Hosting International Delegations

The University Center for International Studies (UCIS) supports the University community and specific units in providing guidance and assistance when hosting visiting international delegations. UCIS leads the planning and execution of senior-level visits and meetings for international dignitaries and delegations to ensure that federal regulations and University guidelines are followed and proper protocols observed.

Certain delegation visits are handled directly by University schools and units. Examples include short-duration visits for exploring collaborative opportunities, promotional events related to joint activities, courtesy call visits, signing ceremonies, and other approved events.

This site provides guidance to determine whether your unit should host a delegation visit, when and how UCIS may direct or assist, and where you can find additional resources.

“Delegation” refers to any group requesting to visit the University of Pittsburgh as an official representative of a foreign academic, private, or governmental institution. A delegation may consist of a group of students, staff members, faculty members, government representatives, association members OR a high-ranking individual with the capacity to officially represent another institution or group.

To learn more about how to invite and/or host international delegations, please visit www.globalpartnerships.pitt.edu.

Many times, the idea of hosting a delegation visit by an international delegation are proposed by the visitors themselves. Before agreeing to a request – or initiating one yourself – you should consider whether a delegation should be coming, the purpose of the visit, and its expected outcomes.

Planning for a delegation is a large undertaking, regardless of whether it involves a group or one person, and you should be clear about whether the expected outcomes justify the planning work. To help make this decision easier, consider if/how the visit aligns with Pitt's Global Goals.

You may want to consider hosting the international delegation if (1) your unit has the financial and administrative resources to host meetings, (2) you have run the Restricted Party Screening, vetted the institution and confirmed they are a partner and/or aspirational peer, and (3) their visit will further one or more of the four core global goals that the University has outlined concerning Pitt's global engagement listed below.

Connecting our domestic and international pursuits

Does the visit benefit Pitt and the surrounding region?
Does the visit reflect either an existing strategic partnership as defined by OEP or another contractual relationship with Pitt?
Does the visit have the input of your respective OEP representative and do they believe there is a larger institutional impact that could be secured by this visit?
Does the visit provide professional development for faculty and staff?
Does the visit support joint Pitt-UPMC international initiatives?
Does the visit advance research and funding opportunities?

UCIS often provides resources and in certain cases, helps coordinate the visit of some international delegations. This section is designed to help you determine whether or not UCIS can assist in coordinating your international delegation visit.

Please review the following matrix. If your proposed delegation visit falls under an area that UCIS can assist, simply submit an Assistance Request Form. If your unit will coordinate the visit, please continue to the How to Proceed section for next steps and helpful resources.

The Delegation…	UCIS Coordinates Visit	Unit/Dept./Office Coordinates Visit
fulfills the criteria for a formal meeting with the Chancellor or Provost?	X
has requested to meet the Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs?	X
consists of a (equivalent to a) Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, President, Provost, Vice Provost Dean or Director?	X
was invited by a Director, Dean, Vice Provost or Vice Chancellor here at Pitt?	X
includes members who are Pitt alumni?	X
has an existing academic institutional agreement with Pitt that is not an MOU?	X
wishes to meet with a particular or relevant UCIS Center?	X
requested the visit to Pitt or invited themselves to Pitt?		X
is comprised mainly of students?		X
does not officially represent another party?		X
just wants to tour the campus, visit Pitt?		X

If it has been determined that UCIS will coordinate this visit, then you can expect to be contacted by the UCIS Special Events Coordinator regarding the next steps; if your visiting international delegation consists of Pitt alumni, then you can expect to be contacted by the UCIS Director of Constituent Relations.

If it has been determined that your respective unit will be coordinating your visiting international delegation, then you should begin by ensuring the visit will be compliant with U.S. law and University policy.

Office of Trade Compliance Review:

Depending the country of origin, intent, sites to be visited on campus and duration of stay, delegations may be subject to both federal regulations and University policies. To help navigate the spectrum of applicable federal regulations that may impact your delegation, it is critical that you begin working with Pitt's Office of Trade Compliance as early as possible.

Phase 1

Visit the Trade Compliance Academic Visitor website to determine your visitor category. If your delegation's visit is under 14 days and they will not be accessing a lab or clinical space, then a visitor agreement is not required (Category 1), if you are a Category 1 visit, you can skip ahead to Phase 3.

Phase 2

If you have a Category 2 or 3, enter the delegation information into the MyEC system.

Phase 3

Conduct a Restricted Party Screening (RPS). This is done to ensure that none of the visiting international delegation or their potential affiliations are subject to restrictions or prohibitions by the U.S. government.

For Categories 2 & 3: Per Phase 2, RPS will be conducted automatically through the MyEC system and reviewed by the Office of Trade Compliance as part of the Trade Compliance Review.
For Category 1: the RPS is strongly encouraged. This can be conducted via the Amber Road system. If you receive a flag for any person or affiliation, please contact the Office of Trade Compliance for further instructions.

Consultation with the Office of Economic Partnerships (OEP):

To ensure that the visit is having the maximum possible impact for both Pitt and your guest; we advise that your unit reach out to the Office of Economic Partnerships (OEP) regarding visit coordination. OEP maintains lists of all of Pitt's existing international strategic partners, their respective relationships with Pitt and consultation as to whether other units on campus might be interested or benefit from a meeting with your guests. In many cases a relationship with the guest might already exist.

Once objectives are clearly defined, please contact the UCIS Vice Provost’s Office to inquire about visits for high-ranking delegations. UCIS is one of the key departments responsible for ongoing relationships with institutions abroad and can provide direct support and assistance depending on the strategic importance of the international delegation and as capacity allows. If your delegation warrants meeting with the Vice Provost for Global Affairs you can fill out the following briefing form and submit it the UCIS Vice Provost's Office.

The following guidelines are intended to apply to short duration visits to University of Pittsburgh for exploring collaborative opportunities, promoting joint activities, courtesy calls, signing ceremonies or other approved events.

Arranging the Visit

Invitations
• Determine who at the University of Pittsburgh will make the formal invitation to the visitor(s). This person should sign the invitation letter(s).
• Prepare formal invitation letters (see section below), as needed. Such letters are often necessary to help the visitors obtain U.S. visas. Be sure to include the full name of each visitor, the dates they will be on campus and the purpose(s) of the visit.

• Determine visa requirements, insurance, and restrictions on payment for honoraria or other services. Information about visitor visas can be obtained at the US Department of State website. Due to Department of Homeland Security initiatives, the process to obtain some types of visas can be complicated and lengthy – sometimes taking several months.

• Determine appropriate dates for the visit considering the academic calendar, weekends, holidays, conflicting events, and availability of people to meet with the visitor.

Contact/Communication
• Determine a single point of contact to coordinate the visit. Is this UCIS or will it be another department? If not UCIS, identify a coordinator for the visit to build the itinerary, schedule meetings, and address logistical questions.
• If dealing with a company, be sure to seek the Office of Economic Partnerships (OEP) coordination on the company’s footprint with the University and what other parts of campus may benefit from the visit.

Visitors
• Request biographical information from visitor(s) for use in developing the visit briefing and introducing the members of the delegation to University of Pittsburgh participants.
• Where possible, incorporate the cultural customs of the visitors’ home country and use formal salutation where appropriate.
• Determine if anyone will be accompanying the visitor and if so, consider the University’s responsibilities for those individuals.
• Determine any special needs of visitor(s) — diet, transportation, disability issues, escort, and language or interpretation issues.
• Consider the “levels” of the visitor(s). The importance of the visit and the “seniority” of visitor(s) will help determine the protocol involved. It will vary greatly between the visit of a researcher and the visit of a high-ranking international university senior leader.

The Visit
• Determine visa requirements, insurance, and restrictions on payment for honoraria or other services. Contact The Office of Trade Compliance as soon as possible. Due to homeland security initiatives, the process to obtain some types of visas can be complicated and lengthy — sometimes taking several months.
• Consider in advance what events and activities are possible, e.g., lecture, presentation, reception, dinner, lunch, breakfast, meetings, site visits, etc. Hosting a delegation during a large athletic event or graduation weekend might impact ability to secure hotels, etc.
• Transportation – determine whether the visitors will need transportation from the airport/train station to hotel or around campus.
• Language – address needs for translation services.

Letters of Invitation

Prior to issuing the invitation to an international guest, you should first determine the financial obligations of the University of Pittsburgh and the responsibilities of the guest. Many departments may consider paying for the visitor’s local expenses including lodging, transportation, and food. They may also wish to provide the visitor with an honorarium. (Note: Certain visa types do not allow for the visitor to receive either a reimbursement for expenses or an honorarium.) The formal invitation letter is an appropriate format in which to clarify some of these issues. An invitation letter should indicate the dates a guest is expected to come to the University, the length of stay, expectations of what the guest is to do while at the University, and what the University’s financial obligations are for the visit. The University, via the Academic Visitors website, has an approved invitation letter template that you can use as well as a template for a Visitor Participation Agreement and speaker agreement-related information when needed.

Itinerary

To host the delegation in an orderly fashion, a standard itinerary (agenda) format is suggested. The completed itinerary should be available to both the delegation and the Pitt hosting entity prior to the event. Important inclusions are:

Names and titles of delegates
Names and titles of hosting staff
The chairperson for meetings
Activities with their durations and running sequence.
Seating chart

Templates

To aid you in your international delegation planning, our office has created several templates that you can use for your own delegation. These include budgetary tools, planning questionnaires and itineraries. Access these templates, please note, you will be prompted to log into your My Pitt account.

Venues/Suggestions

Oakland Campus Guide: Noteworthy Buildings

If you are looking for places on Campus to show your guests, the following places on campus can be included in your tour. These historical buildings offer grandeur, history and a pleasant sightseeing experience for your guests, while giving a glimpse into some of the facilities available to students and staff on campus.

Nationality Rooms

Located in the Cathedral of Learning, the Nationality Rooms are one of Pitt's most prominent features, having gained international recognition and have become a regular tourist attraction in the for all visitors to the City of Pittsburgh. Depending on the timing of your visitors, you can schedule a tour with a University docent.

Heinz Chapel

Besides the Cathedral of Learning, Heinz Chapel (dating from the same period) is one of the most prominent buildings on campus. Hours and availability should be checked in advance.

University Club

When entertaining on campus, this unique feature to the University of Pittsburgh, shows the grandeur of an old private social club now converted for use by staff and faculty. This period building contains two restaurants, several elegant rooms for hosting events as well as a library and rooftop terrace during the summer months.

Alumni Hall

Frick Fine Arts Building

William Pitt Union

Hillman Library

Pitt Global Hub

Located on the ground floor of Wesley Posvar Hall, just as you enter from Schenley Plaza, Pitt’s new Global Hub is slated open in Fall 2019. The hub will be an interactive space where you can find programs that match your interests, watch videos about study abroad and faculty projects around the world, join a conversation table, learn about Pitt’s renowned area and thematic studies centers, find details about international studies certificates, view artifacts from the Nationality Rooms, watch street scenes and news from around the world, and more.

Hotels and Dining Near Oakland Campus

Hotels Near Campus

Sit-down Dining Options

University Club
The Porch
The Café Carnegie
Lucca Ristorante
Legume Bistro and Butterjoint Bar (Dinner only establishments)

Hosting International Delegations

Vetting and Decision-making

Discerning UCIS or Unit coordination

Preparing for the Visit

Planning & Resources

Defining Delegation

Step 1: Vetting and Decision-making

Connecting our domestic and international pursuits

Cultivate globally capable and engaged students:

Global impact by expanding research and knowledge

Expand engagement with the world

Step 2: Discerning UCIS or Unit Coordination

The Delegation…

UCIS Coordinates Visit

Unit/Dept./Office Coordinates Visit

Need Help?

Step 3: Preparing for the Visit