The institute aims to attract leading scholars, inspire public-service ambitions among students, and serve as a Bay Area counterpart to other university political institutes.

An annual forum and a public exhibit on Pelosi’s congressional career will be hosted, alongside support for faculty research.

In addition to sponsoring research, the institute will fund summer internships, undergraduate leadership courses including a Congress course co-taught by Eric Schickler and Pelosi, and an annual global thought-leaders forum.

A visiting fellows program will bring high-profile national and global leaders to UC Berkeley for semester-level engagements.

The institute will operate as a programmatic entity rather than a traditional campus building, with spring 2027 plans for classrooms, auditoriums, theaters, and Pelosi-related exhibits.

A new nonpartisan academic institute focused on strengthening democracy—the Nancy Pelosi Institute for Representative Democracy—will be created in partnership with UC Berkeley and will launch in January.

The institute will be led by Pelosi, who at 86 plans to stay active in public service, including co-teaching a course on Congress as part of the program.

Funding for the venture includes more than $32 million already committed, with a goal of $50 million to support Berkeley programs and to establish an additional House of Representatives center by 2027’s end.

The institute will host two visiting fellows annually, focusing on climate policy, wealth inequality, electoral reform, criminal justice, polarization, and the role of AI in democracy.

Pelosi remains mindful of elections ahead and is optimistic about maintaining a favorable outcome for the House.

The program is designed to be sustainable through an endowment and will begin operations in January 2027.

Research at the institute will explore how AI can enhance democracy and promote research that strengthens US and California political representation.