In August 2010, Pilarz led a delegation of University of Scranton officials to Rwanda to seek potential partnerships between the university and the Rwandan government. Pilarz announced that the University of Scranton and the Rwandan Ministry of Education would sign a memorandum of understanding to promote faculty and student exchanges. In an interview with The New Times newspaper, Pilarz stated, "Due to the history of Rwanda and its tremendous improvement in human rights promotion and economic development, we are seeking to partner with the Government of Rwanda to integrate an examination of the country into the life of the university."