
M. Najeeb Shafiq Appointed Interim Director of Institute for International Studies in Education
Shafiq, a renowned global education expert, began his interim role on Oct. 1.
M. Najeeb Shafiq is the new interim director of the University of Pittsburgh School of Education’s Institute for International Studies in Education (IISE).
A renowned global education expert, Shafiq is a professor in the school’s Department of Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy, and has been executive director of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) since 2019.
Effective October 1, he succeeded Maureen McClure, who retired after more than 40 years of service to Pitt and seven years as director of IISE.
Shafiq, who joined the University faculty in 2010, brings to the role extensive experience in education, economics, and international affairs. He holds secondary appointments in Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and the Department of Economics. He earned his PhD in economics and education from Columbia University in 2005.
“It is an honor for me to have been asked by Dean Eboni Zamani-Gallaher to be in this position,” Shafiq said. “I don’t take it for granted.”
His distinguished career includes appointments at the World Bank and Indiana University, as well as a visiting professorship at the University of Cambridge.
At IISE, Shafiq envisions leveraging his many connections in the educational community to broaden students’ education. He sees his leadership at CIES,as “a vehicle through which we host prominent folks within the broader space of international education and give our students an opportunity to interact with colleagues from around the world and pursue different kinds of opportunities.”
Additionally, he plans to expand IISE’s reach. “We want to be a resource for the entire School of Education, across all departments,” Shafiq said. “There are some really exciting opportunities to collaborate with colleagues here and across the university. Pitt has a strong commitment to global issues.”