Due to economic development and globalization, cities continue to grow with predictions that 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by the year 2050. This course, then, will view cities as hubs where patterns, connections, discussions, and the processes shape such issues as social justice, economic development, technology, migration, the environment among others. By examining cities as a lens, this sequence of weekend courses encourages students to examine cities as a system for discussing social processes being built and rebuilt.

The Limits of Judicialization: From Progress to Backlash in Latin American Politics

Panelists:
Sandra Botero, Universidad de Rosario
Daniel Brinks, The University of Texas at Austin
Ezequiel González-Ocantos, University of Oxford

Moderated by:
Raúl Sánchez-Urribarri, La Trobe University

Facilitated by Dr. Jean-Jacque Ngor Sène, Associate Professor of History and Cultural Studies, Chatham University

The effects of COVID-19 have been felt unevenly across Europe, a trend which continues into the recovery from the pandemic. In this panel, experts will discuss how these inequalities have been felt on an individual level and at the national level in terms of health and educational outcomes and economic impacts.
Panelists:
Holly Jarman, University of Michigan
Julia Lynch, University of Pennsylvania
Martin Myant, European Trade Union Institute
Sylke Schnepf, JRC-European Commission
Moderated by Jae-Jae Spoon, University of Pittsburgh

For the 2021-22 academic year, the European Studies Center has announced its annual programmatic theme: “Recovering Europe.” As Europe recovers from COVID-19, the question of the viability of vaccine passports arises. This roundtable will address the ethical, legal, and digital plausibility of digital vaccine passports for travel across state borders in Europe. The roundtable will be hosted by European Studies Center Director Jae-Jae Spoon.

On the eve of the German Federal Elections, our panel of experts will explore the issues concerning German voters, the legacy of outgoing Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the potential impacts of this election on transatlantic relations and the European Union. Panelists: Jae-Jae Spoon, University of Pittsburgh; Marcel Lewandowsky, University of Florida; Kai Arzheimer, University of Mainz; and Jana Puglierin, European Council on Foreign Relations. Moderator: Steve Sokol, American Council on Germany.

For Year 3 of our faculty development workshops for community colleges and minority-serving institutions, we are offering a series of monthly webinars focused on technology. The first of the webinars will examine Technology and Privacy: The Right To Be Forgotten with particular focus on the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and its global impact. Register here

The University Center for International Studies now offers a Certificate in Mediterranean Studies at both the undergraduate and the graduate level. A certificate in Mediterranean studies provides Pitt students and faculty with the institutional support and organizational structure to examine issues and themes across the Mediterranean world over a broad chronological span – from Antiquity to the present.