GSPIA Centers and Institutes

The Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies is dedicated to educating the next generation of security analysts as well as producing scholarship and impartial analysis to inform policymakers who confront diverse challenges to international and human security.

The Ford Institute for Human Security, established at Pitt through a generous endowment gift from the Ford Motor Co., conducts research on a series of transnational threats to the human rights of civilian populations. The institute generates independent research, disseminates policy papers, and advocates nonpartisan policy proposals.

The Innovation Clinic seeks to identify innovations in governance that can improve the quality of life in this region. It also seeks to improve the expertise of GSPIA students in public service through applied research; clinical experiences in nonprofit organizations, local governments, and state agencies; and conferences and lecture series.

Through support from LaVonne and Glen Johnson, GSPIA created the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership in 2003 to formalize the school’s commitment to the study of ethics and accountability. The institute’s goal is to create ethical leaders by providing an institutional platform from which to launch an innovative program of teaching, research, and public service on issues of ethics and accountability in all areas of public life.

Interactive, Intelligent Spatial Information System (IISIS) represents GSPIA’s commitment to public service by providing a communications system that will help local leaders increase the efficiency of disaster response management through a seamless, integrated network of real-time data transmission and information search and exchange. The IISIS computational software helps community leaders manage risk during disasters and better link communities together when public safety is at risk.