This event is scheduled to occur on either Friday, March 1 on the fifth floor of the William Pitt Union!

Every Spring, the Center for African Studies at the University of Pittsburgh hosts the Africa in the Classroom Workshop to bring together K-12 educators in developing curriculum for teaching about Africa in schools. All teachers, administrators, students, librarians, and community members are welcome. Whether you are an expert on teaching Africa, or this is the first time you have considered it, the Africa in the Classroom Workshop is for you! Participating teachers can gain credit hours toward continuing professional education requirements (AP2).

The impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine can be felt far outside the actual battlefield. Modern war disproportionately affects gender and sexual minorities, something we are seeing in Ukraine even as Putin's anti-LGBTQ+ agenda seeks to relentlessly drive support for the war at home. How can a queer-studies focus advance conversations about decolonization in East European and Eurasian Studies? To address this question, Queer Focus will have six virtual panels featuring speakers from various disciplines and institutions. Panelists and participants will explore how gendered regimes were constitutive of Russo-centric relationships of power, defining the region and how we study it, as we collectively grapple with what it means to re-examine our current research, teaching, and institutional practices.

Join Addverse Poesia, an international and multilingual poetry group t hat discusses, reads and translates poems in at least 4 languages, for their weekly meetings!

Global conflicts, climate change, and unequal development challenge both societal and personal resilience by causing displacement, restricting resources, and counteracting efforts for a renewable world. Whether in urban or rural areas, people across the world grapple with creating sustainable livelihoods, ecosystems, social infrastructures, and economies. If resilience can be defined as the competence to reduce precarity during a crisis and build a more thriving society after, how can we best encourage students to learn about and become agents for global resilience?
The 2024 Summer Institute offers a free, week-long professional development opportunity for K-12 educators, combining joint sessions with self-selected tracks that balance interactive activities with time for individual research while prioritizing support for the design of high-quality curricular materials. All sessions will be held virtually. Educators from Title I and Title III schools are particularly encouraged to apply.

Come meet international students, make friends, practice conversational English, and have fun together, during these weekly discussion groups coordinated by the English Language Institute. Feel free to bring your lunch :)

Integrating languages and cultures across the curriculum is an innovative approach that fosters a holistic educational experience. By intertwining diverse linguistic and cultural elements into various subjects, students gain a deeper understanding of cultural competence and global perspectives relevant to their disciplines. This method not only enhances language proficiency but also promotes empathy, cross-cultural communication, and a nuanced appreciation for the rich tapestry of human expression. Ultimately, it prepares students to navigate an interconnected world with cultural sensitivity and linguistic versatility. The talk aims to explore models of curriculum development and assessment to build and sustain CLAC programming in higher education. The speaker also presents current practices in the Language Engagement Project at Rutgers University.

Speaker:
Doaa Rashed, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of English
Director, Language Engagement Project
Co-Director, Language and Social Justice Initiative
Rutgers, the State University of NJ

Are you an undergraduate Pitt student planning to embark on a summer global experience? Join the Spring 2024 3-part UCIS Digital Narrative Workshop Series and create a short video to document your experience, which will be displayed on the big screen in the Global Hub!

3-part Workshop Series:
Workshop #1: Monday, February 26 | 5-8 pm | Posvar 4217
Workshop #2: Tuesday, March 5 | 5-8 pm | Posvar 4217
Workshop #3: Tuesday, March 19 | 5-7 pm | Global Hub (1st floor, Posvar Hall)

Note: Students should attend all 3 workshops. If you have class or other pressing conflicts, special exceptions might be made, although you are strongly encouraged to join as much as you can to get the most out of the experience!

Registration deadline: February 23

Join German Club at Pitt’s weekly meetings, on Tuesdays at 6-7 pm during Spring 2024, to converse in German and learn German culture!

This lecture will discuss the phenomenon of Metaverse and AI fever in China. Whereas Metaverse attempts to create a virtual and mixed reality that expands our external environment, AI tries to create artificial intelligence that extends our internal consciousness. Both are about creating a world that will fundamentally change the way we engage with people and the world, prompting us to question who we are and what we will become. Built on a discussion of paradoxes and challenges intrinsic in the development of AI and metaverse, this paper will primarily focus on the discourses of AI and Metaverse in China. I suggest that the debate about metaverse (Yuan yuzhou元宇宙) continues the May Fourth debate of Science and Metaphysics, establishing and doubting the power of science in contemporary context. Meanwhile, the discussion of AI also hinges upon its uncertainty and inevitability that will fundamentally change the course of humanity. Through an analysis of two films, Ne Zha (2019) and Goddamned Asura (2021, Taiwan), I will show some philosophical and religious solutions as suggested in these cinematic works in the Chinese studies Context.

Come practice your conversational Hungarian with students of all levels!

Join weekly Bate-Papo Portuguese conversation practice for all levels,
from brand-new beginners to advanced or heritage speakers!

8.30-9.00 am: Registration & Breakfast

9.00-9.30 am: Opening Remarks
Dean Elizabeth MZ Farmer, Ph.D.
Christina Babusci, LSW
School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh

9.30-10.30 am: Keynote #1
Raciolized Trauma in AAPI Communities
Jessica Kim, LCSW
School of Social Policy & Practice
University of Pennsylvania

10.30- 11.00 am: Brief Session
On Suicide and Care:
Insights from South Korean Young Women
Jung Eun Kwon, MA
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh

11.00-12.00 pm: Documentary Discussion
Being Asian in America
Moderator: Daniel Lee, Ph.D.
School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh

12.00-1.00 pm: Lunch

1.00-2.00 pm: Keynote #2
Local Advocacy and Resources
Marian Lien, Asian Pacific American
Advocates-Pittsburgh

2.00- 2.30 pm: Pitt Resources
API organizations, support, & advocacy

2:30-4.00 pm: DEi Leadership Panel
Moderator: Deborah Moon, Ph.D.
School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh

4 .00-4.10 pm: Closing Remarks
Kyaien 0. Conner, Ph.D.
Center for Race and Social Problem
University of Pittsburgh

4 :20-5:30 pm: Performance
Mai Khoi, Singer/ Artist/ Activist

University of Pittsburgh faculty and graduate students are invited to join the ValEUs network for the 2nd Provocation in our series. As geopolitical actor Europe aspires to empire/has fallen into insignificance. What are the enduring legacies of European empires in formulating EU foreign policy? To what extent are current EU values perceived as rooted in imperial and colonial histories? Europe as such has no military thus the European response to the war in Ukraine takes place primarily through NATO; does that diminish the EU's geo-political significance? A great deal of the power of the EU is soft power; is soft power a good venue to convey values, or is soft power its own vale? How do world crises reveal the significance or insignificance of EU values?

Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch and chat with us! Pitt students only,
all levels welcome!

Hrishabh Sandaliya, Co-Director of European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM)
In this session he will speak candidly, offering insight from his "lived experience as a migrant,
student, entrepreneur and civil society activist on the seeming impossibility of Europe today, and the hope -the relational and imagination infrastructures we need to ensure its continuity." Specifically, he hopes to relate "my time in and from Europe's different nooks and corners - borders (Cyprus and Armenia), Scandinavia, MittelEuropa and its capital, to the numerous challenges we face, and posit that perhaps we need a different way to make sense of our world and address these issues -beyond the binaries of black and white and left and right." Seats are limited to allow for good conversation.

About the Speaker:
Hrishabh Sandilya is Co-Director of EPIM, the European Programme for Integration and Migration and Co-lead at ReImagined Futures, a collective systems change consultancy. Sandilya works on narratives, systems, and imagination and relational infrastructures as Co-Director of EPIM, the European Programme for Integration and Migration and at ReImagined Futures, a collective systems change consultancy he co-leads. Between 2018 and 2022, Hrishabh setup and led Project Phoenix in Cyprus working on refugee inclusion and entrepreneurship, building on a decade-long body of work in the non-profit, academic, and entrepreneurial worlds across Czechia, Armenia, India, and Sweden. Hrishabh occasionally opines and comments and his work has been featured on Czech Television and in Project Syndicate and the Indian Express (amongst others). Hrishabh was raised in Bombay and then spent 12 years in Prague, building a parallel life within the city’s engrossing cultural scene - as a restaurateur, curating a gallery and a regular DJ gig at one of the city’s favorite clubs. After naturalizing as a Czech citizen, the rest of Europe beckoned, resulting in a meandering trail through Berlin, Yerevan, Sweden’s idyllic south coast, Nicosia and eventually Brussels, during which he complimented professional pursuits with time spent sailing and filmmaking, and back at university. Hrishabh was a 2023 Marshall Memorial Fellow.

Facilitated by Randall Halle, Director: European Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh

Join the French Club for conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

Join the Persian Language Table every other Thursday during Spring 2024 to practice language, celebrate culture, and meet new people!

*For University of Pittsburgh Affiliates (Students, Staff, Faculty) Only*

The second meeting of the reading group that will be discussing "Daughter of The Dragon", by Yunte Huang.

Join Addverse Poesia, an international and multilingual poetry group
that discusses, reads and translates poems in at least 4 languages, for
their weekly meetings!

The Spring Festival of the Egg is a family-oriented event welcoming the coming of Spring in many ethnic traditions as featured by members and friends of the Nationality and Heritage Room Committees at the University of Pittsburgh. Many hands-on activities will be made available.

This event is eligible for Outside of the Classroom Curriculum Credit for Pitt Students. Please refer to

You are cordially invited to a free lecture, "America's Troubled Foreign Policy," by Professor John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Chicago on Monday, March 11, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. Professor Mearsheimer will examine U.S. foreign policy concerning China, Russia, the Ukraine war, the Gaza crisis, and more. The lecture will be followed by a Q & A session.

This lecture is the inaugural event in the New Perspectives on Public and Foreign Policy Speaker Series, presented by the Department of Political Science, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, Duquesne University. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. All are invited.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine transformed European security concerns dramatically. It has disrupted the lives of countless people in the region. It triggered a new wave of rapid forced migration throughout the EU and in other neighboring countries. Displacement from the war impacts not only Ukrainian women and children fleeing to Poland, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, and other neighboring countries. It has also affected Russians avoiding mobilization or Russian intellectuals avoiding repressions in their home country.

Unfortunately, at a time of record numbers of internal and external displaced persons worldwide, the number of people seeking asylum has now risen in Central Asia and Caucasus. In addition to considering the overall security situation resulting from the war, this Conversation on Europe will ask: How do these movements of people affect the current situation in the EU and in receiving countries? How have societies and state apparatuses reacted to this migration, and what can we learn from these dynamics? What role does “security” and securitization play in these processes?

Moderator:
Randall Halle, University of Pittsburgh

Panelist: TBD

Global Studies Center and the Consortium of Educational Resources on Islamic Studies (CERIS) will host a workshop centered around the article written by Nathan Thrall titled "A Day in the Life of Abed Salama".

"A Day in the Life of Abed Salama" examines the events leading up to a bus accident in 2012 that killed eight Palestinian children and one of their teachers. The book focuses on the story of Abed Salama, the father of one of the children involved. It offers a human portrait of life for Palestinians and a new understanding of the tragic history and reality of one of the most contested places on earth.

Bob Ross, Professor of Social Justice Studies at Point Park University will provide context of life in the West Bank in the Occupied Territories. Erin Brault, a long-time educator with Pittsburgh Public Schools, will discuss ways to incorporate the content into the curriculum.

Come practice your conversational Hungarian with students of all levels!

Join Global Semesters in Cyprus, learn more about the opportunity at the information session hosted by Matt Sborz, our Enrollment Manager, on March 14th at 1:00 PM EST.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUldOyvqzouG9YKjTTR3WSmJ5lFV0C...

This is a story about the tragic and mysterious death of the most powerful poet of 1960's, human rights activist, hero of Ukraine Vasyl Stus, and his struggle with the Soviet system. The events of the film unfold during the last attempt by the KGB to seduce the poet with a whimsical "freedom".
After the screening, delve deeper into the film's themes with a Q&A session. In-person, Valeria Borshchevska, the esteemed producer, along with the authors of the script and the book, Serhii Dzyuba and Artemiy Kirsanov, will be present. Additionally, Serhii Dzyuba and Artemiy Kirsanov will join this discussion via Zoom. Gain insights into the creative process and the historical context behind this remarkable film.

The impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine can be felt far outside the actual battlefield. Modern war disproportionately affects gender and sexual minorities, something we are seeing in Ukraine even as Putin's anti-LGBTQ+ agenda seeks to relentlessly drive support for the war at home. How can a queer-studies focus advance conversations about decolonization in East European and Eurasian Studies? To address this question, Queer Focus will have six virtual panels featuring speakers from various disciplines and institutions. Panelists and participants will explore how gendered regimes were constitutive of Russo-centric relationships of power, defining the region and how we study it, as we collectively grapple with what it means to re-examine our current research, teaching, and institutional practices.

In occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Fosse Ardeatine massacre in Rome, oral historian Alessandro Portelli will lead a discussion of his book, The Order Has Been Carried Out (2003), a seminal work that challenged long held assumptions about the event.

On March 23, 1944, during the Nazi occupation of Rome, a partisan unit detonated a bomb in Via Rasella that killed thirty-three German police officials. In the span of a day, the Germans retaliated by killing 335 Italian civilians in an abandoned quarry outside of Rome known as the Fosse Ardeatine. Following the massacre, a false narrative emerged that the Germans had carried out the reprisal only after the partisans failed to turn themselves in. Portelli's book examines the struggle over the memory of this event, as well as key assumptions about Rome, the German occupation, and war using oral testimony from two hundred interviews.

We are using this conversation as an occasion not only to remember the events of Fosse Ardeatine but also to discuss the production of knowledge about traumatic events, as well as the meanings and ellipses present in collective memory. By conducting a critical inquiry into the narratives surrounding the massacre with Portelli, we will explore how to identify and challenge our assumptions and biases about histories we think we know well. We will investigate the role of dialogue in oral testimony--the foundational importance of the relationship between and interviewer and their subject--and how Portelli shaped The Order around this dialogue.

Moderated by Rachel Love, Department of French and Italian.

You might have heard the words “cultural humility,” but what does that really mean and how do you practice it? Join students, faculty, and administrators for an informal conversation as we reflect on our own global experiences, think together about what this means, and foster a global mindset!

This event will be offered twice, at the below dates and times. It is the same event, just 2 opportunities to engage in the conversation.

Monday, March 18 | 3-4 pm
Thursday, March 21 | 4-5 pm

Reminder: As part of the University Center for International Studies' Year of Discourse and Dialogue initiative, Pitt students are invited to vote by March 20 for their favorite new tagline for the Engagement Wall in the Global Hub. Help us identify a new tagline that better aligns with our institution's commitment to equity and diversity, and embrace a global education at Pitt informed by cultural humility! Vote here: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSg1oEXti0gqync

Join the French Club for conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

The Euro Challenge is a competition for high school students on European economic and monetary policy. It gives participants the opportunity to learn about the Euro, the single market, and other important concepts central to the European Union and macro/microeconomics.

The PA regional competition is hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, with generous support from Northgate High School who provided space for the event.

If you are interested in an international career, come join former and current government professionals to learn more about the range of opportunities available to early-career individuals! Panelists will talk about their career journeys followed by small breakout groups where students can ask questions and gain mentorship. Refreshments will be served.

Panelists:

Isabel Brum - U.S. Department of State Thomas R Pickering Fellow, University of Pittsburgh (linkedin.com/in/isabel-brum)
Betty Cruz - World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, President and CEO( linkedin.com/in/bettycruz)
Megan Keil - Peace Corps, Regional Recruiter, Office of Volunteer Recruitment & Selection (linkedin.com/in/megan-keil)
Julia Santucci - University of Pittsburgh, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies and Director, Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership (linkedin.com/in/julia-santucci-431732129)
Sherry Zalika Sykes - U.S. Department of State, Diplomat in Residence Allegheny (linkedin.com/in/diplomat-in-residence-allegheny-4bb223288)

Are you looking to gain experience that will help prepare you for a
globally-connected job market? Stop by Drop-In Hours to learn more
about getting the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript,
receiving special recognition at graduation, and standing out to
prospective employers!

Join Global Experiences Office Peer Advisors for this weekly roundtable in the Global Hub! Bring your questions about study abroad programs!

Are you an undergraduate Pitt student planning to embark on a summer global experience? Join the Spring 2024 3-part UCIS Digital Narrative Workshop Series and create a short video to document your experience, which will be displayed on the big screen in the Global Hub!

3-part Workshop Series:
Workshop #1: Monday, February 26 | 5-8 pm | Posvar 4217
Workshop #2: Tuesday, March 5 | 5-8 pm | Posvar 4217
Workshop #3: Tuesday, March 19 | 5-7 pm | Global Hub (1st floor, Posvar Hall)

Note: Students should attend all 3 workshops. If you have class or other pressing conflicts, special exceptions might be made, although you are strongly encouraged to join as much as you can to get the most out of the experience!

Registration deadline: February 23

Come celebrate the season and paint spring blooms with Pitt's Ukrainian Culture Class!

Join German Club at Pitt’s weekly meetings, on Tuesdays at 6-7 pm during Spring 2024, to converse in German and learn German culture!

In the spring of 2024, the World History Center’s Global Appalachia working group and the Global Studies Center will host a series of book discussions focusing on the region of Appalachia from a global perspective. The series theme is Interdisciplinary Perspectives on a Region in Motion. Participation in all three events in the series is not required but encouraged. All events will take place from 1:00-2:30pm (EST). Copies of the books will be available for those planning to attend the event.

Another Appalachia examines both the roots and the resonance of Avashia’s identity as a queer, desi, Appalachian woman while encouraging readers to envision more complex versions of both Appalachia and the nation as a whole.

Join the Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies for an afternoon of music, poetry, food, and cultural fun for our premier Open Mic! Watch your peers and professors demonstrate their talents and artifacts and join in the fun yourself!

Join weekly Swahili Class 2 students for weekly conversation hours this
Spring semester, to practice Swahili outside of the classroom.

Come practice your conversational Hungarian with students of all levels!

Join weekly Bate-Papo Portuguese conversation practice for all levels,
from brand-new beginners to advanced or heritage speakers!

Join the University of Pittsburgh’s Alliance for Learning in
World History & the Global Studies Center for a series of
workshops about using History for the 21st Century (H21)
modules in the classroom. The H21 project offers complete
modules for introductory world history classrooms that include
student readings and primary sources, lesson plans, instructor
guides, and discussion, activity, and assessments suggestions.

Dr. Thomas Baudinette is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies and International Studies at Macquarie University. A cultural anthropologist, his research primarily explores how popular media and fandom culture inform knowledge about gender and sexuality across East and Southeast Asia. He is the author of Regimes of Desire: Young Gay Men, Media, Masculinity in Tokyo (University of Michigan Press, 2021) and Boys Love Media in Thailand: Celebrity, Fans, and Transnational Asian Queer Popular Culture (Bloomsbury, 2023). He i currently working on his third book, tentatively titled Queer Fantasies of Asia: Japanese and Korean Media Fandom in the Philippines.

Join Spring 2024 Kya Baat Hai weekly conversation hours, on
Wednesdays from 7-8 pm, for students to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences!

Based on Artem Chukh's autobiographical novel Who Are You?, this Ukrainian drama is an encounter in a provincial town between Tymofiy (a Ukrainian boy) and Felix, a charismatic veteran of the Afghan War, broken by PTSD. A difficult portrait of generational difficulties between children and adults in the Ukrainian 1990s, this film is a coming-of-age story about the first lessons of kindness and cruelty.
The screening will be followed by a talk with the film's director, Iryna Tsilyk. Tsilyk is a prominent Ukrainian director and poet whose awards include the Documentary Directing Award at Sundance (2020).

The Latinx Connect conference aims to move us beyond “celebrating” Latinxs, calling for empowerment and justice for Latinx communities, who face numerous inequities in the US and across the world, particularly for those at marginalized intersections of Latinx identity (e.g., Afro, Indigenous, Queer, Trans*, Undocumented).
The theme of the conference this year is: ¡Imaginemos Juntos! Dialogues on Thriving Latinx Futures. The 2024 Latinx Connect conference will bring together students, educators, community leaders, and political advocates to dialogue about Latinidad and envision ways to empower and support thriving futures, both short and distant, for diverse Latinx communities at local, national, and global levels.
As the largest pan-ethnic group in the United States, Latinxs are extremely diverse by race, gender, language, immigration, and experiences along the diaspora, which creates opportunity for dialogue. Participants will discuss together what it means to thrive as Latinx/a/o/e/Hispanic at the intersections of their identities in topic areas including but not limited to education, public health, arts, and history.

There is no cost to attend the conference, and all are welcome.

Sami Day: A Cultural Celebration of the Indigenous People of Northern Europe

10:30am-12:30pm (Posvar 4310/4216 CUE Common Room)
- Watch the film Historja-Stitches for Sapmi (2022)
- Introduction by Randall Halle, Director of the European Studies Center at Pitt

12:30-2:00pm (Meet Virtually)
- Ann-Helen Laestadius, writer of international bestseller Stolen
- Anne Heith, Associate Professor in Comparative Literature and Media Studies

2:00-3:45pm
- Listen to Sami music and taste some light Sami snacks

Contact Gunnerl Bergstrom, LCTL Swedish Program (gwb40@pitt.edu)

Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch and chat with us! Pitt students only,
all levels welcome!

Come have coffee and refreshments with Sherry Sykes, Pitt’s own Diplomat-in-Residence! She will provide guidance and mentorship to students interested in careers, internships, and fellowships with the U.S. State Department. Sherry will be available to chat anytime between 2-4 P.M. All are welcome!

Sherry is a senior Foreign Service officer, who previously served as Consul General in Durban, South Africa, and has held diplomatic postings in Mozambique, Nigeria and Ethiopia. In D.C. she has served in the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, leading U.S. efforts on ocean, air, chemical and plastic pollution agreements, and in combating wildlife trafficking and climate change. As Diplomat-in-Residence, she will provide guidance and mentorship to students interested in careers, internships and fellowships with the U.S. State Department.

How did the project of Soviet internationalism imagine a future for a “national musical instrument” like the Ukrainian bandura? Drawing on the archive of the Kyiv Palace of Pioneers (KPDU), the mass institution that provided afterschool opportunities for Soviet schoolchildren known as “Pioneers,” alongside interviews with bandura players, this lecture tells the story of the formation of the children’s bandura ensemble in Soviet Ukraine and the violent erasures that enabled its creation. The story begins with the consolidation of the bandura and the centuries-old bardic traditions associated with it as icons of Ukrainian national identity in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the Soviet 1920s, the bandura became entangled in a series of violent erasures: as the “old style” of playing was repressed, as tradition-bearers disappeared, and as the bandura’s most flamboyant champion was executed by the Soviet state.

Meanwhile, the Soviet project of rationalizing vernacular music in the service of building Communism saw the broad institutionalization of children’s music ensembles, including children’s bandura ensembles, at the premier Pioneer Palace of Soviet Ukraine. The history shows how children, imagined to be “powerful agents of revolution” (Kirschenbaum 2001) in the early Soviet period, were in fact often unruly vectors through which the ideological values of Soviet internationalism could be expressed. Based on archival materials and the testimony of a member of the first children’s bandura ensemble at KPDU in the late 1930s, this lecture reveals the contradictions that were inherent in engineering the Communist future through children’s music.

Maria Sonevytsky is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Music at Bard College
https://mariasonevytsky.com/

You might have heard the words “cultural humility,” but what does that really mean and how do you practice it? Join students, faculty, and administrators for an informal conversation as we reflect on our own global experiences, think together about what this means, and foster a global mindset!

This event will be offered twice, at the below dates and times. It is the same event, just 2 opportunities to engage in the conversation.

Monday, March 18 | 3-4 pm
Thursday, March 21 | 4-5 pm

Reminder: As part of the University Center for International Studies' Year of Discourse and Dialogue initiative, Pitt students are invited to vote by March 20 for their favorite new tagline for the Engagement Wall in the Global Hub. Help us identify a new tagline that better aligns with our institution's commitment to equity and diversity, and embrace a global education at Pitt informed by cultural humility! Vote here: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSg1oEXti0gqync

In the fifth installment of the Global Issues Through Literature Series (GILS), educators will convene to discuss Home is Not a Country by author Safia Elhillo.

This year's theme is: Marginalized Voices in Global Context: Centering Overlooked Narratives in Literature

This reading group for K-16 educators explores literary texts from a global perspective. Content specialists present the work and its context, and participants brainstorm innovative pedagogical practices for incorporating the text and its themes into the curriculum. Sessions this year will take place in a hybrid format, with virtual and in-person discussions taking place on Thursday evenings from 5-8 PM (EST). A copy of the book and 3 Act 48 credit hours are provided for each session.

Join the French Club for conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

Join the Persian Language Table every other Thursday during Spring 2024 to practice language, celebrate culture, and meet new people!

The Undergraduate Research Symposium is an annual event since 2002 designed to provide undergraduate students, from the University of Pittsburgh and other colleges and universities, with advanced research experiences and opportunities to develop presentation skills. The event is open to undergraduates from all majors and institutions who have written a research
paper from a social science, humanities, or business perspective focusing on the study of Eastern, Western, or Central Europe, the European Union, Russia, or Central Eurasia.

After the initial submission of papers, selected participants are grouped into panels according to their research topics. The participants then give 10- to 15-minute presentations based on their research to a panel of faculty and graduate students. The presentations are open to the public.

Limited travel grants are available to help defray travel expenses for accepted participants located outside the Pittsburgh region.

Application deadline: January 7, 2024.
Symposium: March 22, 2024.

https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/creees/urs

The broad rubric of identity is the single most dominant research agenda in academic scholarship, and Eurasian history is no exception. When it comes to questions of ethnic identity, scholars most often focus on groups that can boast some kind of institutional backing - such as a nation-state. Yet, historically, there were many ways that people integrated into collectives - whether or not they were conscious of doing so - that did not lead to a modern nation-state. This keynote address highlights some of the Central Asian groups all but forgotten by history, as well as non-identitarian forms of human integration, such as language, cultures of documentation, and performances of sovereignty.

Many efforts have been made over the past several years to diversify Eastern European and Eurasian studies. This new spotlight surfaces research that has been conducted by many scholars for much longer, highlighting their commitment to telling stories and honoring perspectives of diverse and minority communities. Their work reveals that while there is no unified queer experience in the region, there is often a one-size-fits all state response to the reality of queer lives in many nations within the region. How can a queer-studies focus advance conversations about decolonization in East European and Eurasian Studies? To address this question, Queer Focus will have seven virtual panels featuring speakers from various disciplines and institutions. Panelists and participants will explore how gendered regimes were constitutive of Russo-centric relationships of power, defining the region and how we study it, as we collectively grapple with what it means to re-examine our current research, teaching, and institutional practices.

Register via Handshake for this info session to learn more about Fulbright Study/Research awards and hear from current Fulbright winners.

Forging Leninism in China is a re-examination of the events of the Chinese revolution and the transformation of the Chinese Communist Party from the years 1927 to 1934. Describing the transformation of the party as “the forging of Leninism”, Joseph Fewsmith offers a clear analysis of the development of the party. Drawing on supporting statements of party leaders and a wealth of historical material, he demonstrates how the Chinese Communist Party reshaped itself to become far more violent, more hierarchical, and more militarized during this time. He highlights the role of local educated youth in organizing the Chinese revolution, arguing that it was these local organizations, rather than Mao, who introduced Marxism into the countryside. Fewsmith presents a vivid story of local social history and conflict between Mao’s revolutionaries and local Communists.

As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health.



In Spring 2024, the focus will be on the impact technology has on criminal justice. This will include a discussion about technology’s impact on human safety, including the increasing use of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other technology by various authorities of the criminal justice system. This will include discussions on the benefits and risks in the implementation and automation of such technology within criminal justice apparatuses. We will also consider how such implementation differs across global criminal justice systems, including how this technology is governed.

Join the Center for Governance and Markets and scholars from Afghanistan to celebrate Nowruz, a Persian celebration of the New Year. University of Pittsburgh students, staff, and faculty are invited to celebrate together and enjoy a potluck dinner.

As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health.



In Spring 2024, the focus will be on the impact technology has on criminal justice. This will include a discussion about technology’s impact on human safety, including the increasing use of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other technology by various authorities of the criminal justice system. This will include discussions on the benefits and risks in the implementation and automation of such technology within criminal justice apparatuses. We will also consider how such implementation differs across global criminal justice systems, including how this technology is governed.

This year, Pitt's annual memorial keynote lecture on Slovak culture, which helps keep alive the memory of Thomas Kukučka (whose commitment to Slovakia in the 1980s helps future generations to improve their knowledge of the country), will focus on Slovak Immigration in Pittsburgh.

Since the 1800s Pittsburgh has welcomed generations of Slovak immigrants. Once known as the "Gateway to the West", Pittsburgh and its surrounding regions were a magnet for chain migration, attracting those who carved out livings in the steel mills, iron, glass, and other factories along its famous three rivers. This lecture explores the stories of both famous and everyday Slovaks who served as the bridge between America and their European Homeland.

Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. will be presenting.

A recording will be made and available to the public for those who cannot make the actual event on 3/24.

Join JSA for their annual Spring Festival!
With special guest Mei Semones and goods from Origami PGH.

Come meet international students, make friends, practice conversational English, and have fun together, during these weekly discussion groups coordinated by the English Language Institute. Feel free to bring your lunch :)

Join the French Club for conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

Olena Boryshpolets (PiNTS Scholar) and Anouar Rahmani have written and produced (and act in) their original play, I'm Sorry, I Don't Understanding. Performed in multiple languages, the play tells the story of a Ukrainian woman and an Algerian man who arrive in Pittsburgh and accidentally become neighbors, but live their pain in solitude. One day they realize that in order to move on, it is vital for them to tell each other their stories.

Are you looking to gain experience that will help prepare you for a
globally-connected job market? Stop by Drop-In Hours to learn more
about getting the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript,
receiving special recognition at graduation, and standing out to
prospective employers!

Join German Club at Pitt’s weekly meetings, on Tuesdays at 6-7 pm during Spring 2024, to converse in German and learn German culture!

Join weekly Tavolina (a separate gathering from Tavola Italiana) to
practice Italian. This is an Italian conversation table aimed for beginner
and intermediate speakers.

Join weekly Swahili Class 2 students for weekly conversation hours this
Spring semester, to practice Swahili outside of the classroom.

Come practice your conversational Hungarian with students of all levels!

Join Spring 2024 Kya Baat Hai weekly conversation hours, on
Wednesdays from 7-8 pm, for students to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences!

Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch and chat with us! Pitt students only,
all levels welcome!

EU ENLARGEMENT LECTURE SERIES: 20th Anniversary of the EU Enlargement

As part of our continued efforts to bring together experts with diverse perspectives to discuss contemporary issues facing Europe, the European Studies Center/European Union Center of Excellence (ESC/EUCE) along with the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES) offers a new lecture series to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the EU Enlargement. This virtual lecture series will be held on the last Thursday of each month. 

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the biggest enlargement of the European Union in its history. Ten countries, mainly former socialist Eastern European states, almost doubled the EU from 15 to 25 member states. May 1, 2004, was the triumphal return to the European Family for many. But for some, it initiated a process of disenchantment with the EU and the West.

Each month, the ESC/EUCE, together with REEES at the University of Pittsburgh, will focus our attention on a specific country or a group of countries in the EU by inviting experts and eyewitnesses to discuss the hopes and realities of the EU integration before and after expansion to address what hopes were fulfilled and what new hopes exist for the Union in the present.

Each session is recorded and later posted on the internet with suggested additional readings and further resources. Please check out our webpage for more details and mark the last Thursday of the month to attend this event.

Moderator:

Panelist:

This seminar will provide an overview of the historical, legal, institutional, and policy dimensions of the EU’s evolution as an international security actor. It will examine the development
of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and will analyze the EU’s partnerships with core strategic partners, as well as the EU’s inter-organizational cooperation with the UN and NATO in the context of rising geopolitical rivalries. This will also include the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, shifting international alliances, and the future of European strategic
autonomy. Seats are limited to allow for good conversation.

About the Speaker:
Joachim A. Koops is Chair of Security Studies and Scientific Director (WD) of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) at Leiden University’s campus in The Hague. His research focuses on Global Security Governance and the European Union’s foreign and security policies, the role of the United Nations, European Union, NATO (and their inter-organizational relations) in peace and security as well as crisis management, peacekeeping, the responsibility to protect(R2P) and the changing nature of diplomacy. In addition, Joachim is interested in issues of academic diplomacy as well as higher education innovation and reform.

Facilitated by Randall Halle, Director of the European Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh.

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes everyone wot the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss socail and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.
During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive interntional nertwork and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

In America Last, Heilbrunn explores the historical phenomenon of American political leaders expressing admiration for authoritarian leaders and dictators abroad, spanning from the early 20th century to the present day. The book examines how influential U.S. intellectuals, journalists, and politicians have been attracted to the perceived strength and leadership styles of foreign autocrats, viewing them as potential models for addressing domestic political and social issues.

Jacob Heilbrunn is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and editor of the National Interest. He previously served as senior editor at the New Republic and an editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times. He is a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School.

Damir Marusic is assignment editor at the Washington Post and founding editor or Wisdom of Crowds. Previously, he was executive editor at the American Interest magazine and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center.

Join the French Club for conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

All That Breathes (2022)

In one of the world’s most populated cities, two brothers—Nadeem and Saud—devote their lives to the quixotic effort of protecting the black kite, a majestic bird of prey essential to the ecosystem of New Delhi that has been falling from the sky at alarming rates. Amid environmental toxicity and social unrest, the “kite brothers” spend day and night caring for the creatures in their makeshift basement hospital. Director Shaunak Sen explores the connection between the kites and the brothers who help them return to the skies, offering a
mesmerizing chronicle of inter-species coexistence.

Director Shaunak Sen

Shaunak Sen is an Academy award nominated filmmaker and writer based in Delhi. His film All That Breathes received nominations at the 2023 Academy and BAFTA awards. The film won awards at Cannes, Sundance, BFI London, IDA, Grierson and Cinema Eye, and 24 other film festivals. Cities of Sleep (2016), Sen’s first feature-length documentary, was shown at various major international film festivals and won 6 international awards. He has been a jury member at festivals including Sundance, Zurich, and the Kerala Film Festival.
He holds a PhD and has published in journals including Bioscope and Widescreen and is currently a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute, Berlin.

Karibuni! Are you interested in learning some conversational Swahili? Join us for a three part mini-series taught by our advanced Swahili students! Topics include introductions, bargaining, food, and more. We hope to see you there!

More event details to come!

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes faculty and students to the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference page. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss social and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.

During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive international network and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese.

More information can be found here: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/laspp

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes everyone wot the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss socail and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.
During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive interntional nertwork and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

*For University of Pittsburgh Affiliates (Students, Staff, Faculty) Only*

The final meeting and discussion about "Daughter of The Dragon", by Yunte Huang.

Watch Russia's first feminist film- a strong woman obstetrician Anna Betskaya has a brilliant career; husband Nikolai, feeling neglected, starts an affair with a young waitress, who soon gets pregnant. Later, the two women decide to work cooperatively at the doctor's office and raise the baby together.
Delve into the melodrama atmosphere of a 1910s motion-picture theatre! Admission is free, registration required

Join Addverse Poesia, an international and multilingual poetry group
that discusses, reads and translates poems in at least 4 languages, for
their weekly meetings!

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes everyone wot the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss socail and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.
During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive interntional nertwork and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

On December 2nd, 1823, President James Monroe submitted his annual message to Congress. What he wrote about Greece appeared innocent and straightforward. It was not.

In the context of prior cabinet discussions and also in the context of strong support for the Greek Struggle for Freedom among educated and politically active Americans, Monroe’s statements were quite ambiguous.

"A strong hope has long been entertained, founded on the heroic struggle of the Greeks, that they would succeed in their contest, and resume their equal station among the nations of the earth . . . . Their cause and their name have protected them from dangers, which ere this, might have overwhelmed any other people."

"The Greek Question" remains one of the little-known matters of American history that was both consequence of, and fuel for, America's growing support for the Greek Revolution. Congressional documents and underlying evidence is scant. Until now.

This year, we unveil some of the documents. Most importantly, we bring to light the actual Congressional Session on the matter, with a re-enactment by students of the Quo Vadis program at the University of Pittsburgh.

There will be a virtual lecture on the 23rd at 7 PM at https://pahellenicfoundation.org/March2024. The event will be broadcast at 7 PM on March 30th at: https://pahellenicfoundation.org/March2024.