As a small organization, we can shift our areas of work with the ebb and flow of transnational and global issues in a way that larger development groups and foundations cannot. Our depth of experience allows us to effectively address any new challenge or endeavor by tapping into our strong network of connections and partnerships built over decades. Currently, PISA is focused on the following areas of priority.
Climate Change
Climate Change continues to be a contentious issue in the U.S., fraught with avoidance and disagreement; yet its impact is already being felt in tangible and devastating ways across Asia. One of the world’s most vulnerable regions, Asia is undergoing unprecedented environmental fluctuations, ecological changes, and increased onset of natural disasters, all producing profound implications for human security, public health, and sustainable future development. Now more than ever, with the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords, PISA continues in its commitment to mitigating Climate Change in a region with acute vulnerability.
Gender Equality
It’s been well established that societies, big and small, enjoy greater stability, productivity, and harmony when women are involved and participating in every realm of their community. PISA has convened women leaders across Asia and the U.S. for over fifteen years; cultivating innovative ideas, building international networks, and strengthening mutual understanding between East and West. As Asia continues to rise on the global stage, while also confronting major security obstacles, the role of women in political economies is undeniable.
Sustainable Development & Human Security
Home to over half of the world’s population, much of Asia remains impoverished and endangered--from water and food insecurity to violence and conflict. PISA identifies resources and opportunities for our partners in Asia. Through consultation, education, and best practices, PISA works to enable local leadership, better equip policymakers, and help our partners implement their programs and initiatives. We believe that development is best done and practiced by local people, who know their communities best.
Higher Education
As a part of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., we know valuable ideas come out of higher education and deeper understanding derives from educated citizens. PISA strongly believes in the role of higher education in producing a more informed, productive, and peaceful world. Sitting in the epicenter of one of the best universities in the nation’s capital, PISA’s access to renowned faculty allows for fruitful cross-discipline inquiry and collaboration. Beyond our borders, PISA works to strengthen universities in Asia by building partnerships with institutions, leading faculty, and burgeoning student entrepreneurs. Through such international collaboration and research between GW and partner institutions in Asia, PISA helps bolster the teaching, research, and student capacity of growing universities in the region.
