Former Commerce Dept. Official to Headline Event on International Engagement

A keynote address by former Department of Commerce official Eric L. Hirschhorn will be followed by a panel discussion for the March 19 topic, “Foreign Influence and International Engagement: Finding Balance in an Academic Environment.”

The free event is scheduled for 9-11:20 a.m. in the Kurtzman Room, William Pitt Union. A panel discussion, featuring Hirschhorn, who served in commerce from 2010 to 2017, and three Pitt representatives: Heng Ban, R.K. Mellon Professor in Energy, Swanson School of Engineering; Allen A. DiPalma, director, Office of Trade Compliance; and Belkys Torres, executive director for Global Engagement, University Center for International Studies.

The U.S. government has repeatedly expressed growing concerns about foreign governments obtaining prepublication research data and export-controlled U.S. technology without authorization, including through federally and privately funded research at institutions of higher learning in the United States. Learn how Pitt and its federal partners are responding to these concerns and to new global threats to U.S. economic and national security—especially those that affect our academic environment—and hear about the issues surrounding such threats.

Opening remarks will be delivered by the acting president of the Pitt Science Policy Group, Jonathan Klonowski, and Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Rob A. Rutenbar. Pre-registration is encouraged and questions can be submitted in advance online

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