A Partnership to Benefit All

There is one story from this year that centers on a partnership on our campus and exemplifies how our work in international education matters. Through the joint efforts of this partnership, an important community was built and carries on, steady and anchored, even amidst challenging times.

A priority for the International Students and Scholars Office on our Morningside/Manhattanville and Medical Center campuses at Columbia University is to build partnerships across campuses to further community building efforts for our international students. These partnerships include the offices of health, housing, career services, and the many schools themselves.

One partnership stemmed from an idea by our director of housing at the Medical Center. They had noticed that students of various cultural backgrounds living in a Medical Center dormitory naturally congregated and formed a community, sharing their experiences and supporting one another. In January 2023, the housing office asked the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) if we would be willing to support an initiative to formalize this global community, intentionally including the domestic students also living in this dormitory. We formally created the global community in the fall of 2023.

Simple but Impactful

A resident assistant was hired to work specifically on programming for this community, and the concept was promoted via email communication to all international students when they decided on their housing selection. The initiative aimed to foster cross-cultural understanding and exchange among domestic and international students.

By bringing together students from all over the world, the community would provide a unique opportunity for individuals to learn about different cultures, customs, and perspectives. Benefits of this initiative include:

• A sense of community and support: Living with other international students helps ease the transition to a new city.
• Personal growth: Interacting with people from different backgrounds broadens one’s perspective, increasing empathy and tolerance and developing intercultural skills.
• Opportunities for cultural exchange: Living with people from different backgrounds provides an opportunity to learn about other cultures and make new friends, gaining a deeper understanding of those with differing perspectives and viewpoints.
• Assistance with navigating the city: International students living together help each other with practical tasks including how to navigate New York City.
• Convenience: Living in the same dormitory helps with the coordination of building connections and gaining access to campus resources.

I witnessed firsthand international and domestic students coming together through newly created engagement programs that included global games and trivia luncheons. Such a simple idea, through a partnership with the housing office, had proven to be impactful for so many students.

The Power of Collective Effort

This new initiative has already had to weather a fairly large storm since the time of its inception. Due to unforeseen financial constraints in early 2025, nonessential costs were the first to go, and we embarked on a new landscape. However, the ISSO and the housing office came together, put on creative thinking caps, and brainstormed how to continue supporting this important work for our students in an economical way.

Even during a time of crisis, there was no doubt in our minds that this was an essential framework to aid in safeguarding the well-being of our students, giving them a living situation where they have a sense of belonging and support in a time that might feel quite isolating. It was evident from the success of the initiative that such programs were more critical than ever for our community, especially in today’s complex global environment.

Through these collective efforts, this initiative continues to develop, encouraging inclusivity of our international students by providing a safe space to share challenges they may be facing and exchange cultural experiences. Investing in the social well-being of our international students not only benefits our student population but also our staff, faculty, and even the local community, building interconnectedness and cultural dialogue. In having a collective responsibility to support and care for the well-being of our international and domestic students, I am encouraged that even in these challenging times, resiliency and kindness shines its bright light.  •

Gwyneth A. Smith is Senior Associate Director of the International Students and Scholars Office at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.