Past Events

This talk summarizes the results of genealogical research done by the author – a linguist and academic from Hungary – which she has conducted in the past five years to uncover her own family’s history of mostly peasant ancestors in 18th-19th century rural southern Hungary. These results are then discussed in terms of the micro-historical, social-historical, and epigenetic contexts of modern (Central European) identity. Anna Fenyvesi is Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of English and American Studies, University of Szeged, Hungary. She lived in Pittsburgh from 1991 to 1996, working towards her PhD in linguistics at Pitt (which she received in 1998). She is a sociolinguist with an interest in the Hungarian language use of American Hungarians, bilingualism, and digital language use. She is a self-taught genealogist with over five years of experience in family history research. She is currently a Fulbright Scholar at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, doing research into the linguistic heritage of American Hungarians in Appalachia.

Join us to listen to live folk, classical, popular music from Ukrainian musicians and war veterans. This event will feature talented artists. Most of them were engaged in fierce battles during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Some were seriously injured but after recovering from their injuries, they returned to military duty. Featuring Yuri Ivaskevych, Mykhailo Oliinyk, Taras Stoliar, and Olha Rukavishnikova.

Are you a high school or community college educator who is interested in deepening your understanding of the history, culture and current events of Russia and Eurasia? Consider applying for the Engaging Eurasia Teacher Fellowship! Applications for the 2024-2025 fellowship year, which is devoted to the theme Explorations of Identity in Russian & Eurasian Studies, are now open. The application deadline is May 15, 2024. 2024-2025 Fellowship Details This year-long study will take a multidisciplinary approach to understanding identity in Eurasia. The fellowship will allow participants to take a deep dive into the complex nature of identity, how it is created and perceived, how it changes, and how it can be politicized and polarized. The monthly webinars will help contextualize historically the many aspects that contribute to identity, ranging from topics like nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and race. Fellows will consider novels, poetry, art, film, and other media that both shape perspective and cultural identity as well as how identity is viewed and interpreted globally. They will also be asked to challenge their own assumptions and commonly held beliefs about identity and culture in Eurasia. Over the 9-month fellowship, fellows will participate in 8 content webinars, hearing from scholars with expertise on the fellowship topic. Each fellow is expected to complete a final project–either curriculum development or a literature review on a question that develops during the course of the fellowship. DEADLINE: May 15, 2024
FINALISTS NOTIFIED: End of May 2024

The University Center for International Studies cordially invites students graduating in Spring and Summer 2024 to celebrate their academic achievements and receive their credentials at the University Center for International Studies’ Graduation Ceremony in the Charity Randall Theater followed by a reception in the Cathedral Commons Room. Graduating students should look for their personal email invitations from the University Center for International Studies to RSVP and contact their UCIS academic advisor with any questions about the event. For additional details, please contact Laura Daversa at Laura.Daversa@pitt.edu Reception to follow the ceremony in the Cathedral Commons Room.

To celebrate the end-of-the-year, join the Pitt and CMU Russian programs for a talent show!

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

Join Till Mostowlansky, Research Professor and Eccellenza Professorial Fellow in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at The Graduate Institute Geneva, present his latest work: Transforming Landscapes of Aid: How Gulf Business, the War in Ukraine, and Equestrian Sports Change Small-Town Kyrgyzstan. Over the last decade, international development in Kyrgyzstan has undergone significant transformations. Despite the ongoing presence of diverse foreign organizations, notable shifts have occurred with the emergence of new contributors to aid, such as entities from the Gulf states, alongside increased trade revenues from China. This talk centers on a small town in southern Kyrgyzstan, delving into the concrete materialization of these influences within its social and political landscape. Drawing upon continuous ethnographic research conducted since 2022, the talk explores the intersection of Islamic charity with the state, the influence of excess on ideas of the good, and how equestrian sports serve as a catalyst for redistribution. Till Mostowlansky is a Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the Geneva Graduate Institute. He is the author of Azan on the Moon: Entangling Modernity along Tajikistan’s Pamir Highway (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2017) as well as co-editor of Infrastructure and the Remaking of Asia (University of Hawai’i Press, 2023) and Humanitarianism from Below: The Alternative Politics of Universalism (UCL Press, under contract). The talk is part of the Future of Development Assistance project at the Center for Governance and Markets.