Many of the University Lecture Series programs discuss global themes and issues. The University Lecture Series is a partnership between the Office of the Vice Provost for Education and the Division of Student Affairs. All lectures are free and open to the public.

The Humanities Center and the Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics and Political Philosophy sponsors a university-wide series of courses, symposia, and workshops under the general rubric of  “Global Connections, Global Responsibilities.” The program focuses on diverse ways in which comparatively affluent members of high-income countries and members of low and middle-income countries connect and influence one another. Central themes include climate change, global economic conditions, health, state sovereignty, human rights, the transmission and interaction of various literary and cultural traditions, and the responsibilities and obligations accompanying these various connections.

The Humanities Center is co-sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics & Political Philosophy (CAAEPP) and supported in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant.

Every fall Carnegie Mellon hosts an International Festival that allows the community to engage and explore world cultures, pressing issues, and fascinating traditions through a wide range of mediums. Various programs and events are provided over three days each fall.

The theme of International Festival 2010 is Borders: Crossings, Conflicts, Connections and will be held October 7-9, 2010 at the University Center, Carnegie Mellon.

The Center for International Relations and Politics (CIRP) provides research and programmatic support for those interested in the major in International Relations and Politics (IRP), the minor in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (IEE), the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMUWSP), and a host of cocurricular opportunities for students.

University of Pittsburgh's University Center for International Studies (UCIS) is a University-wide matrix organization that encompasses centers for area studies and centers on topical specializations in international studies.

Please visit the UCIS website for a listing of events.

To meet student interests and time constraints, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh collaborate to offer Weekend Intensive Courses on topics of interest, taught by expert faculty, with lectures from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, followed by a research paper. The courses are 3 units or 1 credit hour, with about 14 hours of lectures and an expected 30 hours of work for the paper.

The courses have mostly focused on countries such as India, China, Brazil and Russia, but include other topics such as the environment.

2011 Brazil Today takes place during Mini-1 from Friday, September 30, to Sunday, October 2, 2011.