University of Pittsburgh Center for International Studies Conference
The Future(s) of International & Area Studies: Challenges, Opportunities, and Goals
May 8-10, 2026
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
Submit Your Proposal
Submit your proposal now by clicking the button below.
The submission deadline is 2025-12-04.
Real-world challenges require globally prepared citizens with deep proficiency in the languages and cultures of the world. For nearly seven decades, universities have met this need, supporting the teaching of both commonly and less commonly taught languages, as well as interdisciplinary area and international studies, with long term additional support from federal grants. The result is a robust US higher education infrastructure for educating students and community members about the world. Amidst changing priorities at both the federal and institutional levels often driven by student demand and work force needs, university centers are at a crossroads. What is the future for international and area studies today?
The University of Pittsburgh’s University Center for International Studies (UCIS) invites leading scholars and practitioners for a series of timely conversations aimed at reimagining area and global studies for the next generations. Join us to think beyond enduring paradigms, inherited structures, and established practices as we create new opportunities for interdisciplinary research and learning, engagement, coalition-building, and more. Through generative plenaries, solutions-oriented breakout sessions, and community-enhancing activities, this conference will bring together multiple perspectives from the United States and beyond to address the following key charges:
- Reimagine the framing and value proposition of global and area studies;
- Strengthen existing networks to address needs; and
- Design new structures and models forpartnerships for future sustainability.
We invite proposals for breakout sessions (75 minutes per session) — including panels, roundtables, and interactive workshops — that engage with the core themes of the conference. Submissions may focus on particular world regions (traditional or emerging) or take a comparative, transnational, or thematic approach. We welcome a wide range of topics.
The categories for proposal submission are:
Reimagining Citizenship Education and Outreach
- Designing interdisciplinary learning outcomes for a globally competitive workforce
- Aligning global education and outreach initiatives with institutional priorities
- Engaging Pre-K–12 educators and learners in meaningful ways
- Fostering impactful collaborations with community colleges and Minority-Serving Institutions
- Developing equitable and innovative international partnerships to build shared futures
New Models of Collaboration and Resource Sharing
- Strengthening networks among global education units
- Leveraging shared infrastructure, expertise, and programming
Confronting Declines in Language Education
- Strategies to sustain and expand language instruction and support
- Advocacy and innovative approaches to demonstrating the value of language learning
Sustaining Global Initiatives Beyond Federal Funding
- Diversifying resources and investments
- Building durable institutional commitments and community-based support
High-Impact Regional Initiatives
- Creating regional frameworks for collaboration and outreach
- Sample focus areas may include - Global Appalachia: Global citizenship education in the Rust Belt; Big Ten Academic Alliance initiatives and beyond
Instructions: Please provide an overview of your proposed breakout session. Describe its central goals, key questions, and the ways in which your session engages with the core themes of the conference. Indicate the session format you are proposing (e.g., panel discussion, roundtable, workshop) as well as the preferred modality (in-person, hybrid, virtual). Additionally, specify whether your focus addresses issues within a particular region, takes a transnational perspective, or is grounded in broader thematic concerns.
The deadline for proposals is December 4, 2025. Please use the button above to submit your proposal.
EUSA is pleased to support the conference by hosting the submission platform. Please direct all questions to the organizers at the University of Pittsburgh at ucisconference@pitt.edu or visit the conference website.