The I-House Connection: January 2025

January 9, 2025

Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director

Dear I-House Community,

January 2025 I-House Connection I hope your new year is off to a great start! One of our resolutions this year at I-House is to continue to grow and strengthen connections among our alumni worldwide through the development of I-House alumni clubs. If you would like to help with this effort by serving as an alumni ambassador in your region of the world, please let us know by sending an email to alumni@ihouseberkeley.org.

Next week, I'll be in Northern India and look forward to meeting alumni at events in New Delhi – details are below. Please join us if you can and help spread the word to other I-House alumni in that region!

If you live near nearby or will be in the Bay Area, please consider joining us for one of the upcoming events here at I-House: Lunar New Year dinner on Jan 29th in the Dining Commons, Alumni Happy Hour on February 13th in Edmonds' Cafe, and our Celebration Gala on March 9th in the Chevron Auditorium — tickets are on sale now!

Last month, I was happy to have my article on critical thinking and open dialogue published in Forbes magazine. I also had the opportunity to share my ideas about enhancing the experience for international students in an interview on the Ed CMO podcast.

Finally, we’re delighted to spotlight Sandeep Pandey, an inspiring I-House alumnus (1988–90) who co-founded Asha for Education, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting underprivileged children in India.

Warm regards,

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director

Shaun R. Carver Ed.D., MBA
Executive Director and CEO
International House at UC Berkeley
linkedin.com/in/shauncarver

Calling all I-House Alumni in India

Please join us for two I-House alumni events in New Delhi, co-hosted by I-House Chicago. Families and friends are welcome.

Panel Discussion: India – US Relations Under the New U.S. President
Following the general election held in India last spring and the recent presidential election in the U.S, this conversation will be moderated by India Ambassador Surendra Kumar. Panelists include India Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh, India Ambassador Pankaj Saran, economist Dr. Surjit Bhalla, Diplomatic Editor of The Hindu Suhasini Haidar, India Lt. Gen Rajender Singh, and Professor Chintamani Mahapatra.

Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. IST (Tea and coffee served from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.)
Location: Gulmohar, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, 110003
Learn more and register here.

I-House Alumni Gathering in New Delhi with IH Executive Director Shaun Carver

This will be an informal social gathering of alumni from International Houses Berkeley, Chicago, India, New York, and beyond.

Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Imperial Hotel Delhi, Janpath, New Delhi, 110001
RSVP here

Please help us spread the word to I-House alumni in the area! For questions, contact us at alumni@ihouseberkeley.org.

Gala 2025 logo

Registration is now open for our Annual Celebration Gala!
March 9, 2025 5:00 p.m.

Join us for a festive evening celebrating valued members of our global community and honoring their support and service to I-House and the world.

Our 2025 Honorees are:

Alumnus of the Year
Markos Kounalakis (IH 1977-78)
Markos Kounalakis, Ph.D. is an author, publisher, journalist, scholar, and award-winning syndicated foreign affairs columnist. Dr. Kounalakis is a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. In 2017, President Barack Obama appointed him to the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

The Betsey and Sherry Warrick Mission Service Award
The University Section Club
Since 1927, the University Section Club has been a catalyst for friendship, community, and service across the UC Berkeley campus. Club members have a long history of supporting international students through an endowed room and board scholarship at I-House, as Homestay Program hosts, and other activities.

Executive Director Community Impact Award
Excellence Anurika Joshua
Excellence Anurika Joshua is a social entrepreneur and healthcare innovator working at the intersection of women, technology, and social impact. She is the founder of Techy Train Incubator Foundation, an enterprise dedicated to equipping African women with digital tools to work their way out of poverty, care for their families, and strengthen their communities.

Learn more and purchase your ticket online at: https://I-HouseGala2025.eventbrite.com

Thanks to our Gala Sponsors!

Fillmore
Sysco, Nancy Lim
Plant Construction, Verkada
Peerless, Third Culture

If you’re interested in sponsoring our Gala, please contact Samantha DePetro-Wysuph,
I-House Philanthropy Advisor, at (510) 406-3995, or email Samanthadw@ihouseberkeley.org

Save the Dates! Events at I-House Berkeley

Lunar New Year Theme Dinner: Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 5-8 p.m.
Quarterly Alumni Happy Hour: February 13, 2025, 5-7 p.m. Register here.
I-House Celebration & Awards Gala: March 9, 2025, 5-9 p.m.More details here.
International Culture Festival: April 26, 2025
I-House Alumni Reunion Brunch: August 10, 2025

See more events on our Alumni Events & Reunions page

Sandeep Pandey (IH 1988-90)
Social activist and co-founder of Asha for Education

While working on his doctorate in control theory at Berkeley in 1991, Pandey co-founded Asha for Education, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing about socioeconomic change in India through the education of underprivileged children. After completing his education, Pandey moved back to India and taught at the Indian Institute of Technology until 1993. Pandey then fully dedicated himself to social activism, making headlines by walking about 1,500 kilometers in a nuclear disarmament peace march. Pandey also led a peace march from Delhi, India, to Multan, Pakistan to initiate peace discussions between local villages in the two countries. In 2002, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, often called the “Asian Nobel Prize,” for his leadership.
Learn more.

I-House Alumni Then & Now

Ring in the New Year with a nostalgic trip! Our "Then and Now" series showcases I-House alumni, their memories, and their recent mini-reunions. See our first post in the series on our Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn networks.

Great bonds are not bound by space and time! Spread the joy by sharing your priceless 'then and now' moments at tinyurl.com/ihouse-then-now

I-House Swag Store

Perfect for alumni, residents, and friends of I-House, our swag helps you bring the spirit of international fellowship wherever you go. Visit ihouse.berkeley.edu/shop to find all you’ll need for your next I-House alumni gathering.