Reaffirming Support to International Students

GAINESVILLE, FL (9/11/2018) -The UF International Center (UFIC) announced the launch of its video #YouAreWelcomeHere – University of Florida.

The #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign is a welcome message from U.S. higher education institutions to international students around the world. UF has joined this campaign to affirm that it is a diverse, friendly and safe institution committed to student development.

The video emphasizes the life of three UF international students, the benefits of hosting international students and the services provided by the International Center. UF admitted almost 2,700 new international students for the Fall semester, and 6,641 international students, representing 140 countries, received services from UFIC in the Spring semester. “We are extremely pleased to receive all our new international students and reaffirm our commitment to support them. They are an integral part of the advancement of UF’s research competitiveness and the enhancement of UF’s tradition of global learning,” said Leonardo Villalón, Dean of the International Center.

The #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign started in 2016 as an initiative from NAFSA with support of Temple University’s International Affairs marketing team. NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. NAFSA's 10,000 members are located at more than 3,500 institutions worldwide, in over 150 countries.

This Spring, the University of Florida was selected as one of five institutions to receive the 2018 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization. The award will be formally presented during International Education Week on November 13 in Washington D.C. UF was honored for its broad commitment to international education and research, grounded in the fundamental goals of preparing students to meet the challenges of a globalized world, striving for faculty research excellence with a global impact and advancing campus diversity. To learn more about the UF International Center visit https://internationalcenter.ufl.edu/.

Follow this link to watch the #YouAreWelcomeHere video https://internationalcenter.ufl.edu/you-are-welcome-here.