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The International Center promotes relationships with educational institutions, student and faculty exchanges, and joint research projects through international academic exchange and collaboration.

International Research

Research and creativity crosses borders, and the grand challenges facing our  commonwealth, nation  and world are often inherently transnational in nature. The best ideas, the transformative science, the most innovative creative expression, can come from anywhere. The UK International Center supports faculty in doing research outside the U.S., building international research collaborations, and strengthening global professional networks. International Partnerships & Research collaborates with the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) to strengthen research security and ensure that UK researchers comply with all relevant federal and state regulations and guidelines when engaging in international research.

UK's Global Footprint

As the flagship, land-grant, public research university serving the Commonwealth, the University of Kentucky is engaged in local, regional, transnational, and global relationships. The UK Global Footprint compiles and visualizes data on UK's global engagement activities to support existing activities and enhance strategic decision-making.

Global Footprint

Recent News

Nominations open for 2026 Global Impact Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 3, 2026) — The University of Kentucky International Center is seeking nominations for the 2026 UK Global Impact Awards. Nominations are being accepted through April 15. Each year, since 2020, UK’s Global Impact Awards recognize faculty and staff contributions to UK’s global engagement through education, research and service and feature awards for alumni and community partners.

UK’s Estate Whiskey Alliance expands to Scotland with Ballindalloch Distillery

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 13, 2026) — The University of Kentucky’s Estate Whiskey Alliance (EWA) today announced that Ballindalloch Distillery, a distillery producing single malt Scotch whisky, has joined the organization as its newest member. The addition marks a milestone for the EWA, as Ballindalloch Distillery becomes its first member located outside of North America.

‘I never dreamed I’d see it’: UK Astronaut Scholar conducts research in Madagascar

When she was a child, Jaesylin Stephens, a senior biology major in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, saw nature documentaries on Madagascar. She never imagined, though, that she would one day visit the east African county. “I never dreamed I’d get to see it with my own eyes,” Stephens said. “I’ll never forget finding bamboo lemurs on my first day in the field. I couldn’t believe I was just a few feet below such a unique, rare and endangered animal in its natural habitat.”