California, and advice for students considering their own international experience. 

To watch her video message, click here. 

Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director Vivian-Lee Nyitray began her position at UCEAP in January.  Following +20 years as a Professor of Religious Studies at UC Riverside,

including serving as Department Chair, three years as Faculty Director for UCEAP programs in the Netherlands, and as a faculty leader for one of UCEAP's 50th Anniversary summer programs in 2012, Vivan is uniquely prepared to offer her leadership and vision to move UCEAP forward. Most recently, Vivian was Founding Dean (Chief Academic Officer) for the Prospect Colleges in China, which includes two sister liberal arts and science colleges in Shanxi Province. Vivian says, "I am delighted to return to UC and UCEAP. I look forward to working with campus leaders and international partners to make a variety of study abroad oportunities an accessible reality for all UC students. The world awaits!"

Dear Colleagues, Alumni and Friends of UCEAP.  With my term as director of UCEAP ending on December 31st, I wanted to write and thank you for your support and guidance over the past five years.With record enrollments and in strong financial health, UCEAP is poised to continue to be a leader and an innovator in international education.

 Now fully self-funded, equipped with a sound business model and a powerful strategic plan, we have come a long way in the implementation of our vision of study abroad for all, academic excellence and best business practices, and UCEAP is sustainable for the foreseeable future.

I take wonderful memories from my tenure at UCEAP, mostly because it meant working with special people like you, and for the international education of University of California and our partners’ students. Visiting with UC students while abroad and witnessing the impact of their study abroad experience was always a highlight; so was signing off on scholarship awards to hundreds of students every year.

However, my time at UCEAP was not without its challenges or even tragic events. It was marred by the death of UC Berkeley student Jasmine Jahanshahi in an accidental fire while studying at Sciences Po in Paris, the loss of longtime colleague and friend Carmen Usobiaga from our Madrid Study Center, the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the political unrest in Egypt, the Chile earthquake in 2014, and more recently, the terrorist attacks in Paris. However, in every instance, the preparedness, professionalism, resiliency and compassion of UCEAP staff were reassuring, comforting, gratifying, and frankly, overwhelming.

I take great pride in the team we have assembled at our Systemwide Office in Goleta and in our study centers abroad, as well as the relationships we have developed and nurtured with our colleagues on UC campuses. Often the product of study abroad themselves, our staff is simply top-notch! And we have been blessed with the active involvement of many outstanding UC Faculty. While I embrace the unique strength and identity of each of our UC campuses, I am a firm believer in the value of a systemwide academic program like UCEAP, and I embrace the principles of shared governance we have in place at the UC. I am grateful to both UCEAP’s Governing Committee and to the UC Academic Senate Committee on International Education for helping us to chart the right course for UCEAP.

To our alumni and friends, thank you for your support of our students and UCEAP. Your contribution to our scholarship review process, your participation in UCEAP 50th Anniversaries in California and around the world, your provision of internships and networking opportunities to our students, and your philanthropy are making a huge difference. Please continue to be actively engaged with UCEAP. My UCEAP colleagues and I are thrilled with the appointment of Professor and Dean Vivian-Lee Nyitray as UCEAP’s next Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director. Please join me in welcoming her (back) to UCEAP and in wishing her great success.

Thank you for the privilege to serve in this position since 2010, and for the opportunity to meet and work with so many of you across the UC System and around the world.
My best wishes for a happy holiday season and a great new year!
Jean-Xavier Guinard
Associate Vice Provost & Executive Director

The 50th Anniversary events concluded with a large gala dinner at Gibson Hall in London. UCEAP alumni, staff, current students, host university partner liaisons and other guests mingled at a drinks reception before entering the great hall for a buffet dinner of gnocchi, beef bourguignon and chocolate mousse. 

 After dinner thought-provoking speeches were given by Professor Susan Carlson, Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Programs at the UC Office of the President, Tina Takegi, an officer in the economic section at the U.S. Embassy in London and an alumna of UC Berkeley, Trisha Rassatt, the president of the UC Alumni UK Board and a UC San Diego alumna, and Sophia Crisafulli, a current UCEAP Promise Award scholarship recipient studying at King’s College London from UC Santa Barbara. Afterwards, guests took part in a fun and challenging pub quiz, testing their knowledge about England and California.
These events were a fantastic way for all those either currently or previously involved with UCEAP to celebrate the UC system’s long standing relationship with the UK and its Partner Institutions. UCEAP alumni enjoyed reminiscing about their time abroad and current UCEAP UK University students saw what the future might hold for study abroad students.  Here’s to the next 50 years!

This past October, UCEAP celebrated 50 years of study abroad partnership between UC and the United Kingdom. Over a week of celebrations were scheduled in commemoration of this major milestone.  

Click here to view photos from all of the events.
On Saturday, October 10th over 150 alumni, faculty, staff, university partner liaisons, and current UCEAP students gathered at the Hub, a beautiful venue on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland. The evening started with a drinks reception, and guests were then served a delicious three-course meal of haggis, chicken, and strawberry cheesecake. Professor Michael Cowan, Former UCEAP Acting Executive Director and UK Study Center Director hosted the evening festivities.  After dinner guests heard speeches given by UCEAP alumnus Thomas Seale and Susan Wilson, US Consul General in Edinburgh.  Finally students, alumni and partner liaisons all took part in a ceilidh, a fun and somewhat chaotic traditional Gaelic dance before the evening finished at midnight.

UCEAP hosted an alumni reunion event at UCSF’s Mission Bay Conference Center on August 29. Over 120 alumni attended the evening reception in celebration of 50 years of exchange with the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.

UCEAP alumni Ambassador (Ret) Barbara Bodine (Hong Kong) and 2013 Nobel Laureate Dr. Randy Schekman (Scotland) spoke to the audience about their time abroad and the impact it had on their very successful careers. Recent returnee, Kamaal Thomas, also shared about his year spent in Hong Kong.

Attendees had the chance to catch up with old friends, learn about current programs, and hear about ways to support future students through scholarship donations. Photos from the event are available online and videos of the speakers will be uploaded shortly.

We are already making plans for our 50th anniversary of programs in Sweden, tentatively scheduled for October 2016 at UCLA! Stay tuned….

This year we are celebrating our 50th year of academic partnership between UCEAP and Hong Kong.  Several events commemorating this milestone took place in Hong Kong this past month, including site visits to our Hong Kong partners, an academic roundtable and a 50th celebration in honor of our alumni and students. 

Begun in partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1965, and then expanding to the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, students from these three Hong Kong institutions and from the 10 University of California campuses have enjoyed the opportunity to enroll in classes, engage in campus and community activities, and develop lifelong relationships that benefit not only our institutions but also fortify relations between Hong Kong and the State of California.
Hosted by UCEAP at CUHK, the very successful roundtable focused on sharing strategic initiatives, ideas and innovations currently being undertaken in Hong Kong and California. Prof. Joseph J.Y Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK started the event with a welcome address and Professor Hsiu-Zu Ho, Associate Dean, UCEAP introduced the panelists. The speakers included Dr. Richard T. Armour, Secretary-General, University Grants Committee, Hong Kong, Professor Cindy Fan, Vice Provost for International Studies, UCLA, Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, HKU, Professor Hong Lo, Associate Dean, School of Engineering, HKUST, Mr. Eric Ng, Registrar and Secretary, CUHK, Mr. Paul Turner, East Asia Regional Director, Institute of International Education and Professor Chia-ning Chang, Director, UCEAP in China, UC Davis.  Over 125 faculty, alumni, students and staff attended the event.  At the event, UCEAP presented CUHK with a plaque in honor of our longstanding partnership. 

More than 40 years of dedicated service 

For over forty five years, Carmen Usobiaga was the heart and soul of our study abroad program in Spain. She had been with UCEAP since 1964, the year the program opened. It is impossible to count the number of lives she touched over the years. Students, faculty and staff all benefited from her knowledge, expertise, patience and friendship. With exemplary dedication to our program, Carmen was generous with her time and made a significant impact on everyone who arrived in Madrid. She worked with efficiency, elegance and professionalism. Carmen passed away in 2011, but her egacy will be felt for years to come. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of UCEAP, founding director Bill Allaway wrote to Carmen, "UCEAP could
never have been the success it has been without the loyal support of persons
like you who helped us found the program there in Madrid, and have continued to
share your understanding of Spain and the Spaniards with succeeding generations
of California students."

Carmen was loving and patient with students, friendly and efficient with
administrators, an unconditional partner with teachers, professional with all
of us, and always ready to help. She is deeply missed by all. To read more
about Carmen's legacy and to record your own memories of Carmen on our
commemorative blog, click here.

In recognition of Carmen’s significant contribution to our program, UCEAP is
excited to announce the Carmen Usobiaga Scholarship Fund, an endowed scholarship that will support UCEAP students of exceptional merit and character studying in Spain. We would like to thank all of you who have already committed to supporting this new scholarship fund. To help create a lasting legacy for Carmen, donate online at https://alumni.eap.ucop.edu/carmen or mail your check (payable to UC Regents) to:
Development Office
UCEAP Carmen Usobiaga Scholarship Fund
6950 Hollister Avenue, Suite 200
Goleta, CA 93117

 Thank you! Your gift makes a difference in the lives of students. All gifts to
the UC Regents are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For questions
about giving to UCEAP, contact 805-893-4233. 

Faculty, staff & alumni commemorate major milestone

This past year, UCEAP celebrated 50 years of study abroad partnership between UCEAP and Spain. Four days of events were planned in Madrid from November 5-8, in recognition of this wonderful milestone. In addition to a delegation from the UCEAP system-wide office and UC campus advisors, over 30 alumni from UCEAP Spain programs traveled to Spain to join in the festivities, including 7 from the inaugural 1964-65 cohort.

Alumni arrived in Madrid from all over the United States and Europe. Our first
evening was an alumni reunion dinner set in a beautiful stone cave at Capitan
Alatriste Tavern. Alumni shared wonderful memories from their time spent in
Spain 50 years ago along with a menu of local Madrid favorites. Professor
Stephen Small, current UCEAP study center director in Spain, joined in the
festivities and warmly welcomed the alumni back to Madrid.