University of North Carolina Chapel Hill leadership told faculty that six area-studies centers will be closed in 2026 as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and streamline operations, university communications confirmed. The affected centers include European, African, Asian, Middle East and Islamic, the Institute for the Study of the Americas, and Slavic/Eurasian programs. UNC officials framed the moves as targeted streamlining to strengthen operations and meet fiduciary responsibilities, citing a multi-year goal to reduce center and institute spending by $7 million annually. Faculty and center leaders expressed concern about the academic and research impacts, warning that closures will reduce language, regional expertise, and graduate training capacity. The decision underscores difficult trade-offs institutions face when balancing budget targets with academic breadth. Trustees and academic leaders should expect faculty pushback, requests for mitigation funds, and calls from disciplines dependent on international partnerships to protect core programming.