Past Events

Academic institutions are shaped by and reproduce the very systems of social inequality that much of the research produced at these institutions seeks to deconstruct. Join us to explore why there is a need to move beyond recruiting and hiring diverse faculty to transforming dominant ideologies and deep-rooted social structures in academic culture. MODERATOR:
Sibelan Forrester, Swarthmore College PRESENTERS:
Carina Karapetian Georgi, Antelope Valley College
Joseph Lenkart, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Pawel Lewicki, Europa University, Viadrina
Olga Povoroznyuk, University of Vienna REGISTER IN ADVANCE: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/crees/intersectionality-in-focus-spring-2022 This session is part of the series "Intersectionality in Focus: From Critical Pedagogies to Research Practice, and Public Engagement in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies." Class, ethnicity and race, dis/ability, gender and sexuality, and other identity markers interweave to produce inequality differently in Eastern Europe and Eurasia than in the Americas or Western Europe. Yet, it is these very differences that provide a rich ground for intellectual conversations in our field. SPONSORS:
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies, University of Chicago
Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, University of Kansas
Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, University of Michigan
Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, University of Pittsburgh
Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, University of Texas at Austin
Center for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, Ohio State University
Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, Indiana University, Bloomington
Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, University of California, Berkeley
Robert F. Byrnes Russian and East European Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington
Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Topics include:
Disability-related accommodations
Recruitment and advising
Funding Considerations
Case Scenarios
Discussion leader: Monica Malhotra (Program Manager, National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange)
Mobility International USA (MIUSA); www.miusa.org Please note: we want to create an accessible experience for people with disabilities. Will you need any disability-related accommodations to participate in this webinar (e.g. captions/CART, American Sign Language interpreting, etc.)? If so, please reach out to Taylor Pipkin (tlp66@pitt.edu).

Dr. Priya Sirohi discusses her career as professor, writer, researcher, and scholar of cultural rhetoric. Her research conducts case studies between the English East India Company and Mughal India, to illuminate the significance of Early Modern economics that continue to define contemporary globalization. She holds a doctorate from Purdue University with secondary concentrations in Public Rhetoric and Cultural Rhetoric To Register:
https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtf-CspjwiEtxRiV3pytpt-Wsd4D48pZL5

Are you considering a Masters degree in a field related to Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies but wondering whether and when you should take this next step? Unsure what sorts of programs exist? Curious about finding and funding opportunities near your own current institution or alma mater? This webinar gives you a chance to hear from and pose your questions to both a career consultant and the representatives of various Northeast U.S. universities and colleges. Laura Schlosberg, a graduate of a Northeast liberal arts college who taught and advised students at a Northeast research university before becoming the Assistant Dean of Academic and Curricular Support in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University, will discuss and field questions about deciding whether an MA in a REEES field is the right next step for you (and, if you decide that it is, the factors you should consider in choosing a program). After a Q&A with Dr. Schlosberg, program administrators at institutions ranging from large universities to small colleges and representing both public and private education systems will give lightening-round introductions to their degrees and strengths, followed by a moderated discussion in which they will answer your questions about trends in the nature and value of masters-level work on the job market and in higher ed. Stay for an extra 15 minutes at the end to join some of our program representatives in separate meetings where you can introduce yourself and ask your program-specific questions. Institutions represented:
Columbia University, CUNY Hunter College, Harvard University, Middlebury College, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University

Register in advance for this meeting: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0td--vrD0rE93f7vHeDLn7yzH4Eg5AZ6Qu After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The book could be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/One-More-Road-Directors-Family/dp/1800732546/ref=... In his book, One More for the Road, Croatian filmmaker Rajko Grlic recounts his life and career through film terms, spanning from his post Nazi-era childhood in Yugoslavia to his college years during the 1968 invasion of Prague, the Yugoslav dissolution wars, and his subsequent exile in the United States. His stories paint a picture of the socialist film industries while also calling attention to its interactions with western filmmaking.

Join us for this virtual book launch and a discussion with the author. MODERATOR:
Jae-Jae Spoon
Associate Professor, Political Science
University of Pittsburgh DISCUSSANT:
Henry Hale
Professor, Political Science and International Affairs
George Washington University AUTHOR:
Vasili Rukhadze
Visiting Lecturer, Political Science
University of Pittsburgh “This book is one of the first to compare the color revolutions in Eurasia in systematic fashion and makes a convincing case that the size and cohesion of the coalition ultimately determine the fate of the revolution in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia. The empirical contribution is strong, providing one of the new data to compare the color revolutions in systematic fashion. With the Belarussian protests currently underway and possible rumblings of discontent in Russia itself, the book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of protest and politics in electoral autocracies.”
—Richard Arnold, Muskingum University “Vasili Rukhadze’s important new book picks up where most other studies of revolution end, demonstrating that an uprising’s organization crucially impacts its leaders’ potential to hold power long enough to effect real change if victorious. With clear and engaging prose, it will be a rewarding read for anyone interested in revolution generally or post-Soviet politics specifically.”
—Henry Hale, George Washington University “A rigorous comparison of three multifaceted cases, this book traces the impact of the ‘color revolutions’ long beyond the days when they were grabbing headlines. Rukhadze’s analysis of their different paths illuminates crucial causes of the (in)stability of regimes emerging from popular uprisings.”
—Andrew Barnes, Kent State University

Please join us as we honor Tareq Alaows with the Johnson Institute’s Emerging Leader Award in recognition of his dedicated work to represent and advocate for underrepresented minorities and refugees in Germany. Tareq Alaows is a legal professional and political leader. Born and raised in Syria, Alaows came to Germany in 2015 as a refugee and has since become a German citizen. Alaows dedicates his career to advocacy and representation for refugee and minority populations in German politics, becoming the first Syrian refugee to run for German Parliament in 2021. Before his departure from Syria in 2015, Alaows worked as a law student, activist, and humanitarian worker for the Red Crescent. In Germany, Alaows founded a refugee political group called Refugee Strike Bochum and an advocacy organization called Seebrucke, which seeks to establish safe havens for refugees and speak against the criminalization of refugee rescue. Alaows also performs legal counseling for refugees in Germany. Each year, the Johnson Institute presents an Emerging Leader award to an individual still in the early part of their career, who is committed to the highest standards of professional leadership, compassion, ethics, and stewardship of our world and the people who share it. Past honorees have included President and CEO of Baltimore Corps Fagan Harris, Civil Rights Corps Founder and Executive Director Alec Karakatsanis, and Eco-Soap Bank Founder and Executive Director Samir Lakhani. We will honor Mr. Alaows in a virtual award ceremony, followed by a brief talk by Alaows and Q&A with the audience. This event is free and open to the public. We will be joined by the University Center for International Studies as a cosponsor for this event. We look forward to you joining us for the webinar! Registration required.