$25M gift from Schnitzer family powers bold global vision

$25M gift from Schnitzer family powers bold global vision

The $25 million commitment from Jordan Schnitzer and Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation will support students, recruit and retain top-tier faculty and grow an intellectual hub on Eugene campus.
A teacher instructing a student sitting at a desk
Sophia Suo teaches Chinese at the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages at University of Oregon

In a time of complex global change, University of Oregon students have a new opportunity to impact the world thanks to a landmark $25 million commitment to the College of Arts and Sciences’ School of Global Studies and Languages from philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation.

“Today, it does not matter what business you’re in or who you work for. It’s a global world,” Schnitzer said.

 

Jordan Schnitzer
Jordan Schnitzer is a Portland real estate developer, philanthropist, and UO alumnus. 

 

“This world is facing challenges that we have not seen for decades. I do not have the answers to eliminate hunger or end religious, ethnic or political disputes. What I do know is that we need young leaders who are prepared to make the world a better place.”

—Jordan Schnitzer

 

In recognition of the extraordinary investment, the UO’s School of Global Studies and Languages will be renamed the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages.

“We are delighted that the school will be named in honor of the Schnitzer family, given their long commitment to social causes, philanthropy and business,” said Chris Poulsen, the Tykeson Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

 

Chris Poulsen
Chris Poulsen is the Tykeson Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. 

 

“Their investment will be transformative for the new school and will make possible new global experiences and engagement for our students and faculty.”

—Chris Poulsen, Tykeson Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

 

An investment in the global good

The UO will use the gift to raise the Schnitzer School’s national and global profile, with the aim of positioning it among the top schools in international studies. That includes funding for the newly established Center for Global Futures, an interdisciplinary hub of scholars and practitioners dedicated to understanding, educating about, and preparing for future trends and challenges across our world.

“At this moment of world history, the importance of the school cannot be overstated,” said Aneesh Aneesh, a professor of global studies and executive director of the Schnitzer School. “Caught between the forces of globalization and still-resilient communal loyalties, every society is facing contradictory pulls on its social fabric.”

 

Aneesh Aneesh
Aneesh Aneesh is the executive director of the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages.

 

“Whether graduates of the Schnitzer School are employed in foreign service, NGOs, think tanks, global businesses or the public sector, they will help light up the path forward in a divided world. They will be our contribution to the global public good.”

—Aneesh Aneesh, professor of global studies and executive director of the Schnitzer School

 

The Schnitzer gift will make the following key initiatives a priority:

  • Distinguished lectures featuring renowned speakers on topics of global significance, engaging academics, policymakers and the public.
  • Flagship annual academic conferences designed to foster scholarly exchange, promote networking and establish the center as a leader in global futures research.
  • A global fellows and visiting scholars-in-residence program to invite top-tier scholars and practitioners, including international journalists, to collaborate on cutting-edge research.
  • The Harold Schnitzer Scholar Prize awarded through a competitive process at the annual academic conference to honor excellence in global research.

Another goal of the gift is to further enhance research and teaching excellence, as well as student success, through:

  • Seeking to establish a new major in international relations, offering students an in-depth, interdisciplinary approach to global issues.
  • Allocating funds toward faculty excellence, providing awards to attract and retain top-tier faculty in global studies and languages, and supporting the hiring of a tenure-track, eminent senior scholar.
  • Supporting graduate students, including recruiting and assisting them in their research and teaching, while expanding the doctoral student population within the Schnitzer School.
  • Providing Arlene Schnitzer scholarships, need-based awards for undergraduate students in the Schnitzer School who study abroad or engage in international co-curricular programs.
  • Offering professional advising and global internship support, including guidance on international internships, job placements and alumni networks, covering precollege, college and post graduation engagement.

An inspiring alum with a global vision

As a member of the College of Arts and Sciences alumni community, Schnitzer sets an inspiring example for current students of what is possible with their degrees.

“The challenges facing our world today are vast and complex,” Karl Scholz, UO president said. “Solutions will require bold ideas, cross-disciplinary collaboration and thoughtful dialogue. This incredible gift from the Schnitzer family will be a powerful catalyst, empowering our faculty, students and staff to address these critical issues."

 

Karl Scholz
Karl Scholz is the president of the University of Oregon. 

 

“We are deeply grateful for this partnership, which strengthens the UO’s role as a trailblazer in fostering critical inquiry, logical reasoning, effective communication, creative action and ethical leadership on a global scale.”

—Karl Scholz, UO President

 

The Schnitzer family’s legacy of philanthropy and civic service has played a vital role in shaping Oregon. And while this major gift starts in Oregon, it will be felt around the world for generations to come.

Learn More about the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages

A miniature globe resting on top of an open book

An Education without Borders

While other universities offer degrees that train students for work in global settings such as the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations, the School of Global Studies and Languages (GSL) at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences offers something different. 

It prepares students to excel after college with an education based on three pillars: academic foundations, language learning and a geographic region focus.   It’s what Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages Executive Director Aneesh Aneesh calls a “West Coast” approach to global studies.

Go Global with UO

 

How the Schnitzer School of Global Studies Makes an Impact around the World and at Home

High school students attending Foreign Language and International Studies Day at University of Oregon

Nearly 1,000 high schoolers visit UO for a day of cultural discovery

2025’s Foreign Language and International Studies Day offered a vibrant celebration of languages, cultures and the arts for high school students. Attendees came from 19 Oregon high schools, some traveling from as far north as Seaside, as far south as Roseburg and as far east as Pendleton.

Collage of new faculty members

New faculty expand school’s academic, global perspectives

The world is entering a new era, and to prepare students for new dynamics and new forces that will alter our future, the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages hired six new tenure-track faculty members, most of whom began teaching at the UO at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.

Lillia Buckingham

Meet Food Studies Student Lillia Buckingham

Lillia Buckingham (sociology, 2024) minored in food studies and wrote a research thesis on the intersection of food, identity, class status and ethnicity. Food studies, a program within the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages, encourages students to approach research with an interdisciplinary lens.