Whether identified as ethnonationalist, pan-European, anti-colonial, or or pan-Islamic, "civilizationist" identification is in the foreground of many nationalist, racist, often white supremist narratives. Such approaches to identification extract concepts and mechanisms from earlier nationalist projects and feed them into the larger narratives of civilizationism taking hold today. While doing so, they tend to reproduce a radicalized approach to history, art, literature, material culture, and demography.

Join University of Pittsburgh, Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues from across the globe for a virtual collaborative conference on 19 - 20 October.

Building on last year’s conference we will explore and share best practices on how Universities advance place-based approaches through community and student engagement and importantly how we measure our impact and demonstrate accountability to our communities and stakeholders.

The revolutionary prospect of socialism inspired homosexual emancipation and the growth of toleration toward same-sex relations in the first quarter of the twentieth century in many countries, including the UK, US, Hungary, and USSR. However, the development of LGBTQ+ rights within socialism was never linear and even.

This panel considers several aspects of the current state of democracy in Europe, with special attention to the rise of right-wing populism, illiberal forms of democracy, declining party loyalty, and evidence of increasing disenchantment with the current state of democracy in Europe. The panel will seek to discuss these issues with the help of a broad comparative and historical perspective.

Professors Mohammed Bamyeh and John Markoff, Department of Sociology, Pitt, will moderate a panel discussion on "The State of Democracy in Europe."

The panel members include:

Decarbonizing the economy requires a dramatic transformation of the global economy. Phasing out fossil fuels implies the reallocation of millions of workers who will need to find new jobs. Unions and other policymakers have therefore called for a “just transition”: a clean energy transition that takes into account the challenges faced by those whose jobs are at risk. The European Union has recognized the problem and is implementing a Just Transition Mechanism which is expected to raise 55 billion euros (about $58 billion).

Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger is a German journalist who previously served as the Foreign Editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. His writing has focused on the United States, European, transatlantic, and international politics. Mr. Frankenberger holds a master’s degree in Political Science, Economics, and American Studies from Frankfurt University. In 1980, he participated in an exchange program with the University of Mississippi. From 1982 to 1985 he was a research associate at the Center for North-American Studies at Frankfurt University. Mr.

The recent wave of populism has focused attention on ‘left behind’ places as hotspots of discontent. Seeking to remedy their neglect in urban and regional studies, the aim of this paper is to engage with the problems of ‘left behind’ places and to stimulate fresh thinking about alternative approaches. Reflecting the complex and inter-connected issues facing such places, it argues that a new conception is required to address issues of belonging and attachment.

When thinking of German businesses, we usually mean West German ones. To add nuance to this perspective, this event will focus on two successful East German companies that had to restart after 1989 when Communism fell and the German government privatized thousands of companies. While some did not succeed, the numerous stories of those that thrived are often overlooked.
Moderator: Jan Musenkamp, University of Pittsburgh

Panelist:
Wendy Carlin, University College of London.
Florian Mezger from Carl Zeiss

Panelist: Tim Bale, Queen Mary University of London, Jane Green, University of Oxford, Robert Ford, University of Manchester and Robert Johns, University of Essex
Moderator: Jae-Jae Spoon, University of Pittsburgh

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.