The Host Student Program pairs incoming international students with continuing GSAS students, connecting the new students with a source of advice and friendship as they navigate their early days at Harvard and in the United States. GSAS has the largest international population of any school at the University, and incoming international students this year represent 50 countries. Getting acclimated to Harvard is a complex business no matter where you're born, but GSAS recognizes that international students may particularly benefit from the support and shared experiences that a more advanced student can share.

After being matched with an incoming student, host students contact their "matches" over the summer and then meet up in person August. For the incoming international students, this is an opportunity to make contact with fellow students before they arrive at Harvard, hopefully easing their transition. And for the many current GSAS students who may have benefited from this program, becoming a host is a chance to give something back.

The social highlight of the program is the gala Host Student Dinner, a vibrant and elegant affair that had the happy flair of a large cocktail party. "In just a dinner, just a single, ostensibly social event, we capture so many things that are crucial to the Graduate School and to Harvard University," said GSAS Dean Allan Brandt, during brief remarks at the event. "This truly is a global graduate school."