Global Reach

Pitt people studied and did research abroad, and won prestigious international fellowships. The University built foreign partnerships, and hosted ambassadors and international students. A newly formed Chancellors Global Advisory Council supports Pitt’s global strategy. And the University launched a Cyber Law Institute contributing to the national discussion of global security and other cyber-related issues.

 

July 23, 2016
International Students Gather for Global Leadership Summit

Thanks to the University’s annual Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement summit, 43 student leaders from around the world—including nine Pitt students—participated in four days of leadership training and mentoring by accomplished government and business leaders, interactive workshops, and problem-solving sessions at local community agencies. The academy is named in honor of Pitt alumnus Frances Hesselbein (UPJ ’36), recipient of the 1998 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

September 29, 2016
Pitt Leader Tapped for National Advisory Council

Rebecca Bagley, vice chancellor for economic partnership, is appointed to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship by the U.S. secretary of commerce. The council makes recommendations aimed at helping U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce to be more globally competitive.

September 29, 2016
Surgeon Wins Top Honor From China

In Beijing, China, Pitt’s Timothy Billiar is presented with the Chinese government’s highest honor — the Friendship Award, bestowed upon foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s economic and social progress. He is the George Vance Foster Professor and Distinguished Professor of Surgery in and chair of the Department of Surgery.

October 23, 2016
Among the World's Best

U.S. News & World Report places Pitt among the top 5 percent of universities worldwide in its “Best Global Universities” list, which ranks 1,000 leading universities in 65 countries.

November 14, 2016
Education Professor Edits International Journal

Amanda Godley, an associate professor in the School of Education, is named coeditor of the academic journal English Teaching: Practice and Critique. This peer-reviewed international journal encourages critical, reflective practice and classroom-based research on issues related to literacy.

December 1, 2016
First Place for Student Amateur Radio Operators

The basic rules of an amateur radio contest are simple: Contact as many other stations as possible during the allotted time. Pitt’s Panther Amateur Radio Club wins first place in the Atlantic Division of the Northeast Region in the American Radio Relay League’s 2016 International DX Contest. The club, advised by faculty member Juan Manfredi, has 15 student members.

January 11, 2017
New Cyber Law Institute Launches

David J. Hickton is appointed founding director of the new University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, which will position Pitt to offer significant contributions to the national discussion on cyber-related issues affecting personal, national, and global security and privacy. A former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hickton will marshal and expand Pitt’s extensive capabilities in this emerging field to enrich the learning and research environment.

March 5, 2017
Russian Students Visit Campus to Learn About U.S. Urban Challenges

Pitt hosts a group of young Russian scholars for a weeklong visit. The students from a Moscow university receive a crash course in U.S. urban challenges through the lens of Pittsburgh, a Rust Belt city now known for its innovation, entrepreneurial technology, and urban renewal.

March 9, 2017
Award for International Education and Global Programs

The University wins a national award recognizing its commitment to international education and the strength of its global programs. Pitt is one of only four institutions nationwide to receive the 2017 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, given by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Named for the late senator from Illinois, the award recognizes colleges and universities that are making significant, well-planned, well-executed, and well-documented progress toward integrating international education throughout all facets of a university campus.

April 28, 2017
Alumnus Wins Fellowship for Refugee Research in Germany

In Bonn, Germany, Susan Pisarcik (A&S ’16) is presented with a German Chancellor Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to fund fieldwork for her study of Germany’s refugee population. The fellowship supports university graduates exploring new solutions to the global issues of our times.

May 4, 2017
Alumnus Chosen as 2017 CNN Hero

In Cambodia and other countries, life without soap can lead to illness and even deadly disease, especially among children. Pitt alumnus Samir Lakhani (A&S ’15) is named a 2017 CNN Hero for his nonprofit project, the Eco-Soap Bank, which recycles discarded bars of soap from hotels in Cambodia and distributes it to Cambodians in need. So far, reports CNN, more than 650,000 people have benefited from the effort.

May 4, 2017
Undergraduate Wins National Foreign Affairs Fellowship

David Leftwich is among 10 undergraduates nationwide to be awarded a 2017 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship, which provides financial and professional support for students preparing to enter the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service. The Pitt junior is majoring in political science and psychology and is pursuing a global studies certificate through the University Center for International Studies.

May 18, 2017
Pitt Builds Partnership Opportunities in Colombia

Exploring 21st-century global partnership opportunities while renewing bonds that date to 1948, Chancellor Pat Gallagher and a Pitt/UPMC delegation travel to Colombia for a weeklong visit. They meet with government, higher education, and health care officials with the aim of increasing Pitt’s visibility in South America and furthering the University’s strategic goal of global engagement.

June 7, 2017
A Visit by Ambassadors from Around the World

More than 30 ambassadors to the United States from countries worldwide spend a day touring Pitt’s Nationality Rooms and Human Engineering Research Laboratories as part of a three-day visit to Pittsburgh.

June 12, 2017
Global Strategy Council to Advance Pitt's Agenda

Formation of the Chancellor’s Global Advisory Council (CGAC) will support the University’s global strategy. Composed of accomplished alumni from eight countries and multiple sectors of the global economy, CGAC will advise the chancellor and academic and administrative leaders on research, education, and outreach activities.