The High School Model European Union is an annual event for area high school students. The goal of the Model EU is to give high school students a chance to learn about the workings of the European Union through a hands-on simulation. Playing the roles of presidents and prime ministers, students spend a day engaged in intense negotiations over conflicting issues about the EU. The objective is to simulate a specific European Council meeting that focuses on recent current events impacting the EU. Model EU enhances students’ understanding of classroom learning and gives them a real sense of the challenges involved in the decision-making process of the European Union.

Come by the Global Experiences Office to learn about the summer 2025 program in DC-Brussels.

Attention: Undergraduate students! 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

Lunch Lecture: Why did Trump win (at such scale)?

The Viadrina Institute for European Studies (IFES) invites you to the following event as part of the Lunch Lectures series:

Sascha Münnich (EUV) in conversation with Randall Halle (Pittsburgh).

The result of the presidential election in the USA was in some ways to be expected and yet it came as a shock to many people: How was Donald Trump able to prevail against Kamala Harris by such a clear margin? What factors explain this popular support and, above all, what failures or mistakes by the ruling Democratic Party and its campaign strategy could have contributed to this outcome?

Sascha Münnich and Randall Halle will discuss these questions with each other and with the audience from a social and cultural science perspective and analyse them on the basis of current surveys and their experiences on the ground: What can we learn from this election, including for the future of Europe?

The discussion will be held in English, questions can be asked in German.

Are you a graduate student looking to broaden your international experience? Join us for “International Experiences, Funding, and Best Practices for Success”—an interactive session designed to equip you with the tools and knowledge to navigate global opportunities confidently. This event will feature insights from Emmy at GSPIA, a representative from the Nationality Rooms, and current students who have successfully pursued international internships.

From funding strategies to real-world experiences, you’ll learn essential tips for making the most of your graduate studies abroad. Whether you’re just starting to explore international paths or looking for practical advice to take the next step, this session has something for everyone.

Come and celebrate our students' research projects who are enrolled in GER 101-202 (beginner to intermediate levels)

Light refreshments will be served!

Join us for an informative session on the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship, an excellent funding opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students who are committed to language study and international expertise. This session is designed to help students understand the application process, benefits, and unique experiences that come with being a FLAS Fellow.  A great opportunity to ask questions and get advice directly from fellows. 

Attention: Undergraduate students! 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!

Unmasking Prejudice: Confronting Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Racism Across Europe Lecture Series:

Although antisemitism was on the rise across Europe since 2001, the EU ignored the issue. In 2015, however, the tide seemed to change when the European Commission, the executive body of the EU, formed a coordinators office to combat antisemitism. In 2021, the office created the first ever strategy to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish life. This presentation will examine why and how the EU created a policy focusing on antisemitism and some of the policy tools the EU possesses to address antisemitism. The EU strategy attempts to address antisemitism with both preventative measures and actions to address antisemitism when it occurs. Although not created distinctly to address antisemitism, the EU has other legal underpinnings that provide a framework within which the EU can address antisemitism. After October 7th and the rise of antisemitic incidences in Europe, it begs the question what measures if any can the EU really implement? We will explore the possibilities and limitations of the EU’s policy and its influence on its member states.

Carolyn M. Dudek, Ph.D. is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and Director of European Studies at Hofstra University in New York. She received her Master and Ph. D. at the University of Pittsburgh. She has written extensively on the EU across various policy sectors. Her current work is focused on EU antidiscrimination policy with a particular focus on antisemitism. She is currently the grant writer and coordinator for an ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Module at Hofstra University, which is focused on EU anti-discrimination and hate crime policy, and she was recently awarded a Jean Monnet Chair to further her research. She is currently writing a monograph about the EU’s antisemitism policy.

This event is a three-day Polish film festival at Row House Cinema, running from November 8-10, 2024.

@ 3:00 pm - Big Animal (Duże zwierzę) 2004 dir. Jerzy Stuhr
80min Polish with subtitles

Left behind by a circus, a camel wanders to the house of a middle-aged couple. The wife is initially bewildered by the strange animal, her husband immediately adopts it as a pet.

@ 5:00 pm - Girl with the Needle (Dziewczyna z igłą) 2024 dir. Magnus von Horn
Denmark-Poland-Sweden, Danish with English subtitles, 115 min.

Karoline, a young factory worker, is struggling to survive in post WWI Copenhagen. When she finds herself unemployed, abandoned and pregnant, she meets a charismatic woman running an underground adoption agency.

The film was selected to compete at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and was chosen as the Danish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

Tickets will be available at the movie theaters website & box office
https://rowhousecinemas.com/lawrenceville/

Explore the World with a Summer Study Abroad Scholarship! Join the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs' Scholarships Info Session!

Dreaming of an unforgettable summer adventure abroad? We're here to make it happen! Discover your opportunity to study abroad with the help of scholarships at our Summer Study Abroad Scholarships Info Session.

What You'll Gain from Our Info Session:
Scholarship Insights: Learn about various scholarships for summer global experience.
Application Tips: Get expert advice on crafting a compelling scholarship application.
Destinations Galore: Explore exciting study abroad destinations and programs available.
Q&A Session: Ask your burning questions and get answers from experienced advisors.

Don't miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime! Secure your spot at our Summer Study Abroad Scholarships Info Session and embark on a transformative journey that will broaden your horizons and enrich your life. Your global adventure begins here!

In-Person event

The night of 9 November 1989 changed the world. This evening happened as a link in a global chain of events. On the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, come talk with our panelists about how it impacted them and the world we live in.

Eat pizza and discuss with Randall Halle (moderator), Stephen Brockmann (CMU), Max Trecker, Dániel Mikecz, Sabine Von Dirke, and Nancy Condee.

Attention: Undergraduate students! 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!

This event is a three-day Polish film festival at the Harris Theater, running from October 25-26, 2024.

@ 1:30 pm - Mensch (2024) documentary dir. Paweł Wysoczański
80 min. Polish with subtitles

Fascinating life of Ludwik Hirszfeld, an eminent 20th century Polish bacteriologist and immunologist, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1950.

@ 4:00 pm - Camera Buff (Amator) 1979 dir Krzysztof Kieślowski, Jerzy Stuhr retrospective
112 min. Polish withEnglish subtitles.

The film is about a humble factory worker whose newfound hobby, amateur film, becomes an obsession, and transforms his modest life. Awarded at the Polish Film Festival, the FIPRESCI Prize, and at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Tickets will be available at the movie theaters website & box office
https://trustarts.org/pct_home/visit/facilities/harris-theater

This event is a three-day Polish film festival at the Harris Theater, running from October 25-26, 2024.

1:00pm - Kulej. All that glitters isn’t gold (Kulej. Dwie Strony Medalu) 2024 dir. Xawery Żuławski,
148 min. Polish with English subtitles
A biopic about Jerzy Kulej, a two-time Olympic boxing champion and one of Poland’s greatest fighters.

4:00pm - Top Dog (Wodzirej) 1978 dir. Feliks Falk, Jerzy Stuhr retrospective.
104 min. Polish with English subtitles
Top Dog is a character study of an opportunist named Lutek who is a small-time event host working at parties. he’s also a sleaze and con man. An ironic look at a climber. Film won an award at the 1979 Chicago International Film Festival.

6:00pm - White Courage (Biała odwaga) 2024 dir. Marcin Koszałka
115 min Polish with English subtitles
Film explores a lesser-known aspect of World War II history – the collaboration of some highlanders from Poland’s Podhale region with the Nazis. The story of two brothers, who find themselves on opposite sides of a moral and ideological conflict. Winner of the Best director and screenplay at Gdynia Film Festival.

Tickets will be available at the movie theaters website & box office
https://trustarts.org/pct_home/visit/facilities/harris-theater

The annual ISSS-IS Conference will be held at the University of Pittsburgh from October 24th through October 26th. With participants representing 27 countries, the conference features 38 panels on topics ranging from the use of nuclear weapons to gender warmaking to the strengths and weaknesses of international law to the role of traditional and new media in contemporary international security environment. This conference will feature several panels on security problems in and around Latin America, Africa, Russia and Eastern Europe, and Asia. More than 150 individual papers will be presented over the case of two days.

Unmasking Prejudice: Confronting Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Racism Across Europe Lecture Series

Lecture led by Farid Hafez daily politics, antisemitism and Islamophobia are often debated as two opposing concepts, though they have much in common. This talk delves into often neglected relationships of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim racism and opens up horizons for a critical discussion about these phenomena.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Hafez is an Assistant Teaching Professor of International Relations. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Vienna (2009). From 2014 to 2021, he was a Post-Doc at the University of Salzburg’s Department of Political Science and Sociology. From 2021 to 2024, he was the Distinguished Class of 1955 Visiting Professor of International Studies at Williams College. In 2017, he was a Fulbright Professor at the University of California’s Center for Race and Gender. Since 2017, he has also been a non-resident Senior Researcher at the Georgetown University’s The Bridge Initiative.
At William & Mary, Hafez will start to teach classes on far-right populism, Islamophobia, international relations, and terrorism.

Germany on Campus: Fall 2024
Sustainability and Climate Change: Environmentalism in Germany

Documentary with English Subtitles.

See how 5 young German climate activist tries to bring about change and how their solidarity helps them come through setbacks in their struggle.

The 2024 AIU Social Studies Symposium with the theme “A Confluence of Concepts “is geared toward K-12 Social Studies educators. The event brings together teachers from western Pennsylvania to share resources, opportunities, and research for the benefit of students. The conference features 35-minute PowerTalk’s from educators, curriculum providers and community organizations to stimulate thinking about the best ways to engage students in learning historical thinking concepts.

Veljko approaches the question through his experience of making Cinema Laika and living in a small Finnish community (Veljko is Croatian and lives in France). The talk will explore how cultural spaces like movie theaters contribute to local identity and social cohesion.
Veljko will reveal how he constructed this documentary with elements of fiction, resulting in a form that could be called <> (Fiction of the Real). He's also got stories to tell of sharing a construction site with the master of Finnish cinema, Aki Kaurismaki (Fallen Leaves)

If you missed the Thursday screening, no worries. He'll show plenty of excerpts from the film.

Coffee, Tea, and La Gourmandine Treats will be served.

Brezels, apfelstrudel, games, prizes, and information about German Degrees Certificate (CWES, Central European and European Union, study abroad, recycling and sustainability in Germany

Join us for a screening of Sweet Dreams at Harris Theater, a darkly comedic and surreal exploration of colonial legacy in Indonesia. As the plantation owner’s death uncovers familial strife and colonial absurdities, the film delves into the complex relationships and power struggles within a sugar plantation. With its blend of malevolence and absurdity, Sweet Dreams critically examines how colonialism permeates and distorts every facet of life.

This film is part of the SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival, which takes place September 25-29. All films are free for Pitt students, staff, and faculty with a valid Pitt ID. Registration in advance is requested but not required. For the full schedule of films, please visit screenshot.pitt.edu.

*Please Note: Pitt ID holders can reserve tickets by clicking “Promo Code” in the upper right corner of the Harris Theater website and using SCREENSHOT24 as the code. IDs will be checked on entry.

CONTENT WARNING: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Disturbing imagery

Gaming all night is fun but what about the energy consumption? How is the German gaming industry responding to climate change both in game design and beyond?

Light Refreshments will be served

The history of the Soviet economy is of central importance to how scholars and activists understand the fate of state socialism in the twentieth century and how scholars and diplomats understand contemporary security concerns in Eurasia and in Europe. For the former, state socialism's failure to fulfill its liberatory promises casts doubt on any project that aims to free humanity from the burden of commodified labor and the class relations to which it gives rise. Dr. Nealy demonstrates the Soviet economy's capacity to evolve in a way that bears striking resemblance to the sorts of changes experienced by much of the industrialized world during the same period. The result is a compelling interpretation of the history of the Soviet economy that offers new answers, but also provokes new questions, about the nature of state socialism in history and the prospects for state security in the contemporary world.

About the speaker:
James Nealy received his PhD from Duke University in May of 2022. A specialist in the social, economic, and intellectual history of the Soviet Union and the world.

Attention: Undergraduate students! 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!

The Office of National Scholarships will be holding an information session
where we will discuss scholarships that pay for study abroad and language
study. Please join us to learn more about how to go overseas on a
scholarship!

Scholarships Covered:
- Boren Scholarship and Fellowship
- Critical Language Scholarship
- Gilman Scholarship
- Frederick Honors College Scholarships
- Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships

Join us as we revisit the top Eurovision contestants of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.
We will review the top 10 songs/videos from across Europe, and you will have the chance to cast your vote.

The event will be hosted by Miss Georgia Bea Cummings, the 2024 Gay East Coast Beauty Icon.

*** Refreshments will be provided.

The annual Brussels-Lux Study Tour is a week-long opportunity for educators across the U.S. to learn more about the European Union. With funding from the EU Delegation and the U.S. Department of Education, K-12 educators and faculty teaching at community colleges and minority-serving institutions (Title III- or Title V-eligible) are able to gain first-hand knowledge and experiences to further their understanding of Europe and the European Union. Visits to EU institutions and other organizations provide an inside look at the issues facing Europe and the EU. Educators also participate in a day-trip to Luxembourg to visit the European Court of Justice.