For the first time since 2019, when the Covid pandemic impacted international travel, a delegation from Rutgers University traveled to India and China to conduct in-person pre-departure orientations with newly admitted undergraduate students and their families. From June 7-June 19, the Rutgers team traveled to Delhi, Mumbai, Shenzhen, and Shanghai, and also held two alumni receptions to connect with international alums. There were representatives from Rutgers Global, the School of Engineering, the School for Environmental and Biological Sciences, the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-New Brunswick, and Rutgers Business School. Here are photos from the orientations and the alumni receptions.
Pre-Departure Orientation Highlights
The pre-departure orientations drew 130 attendees in India and 140 attendees in China. The events were held at The Oberoi Hotel (Delhi), The St. Regis Hotel (Mumbai), The Grand Hyatt Hotel (Shenzhen), and The Grand Kempinski Hotel (Shanghai), and featured senior administrators from Rutgers including: Eric (Rick) Garfunkel, Vice President for Global Affairs; Charles Keeton, Academic Dean, Office of Undergraduate Education, School of Arts and Sciences; Peng Song, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, School of Engineering; Megan Francis, Director, Office of Global Engagement, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; Dietrich Tschanz, Assistant Dean, International Programs, Rutgers Business School; Ji-Yeung Jang, Assistant Vice President for Global Affairs; Carissa McCarthy, Assistant Director for Student Engagement and Special Populations, International Student and Scholar Services; Xingcai Liu, Director of the Rutgers University Beijing Center; and Anu Gupta, Assistant Dean Global Academic Programs, Rutgers Global. In addition, twenty current international students who were home for the summer break volunteered to present at the events and connect directly with the new students about the Rutgers experience.
Students and their families heard details from faculty and senior administrators about academic considerations and resources, as well as guidance on student visa regulations and travel and arrival tips. The student panel discussion revealed facts and anecdotes about college life and experiences at Rutgers and in the United States. Parents had the opportunity to attend a session to help them address family concerns.
Though the university regularly offers online pre-departure orientations for its foreign newcomers, the on-location orientations are a “strategic welcome,” according to Rick Garfunkel, because they directly serve a population of students from these countries, who make up a majority of Rutgers 6,000 international students. “For our newly admitted international students and their families, the opportunity to hear directly from key Rutgers faculty and staff is so important. We are there to provide information and, importantly, to answer their questions. And we are grateful to our current Rutgers students who volunteer their time to come and meet the new students and give them a better idea of what to expect.”
Anu Gupta, who organizes the in-person pre-departure orientations, or PDOs, noted: “Each fall, we have about 1,500 incoming students from about 110 countries. They face unique challenges when they come to study in the U.S. There are federally required preparations our staff and faculty must make for these students, as well as preparations specific to Rutgers. Informing our incoming international students about the resources available to them before they arrive – in their own environment, in their own language – helps to alleviate some of their stress and helps our staff to accommodate them and assist them in acclimating to Rutgers and a new country more efficiently.”
The PDOs are spearheaded by Rutgers Global and serve to introduce a new class of Rutgers international students to the academic support services available just for them. One of these programs is a first-year transition course, RU-FIT, that continues to provide academic support to undergraduate students during the fall semester and help them succeed on their Rutgers journey.
“Rutgers Global offers immigration and visa services for these students and our academic support services, which I lead, expand on those to help our international student population integrate more completely—and more quickly—into the general student body by alleviating stresses that could be a detriment to success in the classroom,” Gupta said.
Students from China and India will be pursuing a variety of majors at Rutgers including those offered by the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers Business School, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the School of Engineering.
Ji-Yeung Jang, who welcomed the students and their families at the PDOs remarked: “We are excited to have this opportunity to connect with our new international students before they come to campus in the fall. We at Rutgers are proud to have one of the most diverse student populations in the country, and we are committed to the academic success of every single student on our campus.”
With the pandemic restrictions eased and international travel picking up again, Rutgers plans to continue annual in-person PDOs moving forward because they offer an invaluable opportunity for future students and their families to learn more about academic expectations, transition into American college life, meet other Rutgers students and university staff, and gain an understanding of important information before traveling to the United States.
“We are looking forward to continuing to extend our global reach on campus and beyond to ensure the academic success of all of our international students,” Gupta said.
Here is a link to the slide deck presented at this year’s PDO. (Link to slide deck in Mandarin)
For more information about international academic support at Rutgers University, please contact Assistant Dean for Global Academic Programs, Anu Gupta, at ias-global@global.rutgers.edu.
Alumni Gathering Reflections
Rutgers University hosted alumni at the PDO luncheons in Delhi and Mumbai, organized by Anu Gupta and Flora McVay, Program Manager of International Academic Support at Rutgers Global. Proud alums shared their Rutgers experiences and career trajectories. In addition, they generously offered to mentor new students and offer internships.
In China, Rutgers hosted alumni receptions in Shenzhen on June 16 and in Shanghai on June 18, organized by Steven Henin, Assistant Dean of Global Initiatives at Rutgers Global. More than 100 devoted Scarlet Knights attended the event to connect and reminisce. Our international Rutgers alums are now working at top companies and organizations, including Ernst & Young, Deloitte, ByteDance, and South China University of Technology. We invited Rutgers alumni and faculty to the events to share their reflections. Here are some highlights from the event.
Jason Wan, Class 1998, who attended the event in Shenzhen, shared: “My entire family graduated from Rutgers University!” Wan met his wife, Ying, at Rutgers, and they have now sent their two daughters, Vivian and Vicky, to continue the tradition. Their youngest daughter, Vicky, just graduated from the University in May.
Qiaoyi Luo, Class 2015, a graduate of Rutgers Business School who is currently employed by Ping An Group, said: “In addition to the enriching campus life at Rutgers, I most cherish the business mindset cultivated by Rutgers, and the career resources and guidance provided.” He advised fellow new Rutgers alumni about to enter the workforce to “contemplate the diverse possibilities in your careers, make goals, take action, appreciate every moment of your university experience, and make the most of your youthful years!”
Yuwen Shao, Class 2016, told the group: “Whoever is interested in knowing how to rapidly advance their careers and increase their salaries can approach me!” The senior HR business partner currently employed at Roche Pharmaceuticals, graduated from Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR). “Getting the right answer is not the most important thing. The process itself builds your capabilities by identifying, diagnosing, and solving problems--this skill is so critical to your future career.”
Liping Zhao, Professor and Eveleigh-Fenton Chair of Applied Microbiology at Rutgers, said: “It is essential for us to continue nurturing our connections between the U.S. and China, not just for our individual growth, but for the benefit of humankind and our planet.” With over a decade of leading academic exchanges between Rutgers University and Chinese universities, Professor Liping is a senior researcher and made 55 trips between China and the United States from 2017 to 2019.