Northwestern Alumna Makes Transformative Gift to Global Education
Roberta “Bertie” Buffett Elliott ’54 (’09, ’13, ’17, ’21, ’24, ’26 GP), a former student of Northwestern University, has made a commitment to donate a staggering $11.8 million to the University to facilitate global education among undergraduates. This new gift will not only enhance the global learning and engagement programs via the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs but also extend the international studies offerings by the Weinberg College Center for International and Area Studies. In acknowledgment of Elliott’s benevolence, the program is going to be rebranded as the Roberta Buffett International Studies Program.
Elliott’s Long-term Vision of the University as a National Leader in Global Learning
Interim President and President Emeritus Henry S. Bienen ’09 H (’19, ’25, ’28 GP) reacts to the continued assistance from Elliott, saying, “With Bertie Buffett Elliott’s pioneering gift, Northwestern is in a position to lead by example in the field of undergraduate global education nationwide. The university-wide impact her 2015 gift had on global learning and research was transformative and has opened up new paths.”
This pledge of Elliott is in line with the bigger goal of tightly integrating study, through the student’s direct engagement with off-campus, thus preparing them to confront the intricacies of the world outside of the school.
Deepening the Foundations Laid Over the Past Decade
It was a generous landmark donation of $101 million made by Elliott a decade ago that led to the creation of the Roberta Buffett Institute. Over time, the university has turned the institute into its interdisciplinary research engine and one of its top priorities has been addressing climate change caused by human actions. The institute also holds a variety of programs that attract not only the members of the Northwestern community but also, present, and likely future audiences, from outside campus.
The 24th – 25th academic year is just the tip of the iceberg as to how much attendance there was at the programs run by the institute, with a participation of over a thousand undergraduates. The students took advantage of the programs to enrich their knowledge in the fields of engineering, chemistry, music, sociology, and many others by undergoing foreign internships. In short, this novel donation from Elliott will be the future of interaction between enthusiastic students and international scholars and will be their catalyst for an exciting internship position in the globalized workforce.
Linking Academic Study with Real-World Experience
According to Deborah Cohen, director of the Roberta Buffett Institute and Richard W. Leopold Professor of History, it is very important to mix up the learning from the books with the experience in the field. “This year one of the innovations of the post-baccalaureate program is the new international positioning opportunity to former Northwestern students in the areas such as global health, human rights, international development, and the arts,” she said. “These are life changing experiences, and the word is spread fast about our great pleasure to extend them.”
The money will also be used to enlarge the scope of the University of Chicago International Studies Program at the Roberta Buffett Institute that offers both a major and a minor. The students from the program go through demanding coursework, get close faculty mentorship, and have the opportunity to investigate worldwide issues not only in one but across several disciplines like economy, political science, history, and anthropology.
One of the attractive points of the program is Practitioners in Residence which is an idea that lives on diplomats, policymakers, journalists, economists, and other global leaders coming to Northwestern for not more than a year. Students in these seminars resolve global problems from artificial intelligence and warfare to global arts and disinformation.
Dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Adrian Randolph, talked about the collaboration between the Roberta Buffett Institute and the University, “our collaboration with the Roberta Buffett Institute is leading the way in terms of curriculum innovation. This contribution will be a powerful catalyst to deepen that engagement and open up a wider range of opportunities for Northwestern students,” he stated.
A New Home for Global Affairs
The Roberta Buffett Institute will relocate to the new Social Sciences and Global Affairs building, formerly the Jacobs Center, in the 2026-27 academic year. The institute will be situated on the second floor, next door to the Roberta Buffett International Studies Program, the Weinberg College Center for International and Area Studies, and the Weinberg College Global Health Studies Program. The new location will be the students’ go-to place for global learning experiences.
The head of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern, Peter Schlosser, acknowledged, “Elliot is really the one to thank for the huge keys that have opened up excellent international and inter-disciplinary learning opportunities for the students of Northwestern. Besides, research and teaching as ways of tackling global issues will be pivotal not only to the future of the University but also to that of the world.”
Roberta Buffett Elliott: A Legacy of Leadership and Philanthropy
Elliott was a member of the Weinberg College Class of 1954. She majored in history and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors. During her time at Northwestern, she was involved in the Daily Northwestern, Women’s Debate Team, Waa-Mu Show, Alpha Lambda Delta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She co-chaired the 50th anniversary of her class reunion and also acts as honorary chair of the Roberta Buffett Institute Board of Advisors. In 2023, the Northwestern Alumni Medal was presented to her, the most prestigious award the Northwestern Alumni Association can give.
Beyond Northwestern, Elliott and her three daughters founded the Berkshire Foundation in 1996. She has been a board member of various cultural and community organizations over the years, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Carmel Bach Festival. Additionally, she is a past president of the Junior League of Monterey County