Learning in an Olympic Village

Every year IBS welcomes students from all around the world in its unique learning community. With students from over 50 countries, nearly all of the world's major cultures and languages are represented, and every IBS academic and social activity benefits from the resulting range of viewpoints and experiences. In addition to the diversity of IBS students, we also welcome each year approximately 20 exchange students from our partner universities around the world.

In this extraordinary mix, no part of the world is disproportionately represented - we attract students from the richest and poorest countries, and from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

The School's activities take advantage of these rich cultural resources. We organize social events to celebrate one or another culture's traditions and language, and arrange for pot-luck dinners to showcase their culinary talents. When critical issues arise on the international stage, we often have students from the affected countries, and can create a forum for understanding international reaction and facilitating communication.

Because of this special student body, our faculty and staff understand the needs of international students from many different backgrounds. We can offer help with housing, visa requirements, cultural issues, English language skills, and more generally, in making the complex adjustments that people from other countries need to make to the US educational environment and to international careers and institutions.

IBS graduates often cite our thoroughly international community as one of the most important parts of their experience at Brandeis. Many of the relationships forged in this setting continue well beyond graduation, linking alumni in a truly global network of friendships and connections.