Dr. Avram-Willis is a survivor of the Holocaust in Greece.
A light reception and mini-exhibit will follow the lecture.

On October 28, 1940, the cry “OHI” (No!) resounded across all of Greece as the beginning of the Greek people’s bold resistance to the Axis ultimatum to join or be destroyed. The ensuing Nazi occupation of Greece between 1941-1944 ravaged the country and disemboweled entire villages and towns. Even though most of Greece’s Jews were murdered in the Nazi “Final Solution”, Hitler’s savagery was dealt a humiliation as Greek Christians hid, transferred, and otherwise protected as many Greek Jews as possible. From the National Resistance to Archbishop Damaskinos, regional bishops, clergy, civic leaders, and simple families, nowhere else in Nazi-occupied Southern Europe was there so much effort in protecting and saving Jews from the inhumanity of the Nazi regime and its philosophy.

On October 28th, 2014, the Greek-American and Jewish Communities of Western Pennsylvania will come together to remember and to offer a tribute to the Righteous of Greece. The story of Greek Christians protecting and saving Greek Jews remains a largely unexplored aspect of the period’s history and stands in sharp contrast to the darkness of that epoch. It is a story of morality, love, respect, sacrifice, and ultimately an expression of the humanity that binds people together.

For more information, contact info@pahellenicfoundation.org.

Is Germany the new California? Is Texas the new Denmark? Historically, the political leadership on sustainable development has shifted back and forth between the U.S. and Europe. Nowhere is this as evident as in the promotion of renewable energy. Where do we stand now? Dr. Aklin will explore the sources of renewable energy policies both across continents and vertically within the European Union and the U.S.

The centenary anniversary of the Great War has invited numerous commentators to make comparisons between the events leading up to the outbreak of war in 1914 and the current Ukrainian Crisis. This session of the EUCE’s virtual roundtable series asks experts to comment on these comparisons. Can we learn anything about effective conflict prevention from that earlier period? Or are such comparisons too facile, and deceptive? Public participation is welcome.

Panelists will include:
Mark Steinberg, Historian of 19th century Russia at the University of Illinois and co-editor of a new book series at Yale University Press, "Eurasia Past and Present"
Carol Saivetz, Research associate at Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and a research affiliate at the Security Studies Program at MIT
Gregor Thum, Historian of Central and Eastern Europe at the University of Pittsburgh and author of "Uprooted: How Breslau Became Wrocław during the Century of Expulsions"
Frank Furedi, Sociologist and author of "First World War: Still No End in Sight"
Andrew Konitzer, Acting Director at the Center for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pittsburgh

October 16th
Director: Christian Petzold, 2013
Popcorn and drinks provided

Winner of the Best Director prize at this year's Berlin Film Festival, the latest film from Christian Petzold (Yella, Jerichow) is a simmering, impeccably crafted Cold War thriller, starring the gifted Nina Hoss-in her fifth lead role for the director-as a Berlin doctor banished to a rural East German hospital as punishment for applying for an exit visa. As her lover from the West carefully plots her escape, Barbara waits patiently and avoids friendships with her colleagues-except for Andre (Ronald Zehrfeld) the hospital's head physician, who is warmly attentive to her. But even as she finds herself falling for him, Barbara still cannot be sure that Andre is not a spy. As her defensive wall slowly starts to crumble, she is eventually forced to make a profound decision about her future. A film of glancing moments and dangerous secrets, BARBARA paints a haunting picture of a woman being slowly crushed between the irreconcilable needs of desire and survival. Germany's official Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film.

In this first 2014 installment of our Pizza and Politics Graduate Lecture Series, GSPIA's EU and the World Organization executive members talk about their experience interviewing policy-makers, EU civil servants, and visiting major institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg as participants in the EU in Brussels Program, co-sponsored by Pitt's EUCE/ESC & Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Also learn about getting involved in the EU and the World Organization and about other opportunities for EU Studies at Pitt! PIZZA WILL BE SERVED!

For centuries the area of today’s Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania has been shaped by different national and ethnic groups. This symposium will examine the (re)imagining and (re)interpreting of spaces, symbols and sites in the of Baltic region from the 19th to the 21st century. Presenters will address historical difficulties with “mapping” this multi-ethnic region as well as current issues connected with the region’s recent history after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Thursday, October 9, 2014 (Alcoa Room, Pitt School of Law, 2nd floor)
Introduction: Ron Linden (EUCE/ESC of the University of Pittsburgh)
Keynote 5.30pm Jeffrey Sommers (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee): Baltic Tiger or Paper Tiger? Unraveling of Europe’s Social Model in Latvia

Friday, October 10, 2014 (Humanities Center, 602 Cathedral of Learning)
Panel 1, 8.45–10.15am
Between the Russian and the German Empire: National Borders and Imaginations
Gregor Thum (University of Pittsburgh): German Culture and Russian Citizenship in Russia’s Baltic Provinces
Jörg Hackmann (University of Szczecin): Mapping the Baltic Region, 1850-1940

Panel 2, 10.30am–12.00pm
The Baltic Region after World War I: the Impact of Nationalism(s)
Adam Brode (University of Pittsburgh): Pride of Place: Symbolic Capital in Riga’s Churches
Andrejs Plakans (Iowa State University): Nationalizing Public Spaces: The WWI Latvian Riflemen in Latvian Memory

Jean-Monnet Symposium
1989 and Beyond: Contested Sites of Memory in Post-Communist Space
Panel 3, 3.00–4.30pm
Daina Stukuls Eglitis (George Washington University): The Baltic Way 1989–2014: Revolution, Remembrance, and Regret in Post-Communist Latvia
Jennie Schulze (Duquesne University): Estonia’s Bronze Soldier Crisis: Kin-state Activism and Minority Policies

Panel 4, 4.45–6.15pm
Neringa Klumbyte (Miami University): Affective Histories in Post-Soviet Lithuania
Katja Wezel (University of Pittsburgh): Riga’s “Corner House” – From a Soviet Place of Terror to a Latvian Site of Remembrance?

The symposium is free and open to the public.

Croatia’s official government policy towards enlargement into the Western Balkans is shaped by a number of different, sometimes complimentary, sometimes conflicting factors. When it joined the EU as the Union’s 28th member in July 1, 2013, this country of 4.3 million inhabitants ranked 21st in terms of both population size and GDP making it one of the smallest countries in the organization. In foreign policy terms, such small states face the task of either quietly tending to their affairs, oftentimes under the wing of some larger power, or of attempting to capitalize on certain key issues of specific characteristics which would allow them to occupy a niche in the international system. The current Croatian government has opted for the latter strategy, attempting to capitalize on the country’s shared historical, political and cultural legacies with other non-member states in the region to position Croatia as a champion for enlargement. At the same time, Croatia’s legacies with neighboring states and its historical drive to leave the Balkans complicates its role as an advocate for EU expansion into the region. These competing legacies interact with domestic political cleavages in ways that create different pressures on political actors representing various political options. While this project focuses primarily on Croatian foreign policy, it contains many important lessons for other small current and future EU member states.

Join us for a special session of Conversations on Europe to commemorate German Unity Day on October 3rd. Co-sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, the EUCE has organized a virtual roundtable discussion reflecting on Germany since 1989. The expert panel will include Visiting Professor Georg Menz, Department of Political Science; Ruprecht Polenz, a German politician and former Chairman of the German Bundestag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs; Margaret Littler, University of Manchester; and Jack Janes, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies. Steven Sokol, President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh will moderate the discussion. Audience participation is welcome.
For more information, please visit our webpage on our Conversations on Europe.

Dr. Alpan, a visiting scholar in the Center’s International Research Scholar Exchange Scheme, will discuss how energy emerges as a practical security concept and is represented in policy discourses in Europe and Turkey. Ever since the end of Cold War and since 9/11 in particular, the concept of ‘security’ has experienced a profound conceptual change. This talk will examine the securitization of ‘energy’ within the EU and Turkey and its impact on from a comparative perspective.

University of Pittsburgh Alumni and local international business professionals will present about employment options and important skill development for those interested in careers in international business.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the EUCE/ESC and the Department of German are pleased to present a group of events to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall. Author of the book “Berlin Now: The City After the Wall”, Peter Schneider, who moved to Berlin in 1962 and witnessed the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, visits the University of Pittsburgh to share his experiences as keen observer of Berlin. His novel Der Mauerspringer (The Wall Jumper) was first published in 1983, and has become a classic. In it he describes life in the shadow of the Wall. His new book, Berlin Now: The City after the Wall (translated by Sophie Schlondorff) is a collection of perceptive and witty essays about modern Berlin.

For many decades Albania remained a little known country not only for ordinary people in Europe or in the United States but also for different political analysts. One of the reason was that after World War II, it became a Stalinist state under Enver Hoxha, a communist dictator, and remained staunchly isolationist until its transition to democracy after 1990. With the collapse of communism Albania found itself facing a new security environment, including changing geopolitical situation in the Balkan region, so came with a new idea for international relations and began seeking closer ties and diplomatic relations with the West. That kind of diplomacy, oriented towards western countries, was supposed to be a solution to problems inherited from the past. At the same time this small Balkan country has striven to normalize ties especially with its neighbors. Regional cooperation was defined by Albanian government as an element that will boost and strengthen regional security. During these last two decades the main goal of Albanian foreign policy remains the same, which is the Euro-Atlantic integration, close relations with the United States and full membership in the European Union. However, Albania already reached the goal of the NATO membership on 1 April 2009 and also become an official candidate to join the European Union (June 2014).

The main aim of this lecture is to analyze the Albanian foreign policy since 1991 and show how it has evolved over time. To achieve this, I will focus on both domestic and international factors that influence Albanian foreign policy. The crucial part of the presentation will be an examination of current Albanian diplomacy under new government lead by Prime Minister Edi Rama, the leader of the Socialist Party.

“Should Scotland be an independent country?” In a referendum scheduled for September 18th, voters in that country will have an opportunity to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on that very question. On Tuesday, Sepetember 23rd, the EUCE at Pitt will devote the first session of its award-winning Conversations on Europe virtual roundtable series to a discussion of the results of the referendum. What is the future of the Scottish National Party? How will this effect UK politics? What are the implications of the results for other nationalist movements in Europe and North America? Are there useful comparisons to be drawn between the 2014 Scottish Referendum and the 1995 Québeqois referendum? Please join us at noon in 4217 Posvar Hall for what promises to be a lively discussion. Ron Linden, Director of the EUCE and Professor of Political Science, will moderate.

How strong is the bond between men united by the call to arms? Eight young Irishmen, thrown together for army training during the Great War, must move beyond the troubles between Protestant and Catholic as they prepare for the Battle of the Somme. Frank McGuinness' lyrical play captures the fierce friendship and loyalty among men who must face the wickedness and wastefulness of war. The effects of WWI, launched almost 100 years ago to the day, still haunt our headlines. This is a timeless story, appropriate for ages 12+.

The EUCE/ESC is pleased to announce that PICT has a special ticket offer: EUCE night is Thursday, September 18 at 8pm. All adult tickets are $25 ($11 discount off of regular adult ticket). You can make your purchase online and enter code UNION25 to receive your $25 price for September 18, or you can call the PICT Classic Theatre at (412) 561-6000 to secure your seats. Just mention the UNION25 discount when calling. If you are a Pitt student, you always receive the $18 student price for any PICT show.

Mr. Laurent Sierro has covered events in East and West Europe and the Middle East for ten years, most recently for the Swiss National News Agency. He will lead a discussion on the how changes in Europe and the nature of reporting have affected modern journalism.

Dr. Katja Wezel, DAAD Visiting Assistant Professor

Students interested in study, research, or an internship experience in Germany will have the opportunity to begin investigating the numerous funding opportunities through the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). These grants are available to all US or Canadian citizens or permanent residents AND Foreign nationals if they have been full-time students at an accredited US or Canadian University for more than one year at the time of application. German language prerequisites vary--from none to proficient--depending on the DAAD award, applicant’s field, and plan in Germany. Grants range from Graduate Study Scholarships to Research Grants for Doctoral Candidates, Young Academics, and Scientists; and from Undergraduate Scholarships for research or internships to Science and Engineering-based internships. For more information, please direct questions re: graduate DAAD awards to Stephen Lund, slund@pitt.edu, and re: undergraduate DAAD awards to Shannon Mischler, sjm130@pitt.edu. Additional information can be found on the DAAD WEBSITE.

Ruth Levin's concert is devoted to Yiddish art songs and poems written by Jewish poets from the Bukowina, Poland, Romania, and Russia. For the past ten years, Levin worked together with Alexei Belousov, a Russian-Jewish classical guitar concert artist in order to create a special program.

The Turkish Nationality Room Committee is hosting a concert featuring the group NEOTOLIA, which will begin with a meet and greet reception with refreshments at 6 pm, followed by the concert at 6:30 pm. The proceeds of the concert will help fund the Turkish Room Summer Study Abroad Scholarship. Tickets are $25 per person, $10 for students, and additional donations to the scholarship fund will be accepted. To reserve seats, please send a check made payable to the University of Pittsburgh to the following address: Nationality Rooms Program/ ATTN: Turkish Room Committee/ 1209 Cathedral of Learning/ Pittsburgh, PA 15260. There will be seats available the night of the performance, but please consider making your reservations before the concert. For more information, please visit the Turkish Nationality Room facebook page.

Jason Dury is an International Security and Crisis Management leader with experience in counterterrorism, counterintelligence, Insider Threat and Corporate Espionage awareness among other areas. With over 20 years of experience, he has served in the US Intelligence Community, worked for Fortune 500® companies, and as a consultant to corporations and individuals around the world. He has successfully developed key security programs for employee travel safety, investigations, and corporate information protection to enable success in the complex international business arena. This includes kidnap and ransom management, anti-abduction and personal protection training, country risk briefs, business intelligence and due diligence, and merger and acquisition support.

Mark your calendars! The EUCE/ESC invites students, faculty, and friends of the Center to join us at our opening reception in 4130 Posvar Hall. Learn about this year’s full schedule of events, new courses, faculty and students, and meet this year’s visitors while enjoying some light refreshments.

Dr. Yakup Atila Eralp is the Director of the EU Center, Middle East Technical University, and is visiting the University of Pittsburgh as a part of the International Research Exchange Scheme. This talk is sponsored by the EUCE/ESC as the 2014 Jean Monnet Symposium with thanks to the World Affairs Council for co-sponsorship.

Please advise in advance of any dietary restrictions.
To register, visit www.worldpittsburgh.org or call 412-281-7970. No-shows and cancellations after May 12, 2014 will be charged.

The EUCE will host a table for faculty interested in learning more about how the conflict in Ukraine impacts European and American relations with Russia. The event should provide information useful for future research and teaching about transatlantic relations. To participate, please contact Kate Bowersox at kal68@pitt.edu.

Join the EUCE/ESC for a live/virtual viewing party as candidates Jean-Claude Juncker (European People's Party), Martin Schulz (Party of European Socialists), Guy Verhofstadt (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party), and Ska Keller (European Green Party) debate key issues for the presidency of the European Commission. Topics will include unemployment, education, and youth engagement in politics. The event will be held in front of an audience of 700 young people from across Europe and broadcasted live worldwide in 13 languages. American students can submit questions in advance at www.youngvoters.eu.

You too can be a part of the action at the premier U.S.-based virtual viewing party.
We’ll be live tweeting, so if you can’t join in person, join us on-line!

Join us in 4209 Posvar Hall for snacks and to watch the debate.
Or, watch online: www.eudebate2014.eu & www.euronews.com
Follow us on Twitter @EuceEsc
Tweet with us: #EUdeb8watch

Pittsburgh is a city with deep cultural and historical ties to Europe, and those connections have contributed to the dynamic city culture and style that residents enjoy today. The European Union Center of Excellence/European Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh is sponsoring a photo contest, “Finding Europe in Pittsburgh,” that showcases the many European influences in our city.

Students (both graduates and undergraduates) are invited to submit photos that showcase some aspect of Europe in the city of Pittsburgh. Possible subjects include food, architecture, festivals, sports, art, people, or anything that speaks of Europe. Feel free to get creative! Winning photos will be announced on Facebook and published in our newsletter. Submit photos to Steve Lund at slund@pitt.edu, along with your name, the photo’s title, and a brief description of the photo’s subject. First prize is $250.00, second prize is $150.00, and third prize is $100.00.

Mr. Carliner, an American economist working for the EU Delegation in Washington, D.C., will join the Pitt community via videoconference from the EU Delegation in Washington to offer a talk focused on the E.U. and the future of economic regionalism. He will also answer questions about the nature of the Eurozone crisis, its resolution and its implications for the future of the EU.

Christopher Clark will talk about his most recent, prize-winning book The Sleepwalkers and explain the fascinating story of how political mismanagement in Europe led to the outbreak of World War I. A reception with light refreshments will follow the talk. Please RSVP to Kathy Gibson at kag36@pitt.edu if you are planning to attend the lecture.

Join the Department of French and Italian and Italian Film Festival USA for the closing night of the Italian Film Festival. Then join us for a complimentary Closing Night reception afterwards in the FFA cloisters! Free and open to the public!

Long Live Freedom (Viva la Libertà), 7 p.m. April 12, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, 650 Schenley Drive. The leader of the most notorious political opposition party mysteriously disappears. His wife and assistant turn to his identical twin brother, who has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital. Will anyone notice the switch?

Join the Department of French and Italian and Italian Film Festival USA for our exciting next installment of our annual film festival!

The Women Workers’ War, 7 p.m. April 10, Room 24, Ground Floor, Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave. A documentary recounting the story of two women: one who leads the longest factory sit-in by women in Italy and another who operates a factory that encourages cultural growth among the workers. This screening will feature a special appearance by director Massimo Ferrari.

Prof. John Palka's lecture will be based on his book that, while historical in essence, is refreshingly contemporary in its account of the past that his ancestors helped to shape. It contains vivid portraits of courage and love of freedom and country that will resonate with modern Slovak-Americans, it will connect them with the boarder story of their ancestors.

Join the Department of French and Italian and Italian Film Festival USA as we show our fourth Pittsburgh premiere film! La migliore offerta tells the story of a genius art expert - come enjoy it at the Carnegie Museum of Art's theater!

The Best Offer (La Migliore Offerta), 7 p.m. April 5, Carnegie Museum of Art Theatre, 4400 Forbes Ave. A world-renowned antiques auctioneer, who leads a solitary life, is appointed to oversee the sale of a beautiful heiress’ art collection and is soon engulfed by a passion that rocks his bland existence.

Given the German economy’s central role in the Euro Area, and Germany’s place as a strong business partner with the US and Pennsylvania, many people are interested in the characteristics of the German business model. Our panelists will discuss their experiences attracting German companies to the Pittsburgh region, partnering with them in transatlantic relationships, and tips for successful relationships with German companies and colleagues.

Panelists include: Jeffrey T. Deane, Managing Partner of BKD, LLP; Robert Dehm, of the Economic Department at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany; Joe Peilert, President & CEO of VEKA Holdings; and Suzi Pegg, Vice President, Global Marketing, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. Q & A will follow the presentations.

All are welcome! Lunch begins at 12:15pm, with the panel discussion to follow at 1pm.

The conference promotes evidence-based policy-making on environment and energy, drawing on policy experiences and research knowledge from the US and the EU. Specifically, the focus will be on the challenge of securing energy for economic growth while ensuring the protection of human health and the environment. The broader conference agenda examines the choice of the energy portfolio of various countries, and how trade-offs should be struck on the benefits and risks of various energy resources. The narrower agenda examines the development of shale gas, its benefits and potential risks, and strategies to mitigate these risks.

The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required: http://tinyurl.com/lu2rujr.

The eighth edition of the Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival is dedicated to the legacy of world-renowned filmmaker, psychologist, and Carnegie Mellon professor, Paul Goodman, and to his professional focus on the human challenges and achievements of diverse groups of workers worldwide. Audiences will have the opportunity to explore "Faces of Work" through Paul's compelling short films along with the Pittsburgh premiere screenings of new, distinctive, and award-winning international films and documentaries from Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Sweden, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, France, Egypt, Chad, Iran, India, Japan, Vietnam, China, Canada, and the USA.

The Faces Festival is an annual celebration of international film and its potential to shine a light on the human faces involved in shaping our contemporary social landscape. Audiences are encouraged to explore the numerous complex themes of these films beyond the screenings themselves by participating in audience Q&A sessions with directors, artists, academics, and professionals; by engaging with interactive performances by student artists; and by sampling exotic foods and international cuisine from local eateries.

The Ukrainian Room Committee and the Nationality Rooms Program proudly present the
Taras Shevchenko 200th Anniversary Concert this Sunday, March 9th at 3 PM in the
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium.

Taras Shevchenko, born in 1814, was a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, folklorist,
and ethnographer. Known for many masterpieces of painting and illustration, his
literary heritage is also regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian
literature and language.

This event, featuring readings of Shevchenko's poetry, displays of his artwork, and
an opera performance, is free and open to the public. Donations are greatly
appreciated.

Do you consider yourself a very basic user of Facebook? Do you know the difference between Twitter and Tumblr? Have you tried to create a wiki for a class project, or does the very idea keep you up at night? Pitt’s international studies outreach program will host an interactive workshop to help teachers improve their use of social media websites and tools for education and personal use, including:

· Collaborative projects (for example, Wikispaces)
· Blogs and microblogs (for example, Twitter)
· Social news networking sites (for example, Reddit)
· Content communities (for example, YouTube)
· Social networking sites (for example, Facebook)

Participants are highly encouraged (but not required) to bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to this workshop in order to gain full hands-on experience in setting up user accounts, understanding how these sites can help or hinder educational projects, and explore what other educators have done to successfully add a social media dimension to school or personal projects.

Dinner and parking provided with registration.