Perry World House Perry World House Annual Report 2021-2022

Our 2021-2022 Annual Report, Navigating the World,  looks back at an academic year marked by global uncertainty and change.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant restrictions began to recede in early 2021, but as the fall semester began, the emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants saw a return to stricter measures. The ongoing denial by some of a legitimate presidential election victory here in the United States continued to reverberate through the year, casting doubt on longstanding institutions for a significant minority of citizens. And in February 2022, the world watched in horror as Russia invaded Ukraine - displacing millions, killing thousands, and destabilizing the security order established in Europe for decades.

Perry World House has risen to the challenge of navigating this increasingly uncertain world. Whether through public programming, engagement with students in lecture halls and seminars, or sharing ideas in outlets such as the Guardian, the Atlantic, and Foreign Affairs, our network of expert visitors helped both our local community here at Penn and a wider global audience to gain clarity on deeply complex issues. Our colloquia and workshops gathered academics, policymakers, and practitioners to work through difficult policy challenges, and propose responses that could shape a path ahead. And our engagement at the highest levels of global governance, such as the COP26 climate summit, brought Perry World House's and Penn's insights to bear on critical conversations about the future of our world. 

Together, these efforts encapsulate what Perry World House was built to do, almost seven years ago this month: to help Penn's expertise cut through the uncertainty surrounding major global issues, and shed light on policy solutions.

As we enter a new academic year, our programming will continue to expand and evolve to respond to ever-changing challenges, with new programming dedicated to climate change, global justice and human rights, and emerging technologies. Above all, we will continue to equip students from across Penn's 12 schools with the understanding and knowledge to help them navigate a world in flux. 

Read our 2021-2022 Annual Report