UAlbany Celebrates International Education Week and IIE Open Doors Seal of Excellence
Don't miss the ISSS Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
Happy International Education Week (IEW) 2024
Each third week of November, the US Department of Education and US Department of State promotes International Education Week (IEW) to be celebrated across the country at universities, colleges and even K-12 learning institutions.
This year, the Center of International Education and Global Strategy (CIEGS) is hosting and advertising an array of activities and events to highlight countries, cultures and peoples around the world.
Explore UAlbany's IEW events below:
When: 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, November 16, 2024
Where: Campus Center Auditorium, Uptown Campus
What: Join us for an enchanting evening as we celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Get ready for a night filled with color, joy and festive spirit! Bring your friends, family and anyone ready to share in the magic of this beautiful tradition. Here’s what you can look forward to:
- Traditional Delicacies: Savor authentic treats and dishes to celebrate the flavors of India.
- Music & Dance: Enjoy a lively mix of traditional and contemporary beats!
- Guest Performance by Albany Dhol Tasha Pathak: Brace yourselves for an electrifying drumming performance.
- Dazzling Decor: Immerse yourself in the ambiance of Diwali with beautiful lighting and vibrant decor.
Purchase Diwali Celebration tickets. Presented by the Indian Student Association.
Want to discuss work visa options after OPT or the process for applying for a green card? Art Serratelli, an immigration lawyer from Serratelli-Mijal, will be available to help during three upcoming events.
One-on-One Consultations
- When: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, November 18, and Tuesday, November 19, 2024
- Where: Zoom
- What: Meet with immigration attorney Art Serratelli during a free, 30-minute consultation to discuss your immigration status options after F-1/J-1 and OPT/STEM OPT. To register, email Art at [email protected] with the subject line "UAlbany One-on-One Consultation" and include your availability from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, November 18, and/or Tuesday, November 19, 2024. Spots are limited.
Work Visas Beyond OPT Workshop
- When: 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, November 19, 2024
- Where: Zoom (Meeting ID: 828 2226 9048; Passcode: 222794)
- What: During this free workshop, immigration attorney Art Serratelli will provide information on work visas and green card applications. All are welcome and no advanced registration is required.
Presented by ISSS.
When: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Where: Humanities 290, Uptown Campus
What: Join us for informal conversation in French. Get to know others on campus who share your interest in French. All levels welcome! Presented by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
When: 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Where: Zoom
What: Learn more about your travel rights as a non-immigrant student (F-1/J-1). Immigration attorney Seth Leech from the Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna LLP will discuss traveling in the U.S. and internationally, and interactions with law enforcement and the judicial system.
Registration is not required. Please email [email protected] for Zoom details.
Presented by ISSS.
When: 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Where: Lecture Center 5, Uptown Campus
What: Join us for a screening of the film "The 400 Blows" ("Les quatre cents coups"), which follows a lonely Parisian boy as he delves into a life of petty crime. Presented by the Department of English.
When: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, November 21, 2024
Where: Campus Center Assembly Hall, Uptown Campus
What: You are cordially invited to an annual International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) tradition: Thanksgiving Dinner! Tickets cost $10 per person. Students and scholars must accompany their guests. Dinner will be served around 5:30 p.m.
The menu includes sliced turkey, gravy, rolls with butter, traditional stuffing (vegetarian), green beans, eggplant parm (vegetarian), mashed potatoes, and apple or pumpkin pie.
Register for the ISSS Thanksgiving Dinner. Presented by ISSS.
When: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Friday, November 22, 2024
Where: Group Exercise Studio, The Well at Colonial, Uptown Campus
When: 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. Friday, November 22, 2024
Where: Humanities 131, Uptown Campus
What: Come join us to share your interest in Italian language and culture outside the classroom. All levels welcome! Presented by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
UAlbany Earns #OpenDoors75 Seal of Excellence
This Fall 2024 semester, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is serving a record combined number of international enrolled and OPT (Optional Practical Training) students.
At the same time, we're proud to receive the Institute of International Education's (IIE) #OpenDoors75 Seal of Excellence in recognition of the University at Albany's 75 years of Open Doors institutional participation and commitment to international education on campus and around the globe.
In 1949, UAlbany reported its first international student to Open Doors. For the 2023-2024 Academic Year, our Open Doors figure grew to 1,916 international students from over 100 countries — including students who are enrolled in degree programs, exchange programs, the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) and OPT/STEM OPT.
Open Doors is IIE's annual publication of national bench-marking data for students studying abroad outside the U.S., and international students and scholars studying, researching and teaching inside the U.S.
Based on Fall 2024 estimates not yet reported to Open Doors, almost 1,800 enrolled international students representing over 100 different countries now study at UAlbany. Combine that figure with the more than 500 graduated international students on a UAlbany I-20 visa document engaging in OPT/STEM OPT, and we reach our impressive, historic number of some 2,300 international students currently being served by ISSS and the rest of campus community.
UAlbany's College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), College of Nanotechnology, Science and Engineering (CNSE), and the Massry School of Busiess (MSOB) host the highest proportions of the enrolled international students, while UAlbany's other colleges and schools all receive and support international students as well.
Open Doors tracks study abroad students and international scholars too. Our visiting international scholar population currently totals 57 scholars from 16 different countries, progressively rebuilding post-pandemic.
Review ISSS's International Student and Scholar Profiles for more information on current and past years international student and scholar data.
Finally, the number of UAlbany students studying abroad is also experiencing a post-pandemic resurgence, with 51 UAlbany students and 11 non-UAlbany students studying abroad in Fall 2024 at a total of 12 destination countries.
Congratulations to CIEGS for their achievements and efforts in working to realize the Internationalization Priority in UAlbany's Strategic Plan and its related goals!