International Travel

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has instituted several practices to remain in compliance with government regulations on foreign travel, exports of controlled equipment, technical data, software, and technology. All faculty, staff, and students are required to follow these policies, laws, and regulations when working in, or traveling to, a foreign country. International travel for university related activities requires registration with the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange. Likewise, the Travel Office has Export Control procedures and requirements prior to any foreign travel.

Any travel involving embargoed and/or highly sanctioned countries and regions (e.g., Ukraine/Russia contested regions - Crimea - Donbas - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya regions of Ukraine, Russia, Eritrea, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Balkans, Central African Republic, Congo, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe) is subject to the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations and may require a license from the U.S. government. OFAC regulations apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever located, foreign nationals located inside the United States, and entities organized under the laws of the United States. Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship are considered “U.S. persons”.

Always consult the Export Control Officer before planning travel to or engaging with individuals in an embargoed or sanctioned country.

Travel to North Korea is highly restricted, therefore requires special authorization from the U.S. State Department. Academic activities are not exempt from this requirement.

Always follow these Export Control requirements when traveling internationally:

  • If any University laptops, smartphones, phones, or tablets will be taken to a foreign country, the traveler must request approval/guidance from the IT department at security@uark.edu
  • Always use the University’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) when conducting any University business from any device.
  • It is recommended that a backup of any device you take with you be made before you travel. For example, if you are obligated to obtain a SIM card for the country you are visiting in order to utilize your device, it is recommended that you do a device reset to factory default settings when you return to ensure that the device has not been contaminated with spyware, malware, or other malicious code.
  • University equipment, technology, or technical information cannot be taken to any country that appears on the U.S. Department of Defense list of proscribed countries, nor may any export-controlled data be accessed from within those countries. A license or other government authorization must be obtained through the University’s Export Control Officer in advance of travel.
  • Export controlled items, technical data, and/or technology cannot be shipped, or hand carried when traveling internationally without applicable licenses and prior approval from the Export Control Officer.
  • Export-controlled data or technology cannot be accessed while traveling without an export license or other government authorization obtained through the University’s Export Control Officer in advance of travel.
  • Information that is not published nor publicly available should never be shared with any individuals who are not part of the project team.

NOTE: Nvidia’s A100 or H100, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) MI250 chips, devices containing such AI chips, advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs), or devices containing such ICs are unauthorized to be exported or reexported via any mode (i.e., hand carry or shipping), nor may they be designated as surplus or reuse without prior authorization from the University’s Export Control Officer. Please review the item specifications or consult the manufacturer for more information on the product classification of devices.

Contact Export Control Staff

Shatara Porchia-White

Shatara Porchia-White

Director, Research Integrity and Compliance

106 MLKG

479-575-2105

sporchia@uark.edu

Mevin Torres

Melvin Torres

Export Control Officer

108 MLKG

479-575-6725

exports@uark.edu

Benjamin Purvis

Benjamin Purvis

Chief Administration Officer

102 MLKG

479-575-2765

bpurvis@uark.edu

rsicadmn@uark.edu