Seeing CISE Again: Rediscovering the College’s International Hub

The Center for International Student Engagement (CISE) has been quietly shaping Amherst’s international community for years. Still, you wouldn’t know it from word of mouth or by keeping up with the news on The Student. The last substantial coverage of the center in The Student was a short anniversary write-up in October 2018, celebrating its founding. Since then, CISE has only appeared in passing references — often in articles about broader international student issues — leaving its role on campus largely overlooked. 

Ask around, and you’ll find that nearly everyone has heard of CISE, but hardly anyone outside the international community can explain its role beyond being a “resource for international students.” If the campus community knows the center only in passing, then perhaps the real question is not whether CISE is absent, but whether we’ve been absent from CISE. So, it’s worth asking: Where is CISE now? 

While students drop in to the center to chat, grab a bite, or simply unwind between classes, CISE is far more than a hangout spot. Located in Keefe 103, it is a home where international students can build meaningful connections and find community, fostered further by the center’s programming. Step inside between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and you’ll be greeted by a friendly student staff member or by David Ko, the center’s director. As Peishan Huang ’28 says, “It feels like home away from home.”

Today, CISE organizes a range of programs to make the international students feel seen, heard, and celebrated. International Interactions invites students to share stories on various themes, from classroom experiences to dating advice, over food and boba. The monthly community dinners also bring people together with meals from local restaurants. Global Kitchen is another popular program, which lets students cook recipes from their home with ingredients provided by CISE. Another event is Unapologetically International, an annual talent showcase that gives students the opportunity to share their cultural backgrounds with others. You can also drop by CISE to take your Polaroid picture and add it to the CISE Wall of Fame, a collection of photos depicting the international Amherst community. Delcy Asienga ’28, a program organizer at CISE, wants to create a space where other students with or without international experiences can feel comfortable sharing their stories while also listening to and learning from others through these events.

Before the school year begins, CISE collaborates with the Office of Immigration Services to run the Pre-Orientation program for new international students, easing the transition to Amherst from different cultural and geographical contexts. For many, those first few days are crucial for completing logistical tasks, like setting up a U.S. SIM card, and finding a community of peers with similar experiences. Pre-Orientation has become a cornerstone of CISE’s work, offering both practical guidance and an early sense of belonging. Nabiha Tahsin ’26, who has worked as one of the program’s student leaders for the past two years, said, “The first people I met on campus were my International Student Leaders (ISLs), who guided me through everything from opening a bank account and getting a SIM card to taking the [Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority] (PVTA) to Walmart. It helped knowing that these people, [whom] I looked up to and learned from, were as clueless as [I was] when they first came to the U.S. Every international student deserves to feel that same sense of relatability my ISLs gave me. That’s why I wanted to become an ISL myself: to give back the same support to the new class of international students as they take one of the biggest leaps of their lives and learn the ways of an unfamiliar country thousands of miles away from home.”

Additionally, CISE plays a central role in advocating for Amherst’s international students. It fought to provide summer housing for students unable to return home during breaks, brought in legal consultants to advise students during periods of heightened immigration enforcement, and kept students informed about travel restrictions and shifting visa requirements under the Trump administration. Since 2017, CISE has also guided students through challenges like the United States tax system, which international students often have to navigate alone. These efforts demonstrate how CISE is not just a cultural space but a vital resource for international students’ security and stability on campus. Singdha Ranjan ’25E says, “International students have benefited deeply from having a dedicated institutional space and a staff member to provide support and respond to challenges that international students go through. For example, whenever a crisis happens back home, students are able to turn to David for guidance and support, and even figure out where to turn to for fiscal or other kinds of support.”

CISE’s latest project? Inviting students to write a welcome message in their native language on the CISE windows to help everyone feel included in the space. On your next Mammoth on the Go visit in Keefe, remember to stop by CISE and add a welcome message in your own language on the windows.

CISE flourishes as one of Amherst’s most vital spaces: a community center, an advocate, and a home away from home for students who cross borders to study here. Despite this, not many non-international and even some international students engage with CISE, but given the current political moment, it’s an even more crucial space on our campus. For seven years, CISE has persisted in spite of our communal silence towards it, and now, more than ever, it is time for us to give it the light and appreciation it deserves. So the next time you see that event flyer from CISE, check it out. Pull up! Show your support!