The I-House Forum

Introducing Shaun R. Carver as the new Executive Director of International House at UC Berkeley. Shaun's leadership experience in international education and cross-cultural working environments spans over two decades, making him a great addition to our I-House Berkeley community. Watch the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F69SpKHD7L8

Read the transcript:

[Music] Hello, my name is Shaun Carver and I am honored to serve as International House's sixth executive director on the occasion of I-House's 90th anniversary. I'd like to take a moment to share a little bit more about myself and my family, provide some important updates, and share some exciting opportunities in this milestone year. Established during our founding in 1930, the mission of International House remains as our guide to foster intercultural respect and understanding, lifelong friendships, and leadership skills for a more just and peaceful world. First, I'd like to give you a little more background about me and my family and why I am so honored to have been selected as the next International House executive director. I have dedicated my career to international education and living and working in cross-cultural environments. My most recent posting was at the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego and prior to that, I've worked both in the U.S. and a number of places in China. My father is American and my mother is British and so I've had the opportunity to travel extensively since I was a child. I met my wife Bebe Zhang in Shanghai. Her family, originally from the seaport city of Wenzhou, are also international with members currently living in Italy. We are now looking for a home near the UC Berkeley campus and school for our two children Leanne age eight and James Maxwell "Max" age six.

I'd like to thank the board of directors and acknowledge the high bar set by the former executive directors and I'm looking forward to getting to know the staff, the residents, and you, our alumni and friends much better in the months ahead. Prior to the turbulence caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, I-House staff had planned a major celebration to commemorate and to contemplate nine decades of fostering fellowship cultivating community, and growing leaders, over 95 000 alumni in fact.

You may be aware that on July 17th the International House board of directors made the unprecedented decision to close International House for residents in the fall semester and likely for the rest of the academic year. Furthermore, all in-person events have been canceled or have gone virtual and I-House staff have been working remotely whenever possible. These decisions were all made out of the concern for the health and safety of the I-House community as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic escalates. I'd like to acknowledge the I-House staff for their steadfast dedication to the mission of I-House and for their service to the community during these challenges. Unfortunately, the sad but necessary temporary closure of I-House due to public health and safety concerns and the resulting budget impacts and staff reductions must be acknowledged as unprecedented in our history. With so many societal challenges yet to be resolved the I-House mission is more important than ever and I am sending out the message to all of you, of our alumni and friends, that I personally welcome your contact, your ideas, and suggestions as I invite you to participate even more fully in our global community. through this period of change uncertainty and social distancing, it is more important than ever to stay connected, so I am pleased to be able to share a few of the exciting programs and events in honor of I-House's 90th anniversary. The first is our new engagement and mentoring platform I-House Berkeley Connect. This exciting tool is part of an expanded global community initiative where we seek to facilitate connections between alumni, and between alumni and residents, through a directory, career networking, a job board, discussion groups, events, and more. You'll be receiving an invitation to register soon if you haven't already and I very much hope that you will join us in building and connecting our global community.

Next, we have created a 90th Anniversary section of our website and I invite you to visit to review some inspiring stories, to share some of your own experiences at I-House, and to send in photos and anniversary messages. I am also pleased to let you know that I plan to host several informal virtual chats in the coming months to get to know you, to hear directly from you in a small group setting, and to answer questions. We'll also be facilitating a community survey to gather the best ideas for our reopening and for navigating the months and years to come. We're hoping that a virtual global homecoming during UC Berkeley's homecoming weekend will allow for the sharing of the hallmark energy and excitement that you've come to expect whenever our community comes together. As executive director, I would be remiss if I didn't also reflect gratefully that any gifts you might wish to make at this time on the occasion of our 90th anniversary are an opportunity to honor the remarkable history of I-House and to support us now in preparation for our reopening. In closing, I encourage you to reach out to me directly with any ideas, suggestions, concerns, or questions you may have. My personal thanks for your support in keeping the I-House dream alive.

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