University Times

Pitt’s European Union Center of Excellence and European Studies Center has joined a scholarly exchange program with universities in Germany, Turkey and the United States.

Through the EU-GLOBAL partnership for scholars studying international affairs and related issues, Pitt will host researchers from abroad interested in exploring topics in Pitt faculty members’ areas of expertise, including migration, global health governance, national disaster response and the intersection of U.S. and European security policies. Pitt researchers will visit participating universities to collaborate with their faculties. Also participating in the EU-GLOBAL program are Middle East Technical University and Yasar University in Turkey; the University of Cologne in Germany, and the University of California-Berkeley.

Ronald Linden, director of Pitt’s European Union Center of Excellence and European Studies Center, is the first Pitt researcher to go abroad through the program, visiting the Middle East Technical University this month to study Turkish views and policies toward countries in the Balkan and Black Sea regions. Researchers from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences are expected to follow over the next several years.

Pitt hosted its first visiting scholar during the spring semester. Wulf Reiners of the University of Cologne collaborated with researchers and scholars on how global governance affects the control of infectious diseases.

EU-GLOBAL is funded by the International Research Staff Exchange Scheme, offered through the European Commission’s Marie Curie Actions office. Its aim is to help maintain Europe’s leading role in many important areas of scientific and technological research, in addition to establishing and strengthening long-term cooperation with other universities around the world.

In addition, support for Pitt’s participation comes from the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and Office of the Provost.