Open Society University Network Partnership Support's Afghanistan Project at Pitt's Center for Governance and Markets

 

Pittsburgh, PA, 04/15/2022 - The Open Society University Network (OSUN) has welcomed the Center for Governance and Markets (CGM) at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh as a new member of its network, identifying it as a critical partner in resettling Afghan scholars-at-risk. This partnership between OSUN and CGM’s Afghanistan Project ensures continued support of the program, which was launched shortly after the collapse of the Afghan government in August of 2021. 

The Afghanistan Project at CGM allows Afghan scholars and leaders to continue their work at the University of Pittsburgh. The Threatened Scholar Initiative at OSUN provides fellowships for scholars who cannot remain in their home countries due to threats from authoritarian regimes. The partnership between CGM and OSUN solidifies the Afghanistan Project as a leading hub supporting Afghan scholars in exile.  

“The important work of the Afghanistan Project at the Center for Governance and Markets is a dream come true,” said Thomas Keenan, Director of the Human Rights Program and the Threatened Scholar Initiative at OSUN. “Pitt is creating a hub for threatened scholars and civil society activists to create knowledge in their field and explore visions of an Afghanistan to come.”  

The partnership represents an important milestone for both OSUN and CGM, and will allow the Afghanistan Project to flourish in the years to come. While it houses traditional academic researchers, the Afghanistan Project is also open to policy professionals such as persecuted journalists, media professionals, and policy leaders, whose safety is threatened by Taliban rule.  

“We are so enthusiastic about this partnership with OSUN,” said Carissa Slotterback, Dean of Pitt’s Graduate School for Public & International Affairs. “OSUN saw value in ensuring that scholars from Afghanistan can work together and collaborate. It is an honor to host these scholars at GSPIA and we look forward to supporting the important work of the Afghanistan Project.”