Help us build a network of international students and alumni that will last for generations.

Who we are

In August 2024, a small group of international students realized that Cornell’s international community was fragmented—divided across MBA clubs, Law School organizations, departmental groups, and nationality-based associations, but lacking a single, unified space. Believing in the importance and potential of a truly connected international network, we founded the International Graduate and Professional Students Organization to bring these communities together.

Since then we:

• Created a community of all international graduate students where people can find support for any problem.
• Organized events for the entire international body that create a sense of belonging.
• Helped integrate incoming international students.

There was no dedicated student led organization on campus serving the needs, voice, and future of Cornell’s international graduate and professional students. So we built one.

Our impact so far

In under a year, IGPS has grown from 0 to more than 700 members—an unprecedented rate of growth for a new Cornell organization. That growth wasn’t marketing. It was need.

In response, Cornell recognized both our scale and our importance and in just one year we got awarded with the highest tier of university funding. That almost never happens.

Why did it happen? Because we immediately started filling a critical gap:

• We create spaces where international students feel like they belong.
• We help each other navigate complex systems (visas, housing, banking, health care, job searches).
• We organize events that are actually relevant to our lived experience here.

And we’ve done all of this with almost no financial margin. Every event we run is full. Nothing goes to waste. The only thing limiting us right now is resources—not energy or ideas.

The next step: building the International Graduate Students-Alumni Network

Community doesn’t end at graduation. For international students, graduation is when the real pressure starts.

Work authorization. First jobs. Visas. Relocation. Culture shock. Career decisions that have immigration consequences.

Our next phase is to build a living, intergenerational network that connects current international students with international alumni working in the U.S. and around the world—people who have navigated this path and are now in industry, research labs, finance, tech, government, startups, you name it.

This network will do three things:

1. Mentorship: Real conversations about how to get that first job offer and what pitfalls to avoid as an international hire.
2. Access: Warm introductions, not cold applications. People helping people.
3. Continuity: Today’s students become tomorrow’s alumni mentors, so the ladder never disappears.

That is the long-term vision: a stable, active, Cornell-backed professional network for international graduate and professional students.

Where your donation goes right now

To launch this network, we’re taking the first concrete step: bringing a cohort of current IGPS members to New York City to meet Cornell alumni in person and build real connections that will become a foundation of our network.

Your support will allow us to:

• Bring a select group of international graduate and professional students to New York City for a full day of guided conversations with Cornell international alumni working across multiple industries.
• Host structured Q&A sessions on topics like "Securing the first job position," "Work authorization nuances," "Networking in the industry."
• Most importantly: begin establishing a real network between students and alumni—genuine relationships, real faces and names, and mentors who are ready to guide and support international students for years to come.

In other words: your donation helps lay the foundation for a long-lasting professional support system that will last for generations and change lives of countless international students at Cornell.

Why this matters

Every international student currently in IGPS will, in a few years, be an alum themselves. We want them stepping into that role not disconnected and on their own, but already inside a structure that lets them give back.

That is what you’re helping us build: an active supportive network of international students and alumni.

How you can help

• Give. Your contribution directly funds student access to alumni mentorship and career guidance, and directly accelerates the creation of a permanent support network for international Cornell talent.
• Share. Tell friends, peers, colleagues, and Cornell alumni who care about global students and equitable opportunity.
• Get involved. Are you an international Cornell graduate or professional school alum? Do you work in industry and want to mentor, give a talk, review CVs, or host a session? We would love to hear from you. We are already planning career panels, information sessions, CV/resume reviews, and practical workshops on navigating life and work in the U.S. as an international professional.
  If you are interested in any collaboration with us, please email us at igps-org@cornell.edu

One last thing

IGPS is now one of the most diverse and fastest-growing communities at Cornell. We’ve built belonging. We’ve built support. Now we’re building legacy.

Your donation today becomes part of the foundation of a stable, active network of international students and alumni that will live for generations helping uncountable number of people to build their careers, lives and legacies at Cornell and in the United States. Thank you for helping us make sure that international students at Cornell don’t just arrive—they succeed, they stay connected, and they lift the next generation.

As a registered student organization, we are committed to equal access to all of our programs and do not discriminate based on any protected identity status.