University Times

Four of Pitt’s area studies programs have received redesignation as National Resource Centers (NRC). NRC status is recognized as a key indicator of excellence for area studies programs.

Following a peer-reviewed competition, the following Pitt centers, all part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS), were redesignated: Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Russian and East European Studies and West European Studies.

The NRC program is authorized through Title VI of the Higher Education Act and administered through the U.S. Department of Education’s International Education and Graduate Programs Service. Through NRC, the Department of Education provides grants to colleges and universities to strengthen and maintain America’s capacity in foreign languages and expertise in area and international studies.

In addition, three of the UCIS centers received Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships for graduate students.

FLAS fellowships, also authorized through Title VI, assist graduate students in foreign language and other international or area studies. With the recently redesignated International Business Center (IBC), which is jointly sponsored by UCIS and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, Pitt now is home to five Title VI centers.

“For a university to have one of its programs designated as a U.S. Department of Education Title VI center is a major achievement,” said UCIS Director William I. Brustein.

“That all four of our area studies centers and our International Business Center have received this coveted honor is both remarkable and exceptional. With five Title VI centers, the University of Pittsburgh is widely acknowledged as one of our nation’s outstanding institutions in the area of international studies.”

Organized under UCIS, the Asian Studies Center, the Center for Latin American Studies, the Center for Russian and East European Studies, and the Center for West European Studies have held this distinction for more than two decades.

The renewal of NRC status brings with it substantial financial support from the federal government: Together, the four centers will receive more than $6 million over the next three years in support of students, outreach and faculty development.