Deepening Penn’s engagement in Washington D.C.

Our Mission

Penn Washington is the University of Pennsylvania’s home in the nation’s capital. Penn Washington’s goals are:

1. To bring the University of Pennsylvania’s scholarship, insights, and fact-based solutions to the U.S. and global policy communities.
2. To connect the University of Pennsylvania’s faculty, researchers, students, alumni, and staff to the U.S. government, business sectors, non-profit sphere, foreign governments, international organizations, and media.
3. To support the education and professional development of University of Pennsylvania undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students.

Central to Penn Washington’s mission is to create trust, collaboration, and effective partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. federal, state, and local governments. Partnership is key to identifying solutions to the national and global challenges facing the United States and the world. Penn Washington’s mission also encompasses the policy ecosystem that includes global partners, media, business, non-profit organizations, and other universities. 

The University of Pennsylvania’s commitment to public service drives the core mission of supporting policy leaders. The University of Pennsylvania’s 12 schools generate knowledge, insights, and evidence-based solutions that can aid policymakers in understanding how to meet the needs of America’s citizens, as well as international counterparts facing the same challenges. The University’s faculty educate the next generation of American and global leaders in the public and private sectors.   

Penn Washington hosts workshops, briefings, and meetings to convey the knowledge and expertise of university scholars to policymakers, media, and others in Washington. Our staff works to make the value of the University tangible and of practical use to policymakers, policy influencers, and the