Executive Director Message

The I-House Connection: April 2025

April 10, 2025
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
Explore how International House Berkeley continues to champion global understanding and intercultural leadership in today's complex world. - Executive Director Shaun Carver featured in Forbes, sharing insights on the importance of supporting international students in U.S. higher education. - VP Nayeli Vivanco speaks at SXSW EDU, highlighting the role of free speech and giving everyone a voice in polarized times. - Discover recent I-House events, alumni updates, and new additions to our swag store! Read the full newsletter

The I-House Connection: March 2025

March 11, 2025
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
Sunday was the International House Awards Celebration and Gala, and I’m still feeling buoyed by the celebration, the camaraderie, and the beautiful reminder of what I-House is all about. We were honored to share this festive occasion with Rich Lyons, the new Honorary Chairman of the Board for I-House, and many I-House alumni, friends, and residents for this special event. Once again, my heartfelt congratulations to our distinguished awardees: Markos Kounalakis (IH 1977-78), The University Section Club, and Excellence Anurika Joshua (IH 2023-24). ...

The I-House Connection: January 2025

January 9, 2025
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
I hope your new year is off to a great start! One of our resolutions this year at I-House is to continue to grow and strengthen connections among our alumni worldwide through the development of I-House alumni clubs. If you would like to help with this effort by serving as an alumni ambassador in your region of the world, please let us know by sending an email to alumni@ihouseberkeley.org. Next week, I'll be in Northern India and look forward to meeting alumni at events in New Delhi – details are below. Please join us if you can and help spread the word to other I-House alumni in that region!

UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons Appointed Honorary Chairman of the Board

March 6, 2025
In summary, Lyons to join Executive Director, Dr. Shaun Carver, in honoring advocates and trailblazers who embody the I-House mission during the organization’s annual gala, March 9, 2025

5 Reasons to Give to I-House Today

March 12, 2025
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director

Dear I-House Community,

It’s the Big Give time of year again – please make a gift to International House during this UC Berkeley campus-wide day of giving!

If you’re looking for a reason to give to I-House, here are just a few:

The student from France, who is studying industrial engineering and operations research – and playing a bit of Schumann in the Great Hall to unwind. The Pakistani student who plans to return home after receiving his master of laws degree to build a human rights-focused law firm, from the ground up. He’s a recipient of an I-...

The I-House Connection: February 2025

February 13, 2025
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
In this issue: Alumni Spotlight: Markos Kounalakis; Lodestar Speaker Series on AI; Gala Celebration; IH Gathering in NYC; and more!

The I-House Connection: October 2024

October 10, 2024
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
The I-House Connection: October 2024

Let there be peace on earth

December 30, 2024
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
Let there be peace on earth in the coming year, and always! Thanks to all who have already made gifts to I-House and our mission of peace.  We are grateful for your support. If you've yet to make a gift in 2024, there's still time to join our world-wide community of supporters before 2025 begins.  Your gift, of any size, is an investment in I-House and in the lives of our global residents and helps advance a better, kinder world of greater understanding. Please visit our giving page to donate online or mail your check to International House (postmarked by December 31, 2024) to: International House Alumni Relations and Philanthropy 2299 Piedmont Avenue Berkeley, CA  94720  As a nonprofit organization (tax ID # 94-1167403), I-House relies on the generosity of our alumni and friends to keep our doors open to the world. Thank you in advance for your support.

Support Global Understanding at I-House

December 19, 2024
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
At International House, we bring together students from across the globe to live, learn, and discover their shared humanity. Your gift makes this experience possible. From the robotics engineering grad student from Brazil to the law student from Pakistan, your support ensures students of diverse backgrounds can call I-House home. The experience of living at I-House is transformative – helping to build curiosity, humility and compassion. As Xiaowen Yuan, a resident from China, shares: “I-House exposes me to so many different perspectives. It has made me realize how little I knew outside of my own culture and has made me reconsider the values and beliefs I once held.” Your gift provides scholarships for students who otherwise couldn’t afford to live here, sustains cultural programs that celebrate our diversity, and maintains our beautiful, historic home. If you haven’t already made your year-end gift to I-House, please make your gift today and invest in a better, kinder world of greater understanding.

The I-House Connection: December 2024

December 11, 2024
Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director
As 2024 winds down, I want to take a moment to thank you for all of the ways you have been part of our I-House community this year. Whether you made a gift of financial support, attended an I-House alumni gathering, or simply continued to carry forth our mission in your own corner of the world - it all matters, and it's what makes our global community so special. I am proud to share the results of our recent I-House survey on free speech, which reveals a remarkable sentiment among our resident community. At a time when many college campuses across the U.S. are grappling with issues surrounding free expression, I-House stands out as a beacon of open dialogue and mutual respect. On a related note, I was recently featured on the Enrollify Podcast to discuss building a better experience for internatiots in the U.S. Listen here for insights into the challenges and opportunities in supporting this community. I was truly inspired by the generosity shown by our community members who gave to I-House last week on "Giving Tuesday." If you haven’t had a chance to give yet this year and would like to, here's a link to our online giving page. And if you've already made a gift of support, thank you! Your generosity helps support scholarships, intercultural programming, and the upkeep of beautiful I-House. And indeed, the beauty of I-House and our community has been on full display in recent weeks. We've celebrated with a resident benefit concert, a traditional I-House Sunday Supper, and our quarterly I-House Alumni Happy Hour at which we welcomed alumni from decades ago along with some of our newest alumni. Keep reading to see a list of some upcoming I-House gatherings in Taiwan, India, and back here in Berkeley. This month we continue to celebrate the remarkable contributions of I-House alumni around the world. We are happy to spotlight Jan Egeland (IH 1983) for his humanitarian work and Zahwa Amad (IH 1982–86) for her scientific research in HIV/AIDS. Their legacies are a testament to the values we share as an I-House community. Finally, if you're looking for a fun holiday gift visit the I-House Swag Shop, where you'll find cozy apparel, stylish accessories, practical items and more.