International Students

Resources for

International Students

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05

Jun

Join us for an International Potluck Dinner at the International Center! Bring a dish to share and enjoy with others.
June 5, 2025 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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07

Jun

Join us as we learn how to make cherry almond crumble, a type of fruit pie, to welcome in the summer season!
June 7, 2025 2:00pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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29

Jun

English language learners from the UVA international community gather monthly for a casual chat over pizza.
June 29, 2025 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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Nnenna Onyima
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Nnenna Onyima will receive her PhD in French this month, finishing her UVA studies. Originally from Nigeria, she earned her BA in French from Imo State University, Nigeria and her MA in French from the University of Virginia. While at UVA, she participated in the International Student Citizen Leaders Fellowship, a yearlong program which gives international students the opportunity to design and realize a project to support UVA’s international student community.

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Anu Karippal with cityscape in the background
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Anu Karippal is a doctoral student in anthropology studying the relationships between humans and elephants in South Asia. She caught up with UVA Global to discuss her research, her experiences as an international student from India, and her thoughts on relationships between humans and with the more than human world.

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14

May

May 14, 2025 6:00pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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Headshots of Sharifi and Akbarzada
Essay

Afghan artivist Omaid Sharifi and UVA student Samman Akbarzada discuss how they use art to advocate for and with the people of Afghanistan, in the U.S. and abroad.

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Rotunda pillars from below
Essay

University leadership has been monitoring reports of heightened immigration enforcement activity across U.S. campuses in recent weeks, including the cancellation of student visas and the detention and threatened deportation of international students and faculty. We recognize and sympathize with the alarm and anxiety that many of you experience when witnessing the sudden detention and threatened deportation of international students, scholars, and faculty.

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Akbarzada in a black hijab and maroon leather jacket
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Samman Akbarzada is a second-year student double majoring in political philosophy, policy and law (PPL) and English literature (APPW), with a minor in urban planning. Like for many students, coming to the University of Virginia was a lonely experience for her at times before finding her community. Unlike many students, she faced that difficulty 7,000 miles from home after fleeing as a political refugee. 

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25

Apr

April 25, 2025 2:00pm
The Contemplative Commons at UVA
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Magnolia tree in bloom on Grounds
Essay

Ambassador Steve Mull, Vice Provost for Global Affairs, celebrates UVA’s international community of nearly 2500 students and scholars and hundreds more in our faculty and staff. This community stands as a remarkable source of strength and vibrancy in our student life, research progress, and community service.

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Jefferson stature in front of Rotunda with fluffy snow on the ground
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Ambassador Steve Mull, Vice Provost for Global Affairs, affirms UVA's commitment to global experiences, despite a rapid cascade of executive orders and other policy changes from the federal government over the past several weeks.

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09

Feb

English language learners from the UVA international community gather monthly for a casual chat over pizza.
February 9, 2025 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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29

Jan

Join us for the Polyglot Social to practice languages, share your own, and connect with fellow enthusiasts. Snacks provided!
January 29, 2025 5:00pm
New Cabell Hall - Language Commons
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03

Jan

Join us at the International Center for an International Potluck to celebrate the new year!
January 3, 2025 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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05

Jan

English language learners, join us for a casual chat over pizza!
January 5, 2025 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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14

Jan

English language learners gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center.
January 14, 2025 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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side view of a Lawn pavilion
Essay

This fall, the University of Virginia welcomed 416 students from India to Grounds, a significant increase from previous years and part of a larger trend in international education in the US.

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Two students dance on a podium, one holds a microphone
Essay

The Graduate and Professional Students of Africa (GAPSA) hosted its inaugural ball and awards ceremony this month. Founded just two years ago as part of the International Student Citizen Leader Fellowship, GAPSA began as “a small, informal gathering of African graduate students sharing food and fellowship in their apartments during the pandemic,” said Nnenna Onyima, a Nigerian PhD candidate in French and GAPSA’s founder. Today, GAPSA is a registered CIO with over 100 members and a six-member Executive Board representing diverse programs across Grounds.

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Omokolade Omigbule headshot
Essay

Omokolade Omigbule is a third-year anthropology doctoral student and an interdisciplinary doctoral fellow in Indigenous studies at the University of Virginia. He is a budding Black Atlantic archaeologist from Osun state, southwest Nigeria. In this interview, he discusses his journey into archaeology and his hopes to empower communities through history, and the importance of open-mindedness in the pursuit of knowledge and cross-cultural connection.

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19

Dec

For students in the Charlottesville area and on Grounds, please join us for an Open House at Carr's Hill.
December 19, 2024 12:00pm
Carr's Hill
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08

Dec

Join us for a casual chat over pizza! This is a great way to practice English conversation and meet other members of our community.
December 8, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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10

Dec

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
December 10, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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Global Week tent in front of Peabody Hall, framed by fall foliage
Essay

With a robust lineup of over 30 events, this year’s Global Week engaged students, faculty, and staff in learning and celebrating UVA’s global connections and featured an exciting range of activities, including panels, cultural showcases, and information sessions.

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17

Nov

Join us for a casual chat over pizza! This is a great way to practice English conversation and meet other members of our community.
November 17, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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08

Oct

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
October 8, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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15

Oct

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
October 15, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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22

Oct

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
October 22, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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29

Oct

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
October 29, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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05

Nov

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
November 5, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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12

Nov

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
November 12, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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19

Nov

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
November 19, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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03

Dec

Participants gather weekly on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm for informal conversation at the International Center, September 10 - December 3.
December 3, 2024 5:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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01

Nov

Drop in and enjoy a featured drink from around the world! We will have board games, puzzles, snacks, and space to relax and connect with others.
November 1, 2024 5:00pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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Hang Nguyen standing with hands on her hips in front of brick walkway and grass
Essay

Hang Nguyen is a third-year PhD student in Statistics and a former Citizen Leader Fellow (2022-2023). For her Citizen Leader Fellowship project, she set out to understand the disproportionate number of Honor reports among international students and conducted a year-long ethnographic study on international students’ perceptions of academic integrity. This project paved the way to her ongoing advocacy and involvement in Honor. She is originally from Vietnam and went to high school and college in North Carolina.

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07

Jul

Join us for a teatime cooking class where a volunteer will teach us how to make chai and pakodas, a type of gram flour fritter often enjoyed alongside an aromatic cup of chai. Space is limited.
July 7, 2024 2:00pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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13

Jul

Join us for a Bollywood dance class led by a volunteer at the International Center! Learn some new moves and have some fun moving to bollywood beats. Space is limited.
July 13, 2024 5:00pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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15

Sep

Join us in the International Center's backyard for a catered picnic to honor the memory of Mary Ellen Brown. Bring your family, friends, and outdoor games.
September 15, 2024 3:30pm
Lorna Sundberg International Center
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CLF students
Essay

The International Student Citizen Fellowship is celebrating its third successful year of student-led, community-focused projects. The fellowship, which started in 2021, encourages and enables international students, student-athletes, and transfer students to play a leading role in making UVA a place where their communities can thrive. “We provide students with a set of tools to carry out an original community building project which grows out of their experiences, interests, and values,” international student and scholar advisor Caren Freeman said.
 

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Alotaibi presenting at ASU
Essay

This spring, Abdulelah Alotaibi completes his MA in Linguistics in the department of Anthropology. Originally from Saudi Arabia, he first came to the United States in 2014 on a Fulbright Language Teaching Assistantship. He spent that year teaching Arabic at the University of Maine and came back from 2018-2019 to participate in a one-year exchange program for Saudi teachers, Building Leadership for Change through School Immersion, at Arizona State University. Alotaibi chatted with UVA Global on his varied experiences in the U.S., his teaching, and his plans for the future.

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17

May

May 17, 2024 10:00am
Hotel A, West Range at UVA
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Pieter Giliomee in Graduation Regalia
Essay

Pieter Giliomee is graduating with M.S. in the McIntire School of Commerce this year. In a conversation with UVA Global, he shares his international background, his reasons for choosing UVA, and his plans for the future.