“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?

Over the past decade China’s rapid economic growth and diversification has powered that country’s economy past a stage of primary industrialization into a new era of creativity and manufacturing. The country’s entrepreneurs are playing a leading role in developing businesses, seeking new markets, and creating products. Please join us in a discussion of China’s new entrepreneurs and how their business decisions are changing the global economy.

Refreshments will be served.

Former Directors--Hosted by Scott Morgenstern with a
special appearance by Pitt’s new chancellor, Dr. Patrick Gallagher

With responses by Paul Bove (English), Nancy Condee (Global Studies), and Michael Goodhart (Political Science)

Readings for Thursday's colloquium can be found here.

Nicole Constable is a professor in the Department of Anthropology and the director of the Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Her latest book, Born Out of Place: Migrant Mothers and the Politics of International Migration was co-published by the University of California Press and Hong Kong University Press, and had its first official launch in Hong Kong in June. At this University of Pittsburgh book launch, Constable will speak on her work, and Shalini Puri (Department of English) and Lara Putnam (Department of History) will respond.

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.

Discussion on the upcoming elections with scholars from the University of Pittsburgh and La Universidad de Costa Rica.

Moderator - Juan Manuel Munoz
Panelists - Ciska Raventos, Adrian Pignataro, Steffan Gomez, Ronald Alfaro, and Leonardo Solano.

From May 22 to May 25, voters in 28 members countries of the European Union will elect some 751 members of a newly empowered European Parliament. Since the Treaty of Lisbon came into effect, the EP has gained “co-decision” rights in many policy areas, including agriculture, energy policy, immigration and EU funds. The EP must approve the budget and most visibly, the European Parliament has gained the right to endorse (or not) the members states’ nominee to be President of the European Commission. The Parliament also must give its approval to the Commission as a whole.

Panel Discussion on Turkey and Its Neighbors moderated by Dr. Steven E. Sokol (World Affairs Council). Panelists included Dr. Ronald Linden (Pitt), Mr. Jonathan Hill (The Compton Group, LLC), and Dr. David Rossback (Chatham University). Part of a day-long World Affairs Institute for Student Leaders.

In this month’s installment of our Conversations on Europe virtual roundtable series, a panel of experts and audiences from European Union Centers across the U.S. will engage in a discussion of the upcoming Scottish referendum on independence from Britain scheduled for September of this year and the possibility of a UK referendum on EU membership that could occur as early as 2016. How likely is Scottish independence? What would be the prospects of an independent Scotland in the European Union?