International military and civilian leaders visited Pitt to learn from Swanson School experts

Senior international military and civilian leaders from 35 countries visited the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering this week as part of the National Defense University’s (NDU) International Fellows Program.

This NDU program brings international military students from more than 150 countries to the U.S. for a one-year master’s degree. As part of their program, fellows travel across the U.S. to deepen understanding of government institutions, political processes, the judicial system, the free-market system, health and human services, education and human rights.

The 40 visitors to Pitt’s Benedum Hall on July 21 were traveling as part of their training in the NDU’s College of International Security Affairs. They heard talks from several Swanson School experts: RK Mellon Professor of Energy Heng Ban discussed Pennsylvania’s role in the global nuclear energy industry; Bioengineering Professor of Practice Pratap Khanwilkar spoke about biomedical technology translation and industry collaboration; and William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Bioengineering Bryan Brown discussed his medical device company Renerva, which specializes in nerve recovery. School of Medicine Professor Travis Polk also walked visitors through the role of Pitt’s Center for Military Medicine Research.