Host a Scholar and Expand Your Research
Higher education is international and all faculty and departments are encouraged to consider hosting an international scholar in their department. International scholars come to SCU from around the world to study, research, and teach for three weeks to up to five years. Global Engagement supports SCU faculty as they invite and engage scholars through the J-1 immigration process.
Dr. Kai Lukoff, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, 2024-25 SCU Faculty Host
Who are international scholars?
Scholars may be professors on sabbatical at their home institutions, or PhD students working on research for their dissertations. In some cases, postdoctoral fellows, who are SCU employees, may be sponsored as J-1 exchange visitors.
What can scholars do at SCU?
Activities international scholars and visitors can engage in while at SCU include:
- Conducting research in collaboration with the faculty host
- Teaching courses
- Running workshops
How does SCU’s immigration sponsorship work?
There are a variety of scholars that SCU can support through the University’s immigration license for J-1 sponsorship. The U.S. federal government immigration categories and options include:
- Research Scholar: This category allows scholars to come to SCU for a period of research, which could vary from 3 weeks to up to 5 years. While their main objective is to conduct research, Research Scholars can also teach courses while at SCU.
- Professor: This category allows scholars to come to SCU to teach courses for a period of time which could vary from 3 weeks to up to 5 years. While their main objective is to teach courses, Professors can also conduct research while at SCU.
- Short-Term Scholar: This newly-added category allows SCU faculty to host a scholar for a period of up to 6 months with less barriers on repeated participation, which makes it a great option for ongoing collaboration among SCU faculty and the scholar.
- Specialist: This category is a good fit for visiting scholars with more technical expertise, such as musicians or performers.
What are examples of research that international scholars have engaged in at SCU?
Some of the topics international scholars have researched at SCU include:
Where are scholars from?
Scholars come to SCU from all around the world.
How can I find an international scholar to host?
Departments can identify scholars to host through personal connections and partnerships.
Who can host a scholar?
Scholars work and research in every field across the university. Departments wishing to host must first identify a full-time SCU faculty/staff member to fill the role of Faculty/Staff Host. Faculty hosts are the main point of reference for the visiting scholars during their time at SCU, and support them in their academic and daily life.
How does Global Engagement support SCU faculty in hosting?
The International Scholars Team in Global Engagement is dedicated to supporting academic and cultural exchange. At this time of challenges for global academic mobility, our team has expertise and immigration knowledge to support faculty hosts and international visiting scholars in their journey to obtain a visa and will support them during their program at SCU. Our team is available to talk to faculty and potential scholars about visa eligibility and options. The Scholars Team also facilitates cultural exchange opportunities and organizes events for our international scholars community. Questions? Contact scholars@scu.edu.
Where do I start?
Review the SCU Faculty Host Responsibilities and Resources. Obtain approval from your department chair and/or other relevant leadership, e.g., dean’s office, before starting the process. Reach out to Global Engagement at iss@scu.edu to discuss hosting amidst an environment where government guidance is highly changeable. We are experts and can advise on strategies.