After World War II, the USSR's leaders relied heavily on construction materials mined and produced in recently liberated territories to rebuild the country's ruined cities. This paper traces the material networks linking Soviet cities to forests, quarries, and factories supplying the wood, marble, brick, and cement integral to Soviet rebuilding. Focusing on the Aseri Brickworks and Kunda Cement Factory, both located along Estonia's northern coast, the paper examines the interplay between Soviet occupation and materials extraction. Part of the Socialist Studies Seminar series.

Loretta Fernández holds a PhD in Language, Literacy, and Culture and is Associate Professor of Practice in World and Heritage Language Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Leading at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on world and language pedagogy, identity, and justice and equity in education. Her research interests include sociocultural theory, cognitive linguistics, sys­temic functional linguistics, multimodalities, Latinx student’s identity development, and qualitative research methods.

Displacement disrupts our understandings of borders, identity, and home. We invite you to a dynamic, faculty-led roundtable that explores the pressing and complex themes of displacement, territoriality, and belonging through a multidisciplinary lens. Drawing on the lived experiences of Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Jordan, this discussion will delve into how these realities challenge traditional frameworks and open new avenues for research and teaching.

At the 2024 African Studies Association Conference, the ASA Outreach Council presented Decolonizing the Classroom: Approaches & Open-Access Resources. The Center for African Studies at the University of Pittsburgh contributed to this collaborative session, which provided strategies, definitions, and free resources for educators seeking to create more equitable, accurate, and inclusive curricula about Africa. The session emphasized responsible teaching practices, the amplification of African voices, and the importance of challenging stereotypes in education.

The 2024 ASA Teachers’ Workshop, held virtually on December 7, 2024, explored the theme "Islam in Africa." Organized in partnership with the Center for African Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, the workshop highlighted the history and cultural impact of Islam across the African continent. Sessions included discussions on Ajami manuscripts, the diversity of Muslim identities, Sudano-Sahelian architecture, and historical resources from the Gold Road Project, providing educators with content and teaching tools to enrich their classrooms.

The Boston 2024 Pre-NCSS Outreach Conference, held on November 21, 2024, at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, brought together Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) outreach professionals to exchange ideas, challenges, and strategies for improving community engagement beyond K-12 education. The Center for African Studies at the University of Pittsburgh participated, contributing to discussions on outreach innovation, measuring program impact, and preparing for future NRC collaborations.

Please note a change of time:
Keynote Speaker for the Undergraduate Research Symposium:

As part of the Unmasking Prejudice: Confronting Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Racism Across Europe
Spring Lecture Series:

Orthodox Christianity first came to Central Asia along with the Russian conquest in the 19th century. Along with Slavic settlers came Orthodox sacred objects, such as miraculous icons and the relics of saints. Churches, monasteries, and parish communities were build around these objects. During the colonisation process, control over Orthodox sacred objects was contested by the imperial regime, settler communities, and the native population.

This panel will delve into the issue of democratic backsliding across Europe, with a particular focus on its implications for the European Union. In light of the pivotal elections of 2024, the discussion aims to explore historical contexts and shed light on emerging threats to democratic principles in the region.