Get Involved with International Visitors

Both undergraduate and graduate students at UT Austin are welcome to apply to be a Cultural Ambassador for various exchange programs. This is an opportunity to connect with people from around the world and build cross-cultural skills, while representing UT Austin, Texas, and the United States. Cultural Ambassadors participate in on- and off-campus activities with program participants and are recruited on an as-need basis. If you are a UT Austin student interested in being a Cultural Ambassador, please email gpi@austin.utexas.edu.

Serving as a one-time lecturer or academic director for a short-term exchange program is a unique opportunity to expand your international experience and connect with new and diverse audiences. If you are a faculty member at UT Austin and are interested in teaching international visitors, please reach out to gpi@austin.utexas.edu.

Cultural immersion is a critical element of exchange programs. Some programs include social opportunities for participants to spend time with community members in Austin. Hosts and international visitors share their cultures with each another and broaden their personal and global networks. Community hosts must meet the following criteria:

• Be able to pass a background check (*valid for up to two years once cleared)
• Live in the greater Austin area
• Have an interest in learning about a new culture and sharing your own
• Participate in required events as outlined in the program’s host application
• Communicate with Texas Global staff if any issues or concerns arise.

Some programs allow participants to experience professional and cultural immersion through local placements at Austin-area businesses and nonprofits. These participants often have years of experience in their home countries, which gives professional placement hosts the opportunity to engage with new global perspectives. Many professional exchange programs have a reciprocal component in which U.S. hosts can apply for a grant to visit the international participant’s home country to execute a mutually beneficial project.

If you’re interested in serving as a professional placement host, please email gpi@austin.utexas.edu.

Many of our programs have a site visit component in which participants visit local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies for an immersive experience that complements their academic coursework. Organizations will have the opportunity to share their mission, vision, and impact with participants, and both participants and site visit hosts will have the opportunity to expand their networks. Serving as a site visit host allows for the opportunity for local organizations to gain global insights and broaden their perspectives. If you’re interested in hosting site visits, please email gpi@austin.utexas.edu.

Each summer, the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders recruits 25 innovative professionals to volunteer as Focus Project Coaches for 25 Fellows. This is a unique opportunity to mentor young entrepreneurs at varying stages of business development and comes with a commitment of three total hours per Fellow.

If you are interested in mentoring as a Focus Project Coach, please email yali@austin.utexas.edu.