Our Mission
The Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a collaborative hub committed to advancing public-facing, community-engaged research. For over two decades, our mission of “Research for Action” has driven globally engaged, interdisciplinary projects that address the world’s most pressing challenges.
Rooted in UCSB’s Social Sciences and Humanities, the Orfalea Center is organized around participatory research clusters and geographic hubs that bring together faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and research partners—particularly in the Global South and East—to connect, collaborate, and co-create impactful knowledge.
We believe in empowering new ways of producing and sharing knowledge. If you’ve ever engaged in collaborative global research, you know the power of these collaborations across cultures and languages. We invite you to join us in building a diverse, impactful research community here at UC Santa Barbara and beyond.
Kimberly Nickel, Undergraduate Student, Global Studies (Major) & Sociology (Minor)
"The Orfalea Center directed me towards new ways of thinking about research and expanded my perspective."
Rajvir Rai, Undergraduate Student, Anthropology (major) & Language, Culture and Society (Minor)
"My experience at the Orfalea Center has prepared me to build a cultural consciousness."
Noa Cykman, Graduate Student, Department of Sociology
"Participating in the Orfalea Center was like finding an oasis—a community of common interests and values, which sees academia from a critical point of view, and research as a tool for social struggle and intervention."
Maisnam Arnapal, Graduate Student, Department of Feminist Studies
"With the Orfalea Center’s support, I expanded my research into a community-engaged, globally connected project."
Russell Nylen, Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology
"The Orfalea Center is a welcoming community of passionate individuals engaged in a wide range of fascinating research topics, coming together to collectively uplift each other."
About Us
“Research for Action” drives our mission and purpose
The Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), founded in 2005, is a collaborative hub committed to supporting globally engaged research projects that address the world’s most pressing challenges.