Arranging the Visit

Considerations of the Host Department

Who Pays for the Expenses of the Visit?

Estimate the expenses of the visit and make sure it is clear who pays. Consider what it means to "invite" someone to campus. Are there assumptions that an invitation includes hospitality beyond the arrangement of an itinerary? If the visitor is responsible for lodging expenses, but you offer to make hotel reservations, make sure the visitor's financial obligations are understood. Make it clear to the U of M participants who are having meals with the visitor or accompanying the visitor to other events how expenses are to be covered.

When considering what expenses the University will cover during the visit, the host department should determine the type of visa the guest will use to travel to the United States. Certain visas carry restrictions on payment and reimbursement. Check with International Student and Scholar Services at 612-626-7100 for exact regulations and terms of the visa status of your guest.

Arrival and Departure

Determine whether a U of M representative will meet the visitor at the airport and provide an escort to the hotel. Your decision will depend on the visitor's status and familiarity with the Twin Cities and the availability of an escort at the appointed time. The same considerations would apply to departure from the Twin Cities.

Gift Giving

Gift giving is symbolic in every culture. In the U.S., giving a gift to business associates and colleagues is often a sign that you respect the effort made to visit you and to signify something about the relationshipits beginning, the continuity, or the forging of a new aspect to the relationship. While these underlying motives can apply across cultures, the actual gift given is often quite symbolic, thus creating a great deal of anxiety for hosts of international visitors. What is the right gift? And what do you do if you receive a gift? Here are some things to keep in mind:

Some cultures place emphasis on numbers and colors. For example in China, giving gifts in single or odd numbers can imply loneliness or separation, while gifts given in pairs are highly appropriate, as it equates to good luck. Colors and the way a gift is wrapped can also hold a great deal of significance.
Some categories of gifts may offend certain cultures. For example, a letter opener looks like a knife and implies severing a relationship to a visitor from Japan or Latin American countries. Cows are sacred in India, so you should avoid leather gifts. The word for clock in Mandarin sounds like the word for death, so clocks are generally not given to Chinese people. Remember that not all visitors from these cultures will be offended; use your best judgment or ask someone from the same culture for advice.
Keep in mind that the recipient will have to transport the gift back home. It is best to avoid heavy, burdensome gifts.
Don't expect that the visitor will open the gift in front of you. Cultures vary in the custom of whether a gift is given in front of the giver. Do not force a visitor to open a gift. You can encourage the visitor by explaining it is customary in the U.S. to open a gift right away. If you aren't sure what to do with a gift given to you, ask, "Is this something I should open now?"
If you receive a gift, do you send a thank you? For many of us, sending thank you notes feels respectful. However, the practice is not widely used outside of the U.S. It is probably not necessary to send a thank you note; however, you may wish to demonstrate this aspect of U.S. culture and send one anyway.

For more information on giving gifts to people from specific countries:

Office of International Programs

What's Inside

OIP Units