The University of Hawaiʻi recognizes international study and work experiences are integral to students faculty and staff by broadening their perspectives on intercultural diversity and relationships. It is also recognized that such travel poses certain unique and increased risks to participants and to the university. The Office of Risk Management has developed a set of guidelines and recommendations to assist departments, faculty, staff, and students to minimize the risk related to university-sponsored international travel.
Examples of university-sponsored travel include:
- Study abroad programs
- Faculty-led study tours
- Faculty research
- Conferences and other meetings
- Recruiting
- Internships
Guidelines
- Follow applicable UH policies and procedures for travel. Travel on sponsored projects should be in accordance with the applicable award document, which may require pre-approval from the sponsoring agency
- Be aware of regulatory compliance requirements, such as:
- Export controls and technology transfer
- Animal research and human subjects research
- Review U.S. Department of State country specific information
- Review U.S. Department of State travel warnings or travel alerts
- Register your trip with the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
- Be aware of required visas and travel documents
- Check with your personal health insurance carrier for your health plan benefits outside of the United States
- Purchase health and emergency medical evacuation/repatriation insurance if not covered by your health plan
- Talk to your health care provider about recommended vaccines before you travel
Information on Travel Warnings
All travelers are urged to understand the risks associated with any planned travel. Current information on travel warnings for individual countries is available at:
- U.S. Department of State
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Automatic email distributions of U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings (subscription recommended)
Providing Contact Information While Overseas
While traveling abroad on university-sponsored programs, graduate/professional students, undergraduate students, employees, faculty and staff are strongly advised to provide information to their sponsoring unit at UH about their travel itinerary and contact information in the destination country. This should include:
- hotel and personal addresses
- mobile and office telephone numbers
- email information
- alternative contact information with an institution or individual in the country
Such information is necessary if emergencies arise either with family members in the United States or with events in the country of residence.
Travelers are strongly encouraged to provide their contact information to the U.S. Department of State by enrolling their trip online. If issues arise affecting the safety of U.S. citizens, the U.S. Embassy needs up-to-date contact information for visitors in order to disseminate safety information, evacuation orders or other updated travel warnings.
