Read the Message from the Vice Provost

C. Cindy Fan is vice provost for international studies and global engagement at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and is the first woman and Asian American to hold that position. She is also professor of geography and formerly associate dean of social sciences. As senior international officer (SIO), she provides strategic leadership for the university’s international partnerships and agreements, represents UCLA globally, promotes international education and research and oversees the 27 interdisciplinary research centers and eight degree programs within the International Institute. She also leads the “Expand Our Reach as a Global University” goal of UCLA’s Strategic Plan.

Born in Hong Kong, Dr. Fan received her B.A. and M.Phil. from respectively the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong and her Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. Internationally known for her research on migration and split households, gender and regional development in China, she has numerous publications including the pioneering book “China on the Move.” She is formerly co-editor of the journals Regional Studies and Eurasian Geography and Economics. From 2017 to 2023, she was Chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences Panel of the Hong Kong University Grants Committee.

Dr. Fan has delivered numerous keynotes in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. She has received the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award; Distinguished Scholar Awards from the Asian Specialty Group and China Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers; an American Council on Education Fellowship; major grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation and National Science Foundation; and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Bristol. Dr. Fan is an elected member of the National Academy of International Education.