UNC Receives $10 Million to Strengthen Global Programs

Posted on Oct. 5, 2018

A $10 million gift from an alumni couple to the University aims to strengthen its global programs and presence. The gift will endow two new senior level leadership positions and support the strategies that support Carolina’s global mission.

A search is already underway for a full-time chief global officer and vice provost for global affairs who will report to the executive vice chancellor and provost. In September, the University announced the hiring of a new associate provost for global affairs, Raymond Farrow, who will serve as the chief operating officer and executive director of UNC Global and will serve as interim chief global officer until a vice provost is named.

Bill ’66 and Anne Harrison ’78 of Greenwich, Conn. made the gift an addition to a long record of supporting global initiatives at Carolina. In 2007, Bill Harrison chaired the Global Leadership Circle, which developed the University’s first comprehensive global road map. In 2009, the Harrisons gave $1 million to create the University’s Global Research Institute to generate knowledge that solves real-world problems such as water quality and the impact of globalization on North Carolina’s economy.

“Anne and I have been fortunate in life and we wanted to give back to an institution that has been so important to us,” Harrison said. “Furthermore, having worked in a large, global organization for my entire career, I am a strong believer that a great university needs to have outstanding global capabilities and a mission to prepare its students to compete in the global world we all live in.” Bill Harrison is retired chair and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Provost Bob Blouin said it is critically important to have fully dedicated leadership for UNC Global.

“With a full-time vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer in place, UNC Global will be well positioned to advance the University’s global priorities,” Blouin said. “This gift will help UNC attract the very best candidates for this leadership role and demonstrate the University’s commitment to preeminence as a global university in service to North Carolina, the nation and the world.”

UNC is 30th among 500 research universities in the 2019 academic rankings of world universities of the London-based Times Higher Education World, up from 52nd 15 years ago.

---