The University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Governance and Markets has secured a four-year, $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch Pluralism360, an initiative aimed at enhancing civil discourse within the university and throughout the region.
Pluralism360 is led by Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, professor of public and international affairs and founding director of the center, which operates under Pitt’s School of Public and International Affairs. The program adopts a comprehensive approach to pluralism by involving students through online platforms, classroom activities, extracurricular events, and partnerships with community organizations.
“Disagreements on campus are rarely just about politics,” Murtazashvili said. “They reflect deeper differences in values including moral, religious, philosophical and cultural commitments. Pluralism360 is about building institutional spaces where those differences can be engaged seriously and constructively, without assuming consensus or forcing agreement.”
Several initiatives will be supported in the David C. Frederick Honors College as part of this project. These include hosting visiting scholars who will teach courses related to politics and philosophy while engaging students on topics such as pluralism, civic life, and diverse intellectual traditions. The initiative also plans to introduce online civic dialogue platforms designed to facilitate asynchronous student engagement with various perspectives.
Student-focused programming under Pluralism360 will consist of dialogues, reading groups, and leadership development opportunities led by faculty fellows at Pitt.
Outside the university setting, Pluralism360 aims to broaden its impact across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia by establishing two networks: a Regional Civic Leadership Network comprising nonprofit organizations focused on bridge-building efforts; and a Regional Civil Discourse Network that links colleges and universities committed to promoting civil discourse.
The initiative involves external partners such as Ideas Beyond Borders, Love Your Neighbor Community, and the Pluralist Lab—all contributing support for programming centered around global and religious pluralism.
“Pluralism360 complements Pitt’s commitment to advancing civil discourse through scholarship, teaching and community engagement, and to modeling what it looks like for universities to lead in divided times,” said Carissa Slotterback, dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. “At a moment when civil discourse feels increasingly fragile, this initiative will create spaces where difference is not avoided, but thoughtfully and constructively engaged.”
Photography by Tom Altany
