A Thanksgiving to Remember: Friendship Families Reflections

Through UFIC’s Friendship Families Program, international students spent Thanksgiving with their host families, sharing traditions, stories, and a welcoming home-cooked holiday experience. For many students, it was their first time celebrating an American Thanksgiving, making the day especially meaningful. Read their reflections below to learn what this experience meant to them.

“I hosted two international students for our Thanksgiving celebration, and it was a wonderful experience. We loved getting to know them and sharing...

Stories from UF’s International Student Council: Sayantika Chakraborty
12/08/25

Sayantika Chakraborty receiving the Public Humanities Incubator award and Edward Guiliano Global Fellowship for her research, from the executive director of the Modern Language Association, Dr. Paula Krebs

Originally from India, Sayantika Chakraborty is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the English Department at the University of Florida, specializing in climate change narratives and environmental humanities. Her dissertation focuses on Indigenous women-led climate migration stories from India, blending personal investment, rigorous scholarship, and community engagement. Growing up hearing the experiences of her grandmother...

UF Ranks 7th in Study Abroad Participation in Open Doors Report Study Abroad Participation Reaches All-Time High
Earlier today, the Institute of International Education released the U....
Lenka Bustikova Lectures on Uncivil Society and Cultural Polarization in Central Europe
12/01/25

Lenka Bustikova, Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida, delivered a lecture titled “Amicus curiae: Who endorses uncivil society in Central Europe?” at Stockholm University’s Department of Sociology and at Central European University (CEU). Her talk examined the growing politicization of reproduction and family dynamics in Central Eastern Europe and offered a critical reassessment of prevailing explanations of illiberalism.

Challenging strictly top-down or bottom-up interpretations, Professor Bustikova emphasized the influential role of socially conservative advocacy groups, many of which are embedded in transnational networks. These organizations act...

Outstanding F-1 Graduate Researchers Recognized in UF’s 2025 3MT Competition

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition challenges graduate students to present their research to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes, using only one slide and no technical jargon. This year, two exceptional F-1 international students earned top recognition for their ability to communicate complex research with clarity and impact.

Here are their experiences in their own words:

Abhishek Kulkarni

Participating in 3MT this year was a truly motivating experience. Listening...

Dr. Paloma Rodriguez Represents UF at the Conference on Internationalization of Higher Education 2025
12/01/25

Dr. Paloma Rodriguez represented the University of Florida at the sixth edition of the Conference on the Internationalization of Higher Education 2025, hosted by the Autonomous University of Chiapas in Mexico. At the conference, Dr. Rodriguez spoke about the potential of COIL/virtual exchange as a tool for comprehensive internationalization. Learn more about virtual exchange by clicking here.

Breakfast with the Dean: Celebrating Our SAPAs
12/01/25

Dean Marta L. Wayne met with the Study Abroad Peer Advisors (SAPA) for a breakfast gathering in honor of UFIC’s Student Appreciation Month. The event provided an opportunity to connect, share experiences, and recognize the valuable contributions of these student leaders.

UFIC’s Victoria Dolce Presents Award-Winning Research on Haitian School Quality at International Conference
12/01/25

Victoria Dolce, PhD is UFIC's Associate Director of International Student Support & Engagement and a spring 2025 graduate of the UF College of Education doctoral program in educational leadership and policy. She presented her dissertation research and was selected to chair her session at the International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation in Seville, Spain earlier this month. Her research aims to understand the experiences of development practitioners providing school quality assurance in Haiti.

This year, over 860 professionals from 80 different countries joined the International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED) in Seville to present...

UF’s Dr. Paloma Rodriguez Delivers Keynote at UNAM COIL Symposium
12/01/25

In November, Dr. Paloma Rodriguez was the keynote speaker at the COIL Symposium hosted by UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México). She presented UF’s model for “Internationalization at Home” and fostered dialogue on inter-institutional collaboration. Additionally, Dr. Rodriguez led a workshop on helping students identify and articulate career-related outcomes gained through participating in virtual exchange projects. Find out more about virtual exchange at UF by clicking here.

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Career Conversations with UF Professionals Launches with Successful Fall Workshop Series

The inaugural installment of Career Conversations with UF Professionals, a new pilot program coordinated and created by Anita Badhwar, Administrative Specialist I with the Office of Global Learning at the University of Florida International Center, successfully concluded its Fall 2025 workshop series. The program was designed to strengthen students’ professional development by connecting them with University of Florida experts who share insights from their career paths, professional experiences, and lessons...

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