Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of State announced today that it has welcomed eight new partner institutions to the Diplomacy Lab. The University of Pittsburgh, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, Tufts University, Indiana University Bloomington, Gettysburg College, Stockton University, and Wilbur Wright College—Diplomacy Lab’s first community college partner—will join the 20 existing university partners for the program’s fall 2016 semester.

Launched by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013, Diplomacy Lab is a public-private partnership that enables the State Department to “course-source” research and innovation related to foreign policy by harnessing the efforts of students and faculty at universities across the country. Diplomacy Lab is designed to address two priorities: engaging the American people in the work of diplomacy and broadening the State Department’s research base in response to a proliferation of complex global challenges. There are now a total of 28 partner universities participating in Diplomacy Lab.

Teams of students participating in Diplomacy Lab explore real-world challenges identified by the Department and work under the guidance of faculty members who are authorities in their fields. This initiative allows students to contribute directly to the policymaking process while helping the State Department tap into an underutilized reservoir of intellectual capital.