Learning that transcends borders
The Program in International and Comparative Studies (PICS) seeks to be a focal point for the interdisciplinary study of issues that transcend borders. We administer one of the largest undergraduate programs on campus. PICS remains committed to its core mission to advance engaged global learning about the world beyond our borders and our integral place and role, individually and collectively, in that world. With your help, PICS can support internships, research, and study abroad for our International Studies students.
For more information on the various ways you can support PICS, please contact our center at 734.764.2268 or is-michigan@umich.edu.
Your Gifts at Work
Your gift can fund opportunities such as the International Human Rights Fellowship or a Summer Internship Grant.
Giving Opportunities
Matching Opportunity: PICS Practical Intercultural Experience Scholarship Fund
Beginning in Fall 2027, every PICS major will complete a Practical Intercultural Experience: an internship, a research placement, or a term of study abroad. Students secure their own placements and apply to PICS for funding to help offset program fees, travel, and housing costs. PICS would like to grant support to all International Studies students completing this requirement.
A University of Michigan alum has committed $200,000 to this fund on the condition that PICS raises $200,000 in matching gifts. The fund matches every gift dollar for dollar until the match is met. The first scholarships will be awarded in summer 2027. [DONATE]
PICS Strategic Fund
This fund supports PICS curriculum development and expansion of public affairs, career and postgraduate programming to enhance student opportunities to interact with international affairs academics and practitioners via innovative courses and events. [DONATE]
Hannah Feng, a recipient of a PICS Summer Internship Fellowship, worked as a Therapy Assistant Intern at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions in Oak Brook, Illinois in the summer of 2022. She later wrote of her experience: “By helping me cover the costs of this invaluable unpaid internship, the PICS Summer Internship Grant helped me learn more about public health, public education, and cross-cultural competency and sensitivity in the real world.”
One of our 2022 International Human Rights Fellows with Perseus Strategies in Washington, D.C., Emmanuel Orozco Castellanos, had this to say about his experience: “The International Human Rights Fellowship constituted a foundational opportunity in my undergraduate career. This internship enabled me to deepen my knowledge and sharpen the skills I have acquired through my PICS education […] I can guarantee you that the noble work of Perseus Strategies transforms lives and, sometimes, it even saves lives. If I was able to engage in this type of outstanding advocacy, it was in part because of you. Thank you for supporting this dream of mine.”
Thanks to the generous Rose Silverman Internship Fellowship, Eli Pollak was able to pursue his passions for health, education, gender equality, and sustainability in the summer of 2022 as an intern with The Samburu Project in Wamba, Kenya. “Because of this Fellowship, I am returning to the University of Michigan with more passion for my studies and, I hope, perspectives that can enrich my classroom experiences and discussions,” he stated. “I am going to build upon this internship experience with formal coursework this fall in African politics and development and international economic development.”
