Global Partnership Incubator

Global Partnerships Incubator (GPI): Supporting your global engagement goals from inception to implementation

Whether interested in exploring global partnerships, research collaborations, or other international opportunities for faculty, staff, or students, the Global Partnerships Incubator is a university-wide ecosystem and central resource providing insights, practical tools, and critical connections for Pitt and partners alike as they formulate and execute their international programs and goals.

The GPI is intended to provide all individuals, from young scholars to seasoned experts with standardized, easy-to-use, and well-constructed resources to better execute their lofty plans more seamlessly, efficiently, effectively, and impactfully.

Parthenon-style building with a foundation of expertise & comprised of resources for many audiences to create a Global Partnership Incubator network Whether you are in the idea conception, contracting, execution, evaluation, expansion, reporting, or sunsetting stage of your global partnerships, the Global Partnerships & Partner Engagement (GP&E) team is here to support you with not only resources but strategic insight and a big-picture perspective of Pitt's engagement within this dynamic ecosystem of global learning.

What is the Global Partnership Incubator?

The Global Partnership Incubator (GPI) is a university-wide ecosystem of international collaboration connecting administration, faculty, staff, and current and potential partners to collectively identify best practices and areas of opportunity; creating processes and systems to provide needed support to faculty and others; vet inquiries from potential partners and connect faculty members with viable opportunities and potential funding sources.

Developed as a direct result of the 2016-2020 Global Plan for Pitt, the GPI helps develop criteria to establish a more strategic and focused approach to Pitt’s partnerships around the world while serving as a facilitator to streamline Pitt’s international collaborations. This groundbreaking network provides guidelines, tools, and resources to support faculty and leadership as they engage strategically with global audiences.

How does the GPI support me?

As an individual Pitt faculty or staff member:

PittGlobal strives to create a community of globally minded Leaders by cultivating a university-wide culture and network of collaboration between educators.

Resources for individuals include:

Global Partnership Framework Tool (GPFT):

The GPFT was created as a guideline for those interested in exploring, establishing, and nurturing partnerships between the University of Pittsburgh and its international peers. This tool allows project administrators and teams to frame their thinking; gather information on staffing, resources, and departmental interest; and track steps taken. By examining the structure and impact of these partnerships, project administrators and their teams will be able to make timely decisions on how to change and/or improve the trajectory of their proposed, current, or renewing partnerships. Download the complete GPFT here.

Access to a comprehensive university-wide global engagement database and reports:

Pitt Faculty and Staff: Click here to log your partnership details.

Strategic consultation and support with the PittGlobal Partnership Team:

With a comprehensive view on Pitt's many existing global interinstitutional connections, the PittGlobal Partnership team is able to provide strategic insights to faculty and staff interested in global collaboration. Whether creating a new partnership or expanding on an existing one, this team can identify existing connections, available channels, and best approaches for developing global programs and partnerships. To schedule a consultation meeting, please email globalpartnerships@pitt.edu.

Ongoing training opportunities for global engagement:

As the Incubator is an ever-expanding ecosystem, ongoing training opportunities will be available to support all those who choose to interact within it. These training opportunities include (but are not limited to):

Intro to the Global Partnerships Incubator and Global Partnerships & Partner Engagement Team resources
Understanding the MoveOn system for logging and recalling global engagement
Hosting Delegations and International Visitors (Eligible course for FSDP Global Competency certificate)

To learn more about these training opportunities, contact globalpartnerships@pitt.edu.

Global Business Guidelines:

Whether traveling abroad, hosting visitors, or simply wishing to expand your knowledge on international business practices and etiquette, Global Business Guidelines (GBGs) are available to interested faculty and staff to improve their cultural competency and ensure that all interactions are respectful and well-received by our international peers. To determine if GBGs exist for your country of interest, please contact globalpartnerships@pitt.edu.

An ecosystem and culture of global collaboration:

Those engaging with the Incubator will have access to communities, leaders in global engagement, and spaces for conversation and collaboration that expand well beyond a specific school or department. Engage with experts in various fields working across the globe to discuss best practices, utilize existing connections, and learn from leaders in global engagement, research, and collaboration.

As a school or department:

Pitt is committed to supporting all Pitt faculty, staff, and schools as they strive to develop and articulate their own personal global partnership strategies.

Resources for individuals include:

Global Partnership Framework Tool (GPFT):

The GPFT was created as a guideline for those interested in exploring, establishing, and nurturing partnerships between the University of Pittsburgh and its international peers. This tool allows project administrators and teams to frame their thinking; gather information on staffing, resources, and departmental interest; and track steps taken. The GPFT offers guidance to both individuals but also to schools and departments as they work towards their own departmental global goals and strategic objectives. Download complete GPFT here.

Access to a comprehensive university-wide global engagement database and reports:

Pitt has recently launched an innovative new system as a central resource to capture university-wide global engagement. This system allows faculty and staff both to log their own global engagement and request reports on larger Pitt engagement efforts and existing partnerships. By encouraging school-wide use of this system schools can more deeply engage their faculty and more holistically report on their school/department's activities for annual reporting, strategic assessment, and more.

Strategic consultation and support with the PittGlobal Partnership Team to advance school/departmental goals:

With a comprehensive view on Pitt's many existing global interinstitutional connections, the PittGlobal Partnership team is able to provide strategic insights and identify experts from other schools and departments engaging with the Global Partnership Incubator.

By utilizing the Global Partnership Inventory Tracking Tool (GPITT) and its relevant reports, the GP&E team can assist schools and departments in mobilizing with colleagues across campus around a specific concept. Pitt's many existing relationships and the expertise of seasoned colleagues are a invaluable resources to those hoping to begin or expand upon a project with an international scope.

Ongoing training opportunities for global engagement:

As the Incubator is an ever-expanding ecosystem, ongoing training opportunities will be available to support all those who choose to interact within it - including globally-engaged faculty, administrative staff managing data collection and reports on international efforts, and more. Whether learning the nuts and bolts of data systems or understanding how to advance projects, build relationships, or create a global strategic plan for your school or department, the GPI is an educational resource for all.

Some current training opportunities include:

Intro to the Global Partnerships Incubator and Global Partnerships & Partner Engagement Team resources
Understanding the MoveOn system for logging and recalling global engagement
Hosting Delegations and International Visitors (Eligible course for FSDP Global Competency certificate)

To learn more about these opportunities or other trainings catered to your school or department, contact globalpartnerships@pitt.edu.

As a university leader:

The University of Pittsburgh strives to be a leader in global education by cultivating a globally minded group of engaged leaders.

Holistic snapshots and detailed reports on Pitt's global engagement:

The Incubator offers comprehensive reports summarizing Pitt's engagement in a particular region, country, or with a specific partner institution. These holistic reports are critical to Pitt Leadership as they engage on the global stage when in meetings with delegations, partners, and any folks interested in understanding PittGlobal.

Global Business Guidelines:

Global Partnership Inventory Tracking Tool (GPITT) Reports:

The Global Partnerships & Partner Engagement (GP&E) team is working to inventory all active international inter-institutional partners via a tool called the Global Partnerships Inventory Tracking Tool (GPITT). These reports provide a high overview of Pitt's university-wide engagement with a partner and can be helpful tools whether simply preparing for a meeting with a Pitt partner or working on a detailed global strategic plan. These quick snapshots allow for comprehensive reporting from a central repository of information and can offer not only an enormous time savings, but will ensure that all reports offer a holistic understanding of Pitt's relationship with its many partners.

Snapshot reports intended for INTERNAL USE ONLY and are available upon request to all interested faculty and staff. Please note that confidential and proprietary information will not be included in snapshot reports.

Strategic consultation and support with the PittGlobal Partnership Team:

With a comprehensive view on Pitt's many existing global interinstitutional connections, the PittGlobal Partnership team is able to provide strategic insights to faculty, staff, and leadership interested in global collaboration. This team is able to view global engagement from a wider lens and is available to assist leadership in understanding the full depth and breadth of Pitt's work with a partner, country, region, or area of study. GP&E is pleased to offer reporting and other insight to Pitt leadership as they prepare for meetings with partners or work to update and support Pitt's global goals and strategic plan. To schedule a consultation meeting, please email globalpartnerships@pitt.edu.

As an institutional partner:

Pitt strives to cultivate a dynamic global network by engaging with committed global partners and allies.

Partners interested in expanding their collaborations and deepening their partnership with Pitt will have access to a dedicated team of individuals who can assist in identifying potential connection points, offer resources and guides to partners and Pitt departments as they formalize agreements, and can uplift successful collaborative projects and initiatives to showcase success and increase visibility.

Those interested in visiting Pitt's campus as part of an international delegation will have access to numerous resources to assist in planning a visit to campus and the city of Pittsburgh. Some formal delegation visits will be assigned to a core planning team to assist in strategically coordinating a schedule with Pitt contacts across offices, departments, and the Pittsburgh community to best support the relevant initiatives and interests of the delegation.

To learn more about forming a new partnership with Pitt, click here.
To learn more about expanding your existing partnership with Pitt, click here.
To request a meeting to learn more about the GPI, GPITT, or Pitt's Global strategy, click here.
To learn more about visiting Pitt, click here.

As a leader in global education:

The Global Partnership Incubator is dedicated to championing our faculty and staff who are striving towards or are already considered global trailblazers in their field. The GPI offers space to inquire about funding opportunities, professional development, award opportunities, and more within this community of thought leaders and global thinkers.

Stay tuned for additional online resources for our globally-engaged faculty. To discuss current opportunities, please contact globalpartnerships@pitt.edu.