Guidance: NYS Policy on Meetings with Foreign Government Representatives

Dear Colleagues:

As you know, New York State issued a Statewide Policy on Meetings with Foreign Government Representatives on September 2, 2025. In compliance with this policy, UB has been directed by SUNY Office of General Counsel and the New York State Governor’s Office to disclose for review and approval meetings with foreign government representatives on matters not related to routine functions in the normal course of university business. In addition, the policy requires UB to disclose for review and approval all meetings or engagements—routine or not—involving foreign government officials or political representatives from countries designated by federal regulation as a “foreign country of concern,” which currently are China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Please familiarize yourself with UB’s Compliance Framework for Statewide Policy on Meetings with Foreign Government Representatives webpage, which provides detailed information on which meetings are included and which are excluded.

UB has created an internal system for reviewing requests for all meetings with foreign government representatives. The first step of the process is to complete the appropriate form linked on the compliance framework webpage. You are required to submit the form at least 21 days in advance of your proposed meeting. The request will be reviewed internally and forwarded to SUNY Office of General Counsel and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), if appropriate. Additional information may be requested by DHSES.

Please review the webpage linked above and reach out to forgovmtg@buffalo.edu with any questions. Please share this memo with faculty and staff in your unit, as appropriate.

Sincerely,

A. Scott Weber
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs