Gettysburg College and University of Pittsburg are part of the Diplomacy Lab network led by the Office of Global Partnerships. Diplomacy Lab is a public-private partnership that enables the State Department to "course-source" research and innovation related to foreign policy challenges by harnessing the efforts of students and faculty experts at universities across the country.
– More: http://diplomacylab.org/
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
The Department works with nine domestic non-governmental organizations, which place refugees with more than 325 affiliates in roughly 190 communities around the country. These local affiliates work closely with community partners, congregations, volunteers, and state and local officials to provide a successful start for refugees rebuilding their lives. Refugee communities have historically enhanced the economic dynamism and cultural vitality of our nation. Refugees contribute to the United States in numerous ways, including by starting businesses and joining the U.S. military. This program helps the world’s most vulnerable refugees find permanent homes, and it demonstrates the immense generosity of the American people.
– More: https://2017-2021.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/bureau-of-population-refugees-and-migration/
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
1,630 Pennsylvania residents hosted or supported 912 International Visitor Leadership Program participants who visited the state, volunteering a total of 10,811 hours of service.
– More: https://eca.state.gov/ivlp
49 emerging leaders studied or participated in a fellowship in Pennsylvania on one of the Young Leaders Initiatives.
– More: https://exchanges.state.gov/
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law began formally partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in 2017. In 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections sent a delegation to El Salvador to provide training on high risk prison transport to Salvadoran prison officials and PADOC trainers conducted a Search Procedures program in Niger and a Prisoner Transport course in El Salvador.
– More: https://www.cor.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
INL began formally partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in 2017. In 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections hosted a delegation of six officials from El Salvador exploring prison design and construction as El Salvador builds new and renovates existing prisons throughout the country.
– More: http://www.cor.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
INL has formally partnered with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) since 2014. In 2017, the PSP hosted a study visit by a group of West African law enforcement officials on use of force and de-escalation techniques.
– More: http://www.psp.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Drexel University, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh received grants from the OES-supported U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) for joint research projects with Israeli scientists. Selected through a peer-reviewed process, the BSF research funding advances our bilateral relationship and shared scientific priorities.
– More: http://www.bsf.org.il/
Companies from Pennsylvania received grants from the OES-supported U.S.-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) for joint ventures with Israeli companies. Selected through a competitive process, the BIRD funding generates mutually beneficial cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies.
Researchers from Pennsylvania State University, Villanova University, and Temple University were awarded funds from the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum to conduct workshops or host joint centers related to cooperation between the United States and India on extreme gravity, emergency medical delivery by unmanned vehicles, soft tissue regeneration, algorithms for advanced aerospace applications, and central nervous system infections.
– More: https://www.iusstf.org/
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
The Philadelphia Orchestra received a grant to visit Mongolia in June 2017, the first ever visit of a major U.S. orchestra to the country. The Pennsylvania-based Orchestra’s delegation included 18 musicians, who held performances and master classes for a range of audiences around the Ulaanbaatar area.
– More: https://mn.usembassy.gov/philadelphia-orchestra-musicians-mongolia/
In Fiscal Year 2017, the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) issued visas to 159 children who were adopted by U.S. citizens from Pennsylvania. Intercountry adoption is one CA's highest priorities. CA's Office of Children’s Issues plays an active role in the intercountry adoption process and works diligently to establish and maintain intercountry adoption as a viable option throughout the world.
– More: https://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/en/about-us/statistics.html
Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Diplomatic Security New York Field Office serves Pennsylvania: Diplomatic Security has offices throughout the United States staffed with special agents and contract investigators, who conduct criminal, counterterrorism and background investigations. Agents assigned to field and resident offices assist in providing support to the protection of the Secretary of State, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and visiting foreign dignitaries. Liaison with federal and local law enforcement, foreign mission personnel, local officials, and the private sector complements their major responsibilities.
– More: https://2017-2021.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-management/bureau-of-diplomatic-security/
Jobs and Economy
Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
The Department of State, in partnership with agencies across the federal government, creates jobs for American workers by opening markets and eliminating trade barriers overseas and by attracting foreign direct investment to the United States. In 2018, goods exported totaled $41 billion. Those exports supported approximately 176,514 Pennsylvanian jobs (2016) and foreign direct investment into Pennsylvania supports an additional 301,000 jobs (2016).
– More: https://www.trade.gov/mas/ian/statereports/states/pa.pdf
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
An Entrepreneur from Pennsylvania State University, received grants from the U.S.-Indo Science and Technology Endowment Fund to commercialize technology on digital braille accessibility with a partner in India.
– More: https://www.iusstf.org/usistef/us-india-science-technology
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs advocates in meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) for conservation of pollinators, which contribute $24 billion to the national economy and $245 million to the economy of the state of Pennsylvania for alfalfa – vital to the production of cattle for beef and dairy – and $117 for apples, and tens of millions more for other agricultural products like grapes, peaches, pumpkins, and others.
– More: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=pennsylvania&year=2017
The Thomas R. Pickering and Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship Programs encourage applications from minority groups historically underrepresented in the U.S. Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need. Each fellowship provides financial assistance towards the completion of a two year master’s degree in a field related to the Foreign Service, academic funding, mentorship and two internships – one in the U.S. and the other abroad at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Fellows commit to a minimum of five years in the Foreign Service. Currently, there are 38 active participants from the state of Pennsylvania.
– More: http://www.global.howard.edu/ralph-j-bunche/fellowship/
Education
Bureau of Global Talent Management
Diplomat-in-Residence (Tiffany McGriff): Diplomats in Residence (DIRs) are career Foreign Service Officers or Specialists located throughout the U.S. who provide guidance and advice to students, professionals and the community about Department careers.
– More: http://careers.state.gov/connect/dir
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
147 Scholars, Students and Teachers from Pennsylvania were awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, and 202 international students received a Fulbright to study in Pennsylvania.
– More: https://eca.state.gov/fulbright
1,221 exchange visitors from overseas visited Pennsylvania and 413 Pennsylvania residents travelled overseas as part of the Department’s educational and cultural exchange funded programs.
– More: https://exchanges.state.gov/
In September 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, invited twenty (20) representatives from Argentina to take part in the “Higher Education Visitors Programs – Accessibility and Women’s Sports in U.S. Universities,” a 10-day program aimed at creating opportunities for cooperation between institutions of higher learning from the two countries and at exposing the participants to best practices in the United States. The participants engaged in an initial program in Washington, DC, followed by split programming in Indianapolis, IN and Pittsburgh, PA focusing on their individual specialties – women’s sports and accessibility, respectively.
– More: http://www.meridian.org/project/accessibility-and-womens-sports-in-us-universities/
Cabrini University in partnership with Universidad del Salvador (Argentina) will focus on experiential learning and encourage students from Cabrini and USAL to reflect on themes of social justice education, social responsibility, and social change while incorporating language-learning and cultural competencies as they travel and take classes together in a six-week summer program. These exchanges were part of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, the dynamic public/private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, Embassies, NGOs, companies, and foundations that inspires U.S. universities and colleges in the United States to team up with higher education institutions in the rest of the Western Hemisphere region.
– More: http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/
Widener University and Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (Costa Rica) are partnering to explore how the agricultural and sociocultural aspects of coffee affect sustainability. It aims to enhance students’ global awareness, environmental awareness, intercultural competence, consciousness, and sense of social responsibility. These exchanges were part of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, the dynamic public/private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, Embassies, NGOs, companies, and foundations that inspires U.S. universities and colleges in the United States to team up with higher education institutions in the rest of the Western Hemisphere region.
– More: http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/
The University of Pittsburgh and the Universidade Federal do Paraná in Brazil partnered to create design teams for senior engineering students at both universities, allowing participants to fulfill senior-year capstone research requirements. These exchanges were part of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, the dynamic public/private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, Embassies, NGOs, companies, and foundations that inspires U.S. universities and colleges in the United States to team up with higher education institutions in the rest of the Western Hemisphere region.
– More: http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/
The Pennsylvania State University along with Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano and the Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina (Peru) are establishing sustainable partnerships between the three universities and promote scientific knowledge transfer among Colombian scientific research groups and U.S. students by going beyond academic research to engage in dialogue with vulnerable communities and utilize their local knowledge in the post-conflict peace building process. These exchanges were part of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, the dynamic public/private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, Embassies, NGOs, companies, and foundations that inspires U.S. universities and colleges in the United States to team up with higher education institutions in the rest of the Western Hemisphere region.
– More: http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/
Through a grant from the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, Northampton Community College and SENA Centro Tecnológico de Gestión Industrial, Medellín (Colombia) developed a study-abroad course focused on sustainable energy systems. The program engages technical engineering students and faculty from both institutions in a rich and full intercultural experience that minimizes student cost and time away from other obligations.
– More: http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/
Wilkes University, (U.S.), with Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (Panama) are collaborating on the creation of an environmental engineering program that will focus on technical innovation, such as using key geospatial technologies and data or learning about drone technology with the assistance of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund.
– More: http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/
The U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires, in cooperation with the U.S.-Argentina Binational Fulbright Commission, brought three U.S. scholars to Argentina to conduct research on the Zika virus, and to work with Argentine colleagues to identify potential threats and help prevent Zika virus outbreaks. The research was carried out at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT) CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, one of the most prestigious CONICET centers researching this kind of virus. The selected scholars were: Dr. Anna Stewart, Director of the Latin America Research Program of the Center for Global Health and Translational Science at SUNY Upstate Medical University; Dr. Michael Robert, Assistant Professor, University of the Sciences, and Dr. Todd Livdahl, Professor Emeritus of Biology and Research Scientist, Department of Biology, Clark University.
– More: https://ar.usembassy.gov/collaboration-in-zika-research/
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
The commercial and recreational fisheries of the Great Lakes employ thousands of Americans and generate billions of dollars in economic activity each year in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Through the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (GLFC), established by a treaty concluded in the 1950s, the United States and Canada cooperate to coordinate research into these shared fisheries and develop measures to ensure their long-term sustainability. The GLFC also coordinates efforts to eradicate parasitic sea lamprey, an invasive species that entered the Great Lakes in the early 20th century and nearly decimated populations of Great Lakes trout, salmon, whitefish, and other fish. Through its sea lamprey control programs, funded by OES through the International Fisheries Commissions account, populations of sea lamprey are sharply down, and the fish stocks are rebuilding.
– More: https://ar.usembassy.gov/collaboration-in-zika-research/
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania received funding from the Pakistan-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation program, which seeks to facilitate scientific cooperation between scientists in the two countries, thus benefiting U.S.-based researchers in selected areas. The researchers worked with their Pakistani counterparts to submit a joint project proposal that was merit reviewed by representatives from both countries and selected for funding.
– More: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/pakistan/index.html
