Turning the desert into an oasis In Senegal, the ambitious Dakar Greenbelt project seeks to create an extensive network of ecological infrastructure in and around the city to sustainably address environmental concerns and enhance urban life. With support from David Gouverneur and Ellen Neises, Ph.D. candidate Rob Levinthal in the Weitzman School of Design led two courses that included a field trip to Dakar, that culminated in students presenting their visions for parts of the Greenbelt.(Image: Courtesy of Chaowu Li) Turning the desert into an oasis Students from the Weitzman School of Design journeyed to Senegal to help with a massive ecological and infrastructural greening effort as part of their coursework. The Dakar Greenbelt aims to combat desertification and promote sustainable urban growth.
Celebrating five years of excellence at VinUniversity (Image: Courtesy of VinUniversity) Celebrating five years of excellence at VinUniversity Interim Penn President J. Larry Jameson visited VinUni in Hanoi, Vietnam, to commemorate the university’s fifth anniversary and Penn’s seventh year of allyship. He delivered a lecture about how excellent universities advance society.
Coverage of civilian casualties in allied countries boosts support for U.S. involvement A reporter covering events for television in Istanbul in 2013.(Image: iStock/SERCAN ERTÜRK) Coverage of civilian casualties in allied countries boosts support for U.S. involvement Research from Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center examines whether media coverage of foreign conflicts affects public opinion about U.S. military, diplomatic, and economic involvement.
Venezuela, oil, and what’s next “I believe Venezuelans deserve democracy and respect for their human rights,” says Carolina Jiménez Sandoval, Perry World House’s Thakore Visiting Fellow.(Image: Matias Delacroix via AP Images) Venezuela, oil, and what’s next In a Perry World House conversation, ‘Venezuela and U.S. Policy After Maduro,‘ international affairs experts shared insights into oil, the Venezuelan economy, and what to expect next in the region. 3 min. read
Restoring at-risk Assyrian cultural heritage Cuneiform inscriptions on a kudurru (stone monument), which dates to 797 BCE, found by Penn Museum and Iraqi archaeologists at Nimrud, Iraq.(Image: Courtesy of Penn Museum) Restoring at-risk Assyrian cultural heritage Archaeologists from Penn Museum and Iraq have recovered remarkably preserved shrines from a temple in northern Iraq.
The quest to find actionable data for policymakers in developing countries In Ghana, a team led by associate professor of practice Heather Huntington is working with many partners to support “deforestation-free cocoa,” which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and help cocoa farmers up their productivity and resilience.(Image: Courtesy of Heather Huntington) The quest to find actionable data for policymakers in developing countries A collaboration between the Penn Development Research Initiative and the DevLab@Penn is on the ground in developing nations to generate better evidence that can influence real-world decisions.
Vet student’s semester in Malawi is part of new educational partnership Ashley Vanderbeck (third from left) with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources veterinary students.(Image: Courtesy of Ashley Vanderbeck for Penn Vet News) Vet student’s semester in Malawi is part of new educational partnership Ashley Vanderbeck spent a semester at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi thanks to a novel program between Penn Vet and LUANAR to foster educational exchange and research opportunities.
Teaching and learning abroad in Vietnam Professor of history Fred Dickinson (back, right) with his students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.(Image: Courtesy of Fred Dickinson) Q&A Teaching and learning abroad in Vietnam In a Q&A, Fred Dickinson of the Department of History discusses his semester as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in Vietnam and building out Southeast Asian studies at Penn.
Penn in Latin America and the Caribbean showcases University scholarship The 7th Penn in Latin America and the Caribbean (PLAC) conference, organized by an interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, and students, showcased public and community engaged scholarship across the region and its diaspora.(Image: Janeth Zaldivar) Penn in Latin America and the Caribbean showcases University scholarship The seventh Penn in Latin America and the Caribbean conference centered on the theme of “Public and Community Engaged Scholarship in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Its Diaspora.”
Where scientific nationalism meets tradition (On homepage) At Uji, a city south of Kyoto that’s famous for tea, Penn students learn from a matcha master.(Image: John Kehayias) Where scientific nationalism meets tradition In May, John Kehayias led a Penn Global Seminar to Japan, exploring ideas of wartime-era scientific nationalism while cultivating cross-cultural exchange.