Perry World House, the University of Pennsylvania’s new global policy research center, celebrates its grand opening during the next two days with a series of panels featuring foreign policy thought leaders. Distinguished participants of the event include Robert Gates, former U.S. secretary of defense; Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq; Frances Townsend, former homeland security advisor to President George W. Bush; Kurt Campbell, former assistant secretary of state; Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO of New America; Jon Huntsman, former ambassador to Singapore and China and former governor of Utah; and Navanethem Pillay, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights.

“Perry World House embodies the University of Pennsylvania’s unwavering commitment to global engagement. Here, scholars, students, thought leaders and policymakers will collectively address the most complex global issues of our time,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann.

Perry World House is the center of Penn’s global engagement. PWH will connect the University with policymakers, practitioners and researchers from around the world to develop and advance innovative policy proposals. In the months to come, PWH will continue to organize a series of high-level workshops, conferences, engagements and publications that link Penn to the global policy community and disseminate impactful policy recommendations.

“In a world that is increasingly polarized, particularly around foreign policy, there are fewer and fewer places for non-partisan, relevant research on global public policy issues,” said William Burke-White, director of Perry World House. “Our goal is to fill that void by marshalling the expertise found across Penn’s 12 schools and among our faculty and students.”

Perry World House was established through a gift from Richard C. Perry, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, and his wife, Lisa Perry.

Highlights from the first day of the grand opening will include:

• A discussion on technological innovation and the future of National Security featuring David Heyman former assistant secretary of policy for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Michael Boyle, assistant professor of political science at La Salle University in Philadelphia; and Vijay Kumar, dean of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. The panel will be moderated by Michael Horowitz, associate director of Perry World House. 
• A panel on how Europe will address an increasing influx of refugees featuring Bassam Barabandi, former Syrian diplomat and co-founder of People Demand Change; Chaloka Beyani, professor, London School of Economics and United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Eric Schwartz, dean, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota and for assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration; and Catherine de Wihtol de Wenden, director of research, National Center for Scientific Research, French Ministry of Education and Research.
• An interfaith conversation on the role of religion in global politics with Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Maajid Nawaz, the Rev. Luis Cortés and Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum.

Day 2 of the grand opening is scheduled to include:

• An opening address from Navanethem Pillay, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights.
• A ribbon-cutting ceremony.
• A dedication program at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, which will feature the Perry World House Inaugural Keynote Lecture by Robert Gates, former U.S. secretary of defense.
• A moderated dialogue on U.S foreign policy after the 2016 election. The dialogue will include Anne-Marie Slaughter, Zalmay Khalilzad, Frances Townsend, Jon Huntsman and Kurt Campbell and will be moderated by Michael Crowely, Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent.

To register for the event, or for more information on the panels: https://global.upenn.edu/perryworldhouse

To watch the panels online:https://global.upenn.edu/perryworldhouse/events

ABOUT PERRY WORLD HOUSE
The University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House (PWH) is a global policy research center that aims to advance interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research on the world’s most urgent global affairs challenges. At a time of increasing ideological division and the politicization of policy making, PWH draws on the wide range of expertise found across Penn’s 12 Schools and Centers, connecting Penn with policymakers, practitioners and researchers from around the world to develop and advance innovative policy proposals. Housed at the new, state-of-the-art building at the center of Penn’s campus, PWH is uniquely positioned to convene world leaders, cutting-edge practitioners, and top thinkers engaged on these vital topics. High-level workshops, conferences, engagements and publications link Penn to the global policy community so that the best ideas have impact when they are needed most. Read more about the vision for Perry World House by visiting https://global.upenn.edu/perryworldhouse and visit us on Twitter at: @perryworldhouse.