On Monday, September 11, flooding decimated the coastal city of Derna and its surrounding areas. Thousands have perished or been reported missing. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life, and we offer our condolences to the families of those impacted throughout the region.
Care Managers are available to students who need support during this time and they can be reached at PittCares@pitt.edu.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by the recent earthquake in Morocco. We extend our condolences to those who have suffered devastating losses and offer our support to members of the University community who fear for the well-being of their friends and family in the affected region.
If you would like support during this time, we have resources and services to offer. Students can reach out to PittCares@pitt.edu to connect with a Care Manager.
For those interested in donating to assist with efforts in Morocco, numerous avenues exist to provide relief to those impacted by the earthquake including:
Our thoughts are with those impacted by the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. We extend our condolences to those who have suffered devastating losses and offer our support to members of the University community who fear for the well-being of their friends and family in the affected region.
If you would like support during this time, we have resources and services to offer. Students can reach out to PittCares@pitt.edu to connect with a Care Manager.
For those interested in making a donation to assist with efforts in Türkiye and Syria, the organizations below are among those providing aid.
In recent months, a growing number of individuals across Iran—many of them university students—have spoken out about advancing women’s rights.
At the University of Pittsburgh, we view institutions of higher education as uniquely positioned to elevate individual ideas and voices; tackle urgent issues; and foster open, productive discussions. Within this environment, we understand the importance of supporting the safety and well-being of our community members. These very values have shaped—and will continue to shape—our direct outreach to Pitt students, faculty and staff members from Iran or impacted by the events in Iran.
At the same time, it’s important for our Iranian classmates, colleagues, and their supporters to know that they are not alone, that resources are available, and that the Pitt community is standing by their side during these challenging times. For anyone impacted: Please consider the resources below and do not hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know is in need.
Dear Pitt Community Members:
As you know, in recent months, protesters across Iran—many of them university students—have taken to the streets in support of women’s rights.
Here at the University of Pittsburgh, we believe in human rights for all people. Universities must be spaces where people engage in open discussion and inquiry, make their voices heard, and advocate for the change they want to see in the world.
We understand that this is a difficult time for our Iranian community, and we will continue to reach out to these members directly and offer Pitt resources and support as needed.
Sincerely,
Ariel Armony, Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs
Amanda Godley, Vice Provost for Graduate Studies
Joseph McCarthy, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
As the University of Pittsburgh continues to expand its global impact, an unprecedented 12 concurrent U.S. Department of Education awards will support teaching, research and learning about five different world regions, key world languages and overarching global themes. All six of the University Center for International Studies’ (UCIS) global and area studies centers have been chosen to receive both National Resource Center grants and Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships by the federal government. These competitive awards place Pitt among the nation’s leaders in international and area studies and will bolster the work of Pitt faculty and their students with over $11 million in funding for the next four years.
The designation of these centers as National Resource Centers (NRC) will galvanize the reputations of the Asian Studies Center, Center for African Studies, European Studies Center, Center for Latin American Studies, Global Studies Center and Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. NRC funding will allow all six centers to maintain and expand existing programming, broadening the University’s student and community engagement and offering crucial global perspectives. Current center initiatives include teaching foreign language and area studies courses, offering study abroad opportunities to students, showcasing the vibrant immigrant communities of Pittsburgh and bringing international visitors and academic research to Pitt.
Dr. Ariel Armony, Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs and Director of UCIS, said, "We are very excited that the excellent work done by all of Pitt's global and area studies centers is recognized at this level. This is a historical achievement. The unprecedented number of awards places Pitt in a top group of global institutions that offer the best international research and learning experiences to all students."
The six centers also have concrete plans for expanded programming moving forward, including advancing initiatives to promote diversity, inclusion and equity within area studies; supporting course development to foster essential skills to students engaging in international careers; developing a consortium of colleges and universities across Appalachia to expand access to foreign language and international studies courses; and increasing the teaching of endangered and less commonly taught languages such as Quechua (an indigenous language of South America), Irish Gaelic, Twi and Slovak.
As the centers receive support for their educational missions, Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) funding will directly support Pitt students as they seek to become proficient in less commonly taught languages and deepen their knowledge of related regions. Target languages include Portuguese, Arabic, Russian and Swahili, among others. FLAS funding will finance as many as 280 graduate and undergraduate students with academic year and summer fellowships over the next four years.
Starting in the spring of 2023, students will be encouraged to apply for FLAS funding through the UCIS website. FLAS scholarships will be available for both the academic year and summer term.
Beginning July 1st, an adjustment in his title names Ariel Armony the Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs. Vice Chancellor Armony's new role reflects his university-wide responsibilities, and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann Cudd wrote that in his work at Pitt, Ariel has "steered the University's global engagement initiatives to grow international partnerships and foster real-world impact through global learning and research." Read the full statement here: https://www.provost.pitt.edu/news/vice-provost-global-affairs
The University of Pittsburgh’s Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC) Program offers students the opportunity to use world languages in courses offered in a variety academic disciplines, including those outside of languages and literature. The program aims to provide a curricular framework to develop and apply language and intercultural competences within all disciplines. It is based upon the belief that languages and intercultural perspectives promote a better and more nuanced understanding of content in any course. It aims to promote a better understanding of world regions while demonstrating the relevance of practical language skills across the disciplines.
The University Center for International Studies (UCIS), with funding from Pitt’s Title VI National Resource Centers, has embarked on a four year initiative to increase the number of LAC courses offered on campus. Currently, three Title VI National Resource Centers support the development of new LAC courses: the Asian Studies Center (ASC), the European Studies Center (ESC), and the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (REEES). The initiative also receives support from the Center for African Studies, Global Studies Center, and Center for Latin American Studies. Presently, students apply their second language skills in French, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian to the study of academic content in fields such as Anthropology, History, Art History, Film Studies, Literatures, and Environmental Science. In the future, the program will expand to more languages and other disciplines. Please contact the program coordinator Dr. Haixia Wang with any questions about LAC program.
Originally published in University Times, Oct. 20, 2020
Pitt is in pretty good company — tied at 43rd with the Sorbonne University in Paris — in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report global universities rankings, which were released this week.
In addition, Pitt ranked in the top 20 in several medical field: Surgery (3); infectious diseases (13); clinical medicine (18); and psychiatry/psychology (20). See the full subject rankings here.
The top five global universities were: Harvard, Massachusetts Institute for Technology, Stanford, University of Oxford and Columbia.
Carnegie Mellon University ranked 94th overall, while Penn State was 75th.
Nearly 1,500 institutions spread across 86 countries were included in the seventh annual rankings. The ranks are based on the schools’ academic research performance and global and regional reputations, according to U.S. News & World Report.
— Susan Jones
As this group knows well, the killing of George Floyd didn’t happen in a vacuum and didn’t reveal anything new. It brutally expressed, once again, the vicious realities of racism, xenophobia, sexism, police violence and the impunity with which it operates, and social injustices that characterize this country’s past and present.
It is important to reiterate our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We also know, however, that there is a wide gulf between words and action. Change is difficult, messy, and often uncomfortable. It requires our willingness to be honest, to keep fighting, and to stand back up in the face of temporary defeat.
The dehumanization of so many based on race/ethnicity, gender/sexual orientation, age, ability, religion, national origin, and socioeconomic status has become a recurrent component of our reality in the United States and around the world. In a chronic, shameful way, we often become numb to this despicable reality; at times, that numbness gives way to rage. Still, I am inspired to see the outpouring of protests and condemnations nationwide and I am hopeful this will pave the way for real and necessary change.
I am proud of all the work we do as a center and as a university. I urge everyone to take the time they need for their own mental well-being and encourage you to keep fighting for what we know to be just and right.
Best,
Ariel
Ariel C. Armony (he, him, his)
Vice Provost for Global Affairs
Director, University Center for International Studies
Professor of Public & International Affairs and Political Science
