07/02/2026
New this year: the Johnson Institute and the Ridgway Center launched a program called "Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism," and it took our SPIA graduate students all the way to Windsor, England.
Working with the University of Northampton and Cumberland Lodge, students spent the year in monthly virtual discussions with UK-based grad students and early-career professionals, digging into topics like authoritarianism, trust, and accountability.
Then they capped it off with a 4-day trip to the UK, where they presented policy proposals, talked populism with a leading British academic, and met with a Northern Irish political leader to understand post-conflict politics firsthand.
The conversations happened at historic Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Students wrapped up the trip with two days in London, meeting with Muslim leaders at Finsbury Park Mosque and learning about career paths in the private sector and think tank world from experts at bp and RUSI.
One student, Mariam Moaz, said it best: "The chance to collaborate with international peers and dig into research beyond the classroom is what made this program stand out."
We're proud to be building this kind of transatlantic network for the next generation of leaders. Read more about this and all our AY2026 programs in our annual report: https://johnsoninstitute.pitt.edu/about/annual-reports
