International House, Berkeley

International House, Berkeley
Gabriel Classon (gabeclasson on Flickr) · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	International House, Berkeley

International House, Berkeley is a residence and community center for students from over 70 countries, located at the University of California, Berkeley campus, near the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. The house was founded in 1930 by John D. Rockefeller Jr., Yale University, and the University of California, Berkeley, with the goal of fostering international understanding and cultural exchange among students from different countries, such as China, Japan, India, and Brazil. The house has been home to many notable alumni, including Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Fulbright Scholars, who have gone on to work at institutions like Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

● History

The history of International House, Berkeley dates back to the 1920s, when Harry Edmonds, a Yale University graduate, and Alexander Meiklejohn, a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor, envisioned a community where students from different countries could live and learn together, inspired by the League of Nations and the Treaty of Versailles. The house was established in 1930, with the support of John D. Rockefeller Jr., who donated $1.5 million to the project, and was influenced by the Oxford University and Cambridge University models. Since its founding, the house has been home to over 50,000 students from more than 100 countries, including Germany, France, United Kingdom, and Australia, and has hosted many notable events, such as the Berkeley Conference on International Relations and the World Affairs Council.

● Architecture

The International House, Berkeley building was designed by George W. Kelham, a University of California, Berkeley architect, and William Wurster, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate, in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, inspired by the Alhambra and the University of California, Los Angeles campus. The building features a mix of Mediterranean Revival and Art Deco elements, with a large courtyard, a dining hall, and a library, and is located near the University of California, Berkeley campus, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The house has undergone several renovations, including a major expansion in the 1960s, led by Eero Saarinen, a Yale University graduate, and a recent renovation, completed in 2012, which added new sustainable energy features, inspired by the Green Building Council and the United States Green Building Council.

● Programs_and_Activities

International House, Berkeley offers a range of programs and activities to promote cultural exchange and international understanding, including language exchange programs, cultural events, and community service projects, in partnership with organizations like the American Red Cross, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization. The house also hosts a number of academic programs, such as the International Relations program, the Global Studies program, and the Language and Culture program, which are taught by faculty from University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and University of Oxford. Residents can also participate in recreational activities, such as sports teams, music groups, and art clubs, and can take advantage of the house's state-of-the-art facilities, including a gym, a swimming pool, and a theater, which have hosted events like the Berkeley Jazz Festival and the San Francisco Film Festival.

● Notable_Alumni

International House, Berkeley has a long list of notable alumni, including Nobel Prize winners like Glenn Seaborg, a University of California, Berkeley professor, and Willis Lamb, a Columbia University professor, as well as Pulitzer Prize winners like Sarita Echavez See, a University of California, Berkeley professor, and Viet Thanh Nguyen, a University of Southern California professor. Other notable alumni include Fulbright Scholars like Amitav Ghosh, a Harvard University professor, and Jhumpa Lahiri, a Princeton University professor, as well as business leaders like Steve Wozniak, a University of California, Berkeley graduate, and Gordon Moore, a California Institute of Technology graduate, who have worked at companies like Apple Inc., Google, and Intel Corporation.

● Campus_Life

International House, Berkeley is located in the heart of the University of California, Berkeley campus, near the Doe Memorial Library, the Wheeler Hall, and the Sather Tower, and offers a unique campus life experience, with a diverse community of students from over 70 countries, including South Korea, Russia, and South Africa. Residents can participate in a range of campus activities, including sports teams, music groups, and art clubs, and can take advantage of the house's state-of-the-art facilities, including a gym, a swimming pool, and a theater, which have hosted events like the Berkeley Music Festival and the San Francisco Opera. The house also offers a range of support services, including academic advising, counseling, and career counseling, in partnership with organizations like the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the Career Development Institute.

● Governance

International House, Berkeley is governed by a board of directors, which includes representatives from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California system, and the International House, Berkeley alumni association, as well as community leaders from organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the United Nations Development Programme. The house is also supported by a number of donors and sponsors, including John D. Rockefeller Jr., the Ford Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which have contributed to the house's endowment and scholarship programs, such as the Fulbright Program and the Rhodes Scholarship. The house's executive director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the house, and works closely with the University of California, Berkeley administration, the City of Berkeley, and the Alameda County government to ensure the house's success, in partnership with organizations like the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association. Category:University of California, Berkeley