Our Story

The office of International Health, Safety & Security (IHSS) is the newest unit of the UK International Center, and was founded in 2015. IHSS works to help ensure that members of the UK community have the best possible support from UK while traveling internationally, whether for business or education abroad. 

Before the inception of IHSS, UK employees traveling internationally had to rely on their personal insurance coverage for overseas healthcare, and had very limited centralized support when they needed assistance. With the support of the Provost and the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, this changed markedly after the implementation of a university-wide international medical insurance plan, which now covers all travelers on approved UK trips. IHSS manages the implementation of this coverage, which is facilitated through the University's international travel registry. 

IHSS also supports UK students in their international education experiences, working directly with non-credit travelers and partnering with Education Abroad & Exchanges to facilitate orientations, program development and emergency management for credit-bearing experiences.  

By partnering with offices within the International Center and across campus, IHSS strives to prepare international travelers for the unique situations they may encounter overseas, and to set up robust support systems to help them when they need it.