Penn’s International Student Guest Program (IGSP), now in its fifteenth year, welcomes international students to campus as they enroll in undergraduate courses for one or two semesters to enhance their academic records, build credentials for graduate study, and refine their language and cross-cultural communication skills. Guest students work closely with skilled advisors, live on campus, and have access to all the resources and activities that Penn has to offer undergraduates. For many international students, it’s a dream come true: an opportunity to study at an Ivy League university while connecting with other students from around the world, sharing cultural experiences, and gaining access to coursework they couldn’t get at home.
Lauren Fiori, Associate Director of International Programs at the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, said “The goal I have for the program is that it continues to diversify. I would love to see us welcome students from countries we haven’t before.” This fall, 160 students from 44 universities across 15 countries are enrolled in IGSP.
Xihan Xia, who is studying financial engineering at China’s Southern University of Science and Technology, is taking advantage of art classes that aren’t offered at her university. She’s also been impressed at how the diverse Penn community embraces students from around the world. “There’s no idea of a foreigner when everybody’s a foreigner,” she said.
Daffa Pratama is one of 1,000 students selected by the Indonesian government to participate in the Indonesia International Student Mobility Awards and is part of the scholarship’s first cohort of students at IGSP. One thing that stands out to Daffa is how accessible the faculty make themselves to students. “The idea that a professor would set aside time where you could come to their office and ask about anything is so, so exciting to me,” he said.
Hala Al Habob, a Yemeni citizen, enrolled in IGSP through the US–Middle East Partnership Initiative's (MEPI) Tomorrow’s Leaders Program. She has been studying at the American University of Beirut and came to Penn as part of the school’s study abroad experience. Hala is using her time to celebrate being a global citizen: experiencing other cultures, joining student clubs, and delighting in the positivity of the student body. “People here love each other…they see you and say how pretty you look even if they don’t know you,” she said.
Read more about IGSP students at the 34th Street Magazine website >
