During a stopover in Buenos Aires, Marka Falkenmayer hears a Spanish nursery song and reacts in a troubled way. Where does she, a young German, remember this melody and these lyrics from? In the search for an answer, she learns the truth about her family, her origin, and her identity.

Experts on German politics and society will engage in an interactive multi-site discussion focusing on the German Chancellor, her politics and personality. How has she been represented in the press and popular culture throughout Europe? To what extent has Chancellor Merkel (her preferences, style, skills, background) shaped contemporary Europe? To what extent has she become a symbol of the current crises impacting Germany and other member states of the European Union?

What is German Identity? What is European Identity? Where do these concepts overlap and where do they diverge? Join us for a discussion in German about the concepts of identity past and present, and how these concepts affect responses to immigration, integration, and the future of Europe.

We are very proud to welcome the 2012 Second Language Research Forum to Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh is known as the "City of Bridges", and we hope to use this idea to highlight the bridges that exist between the various disciplines involved in SLA research. SLRF 2012 will build on this theme with the aim of bridging gaps between individual disciplines that all share a common goal: to improve our understanding of second language learning, acquisition, instruction, and use.

What does Tuesday's outcome mean for Europe?
Three experts on European politics from the University of Pittsburgh discuss European reactions to the results of the U.S. presidential election. How do Europeans understand the electoral process? What effects will the presidential election have on U.S.-Europe relations? What are the implications of the U.S. election for the Euro Crisis? How do Europeans view the winner of the presidential election? Audience participation in the discussion is encouraged.
Lunch will be served.

A screening of works and a conversation with Masayo Kajimura, a Berlin-based video and installation artist. In her work Masayo creates a rich multi-layered flow of images that draw on settings and motifs from various global locations and cultural settings. Sharp insights and provocations underlie these evocative, lyrical, and associative projects.

MONDAY OCTOBER 29, 5-7PM
“THE LAST ILLUSION/DER RUF”
Director: Josef von Baky, b/w, 104 min., 1948/49
A German-Jewish university professor’s return to Germany at the end of the war brings
with it a difficult departure from his American émigré community, an unexpected
reunion with his ex-wife and a final battle against anti-Semitism. This film is based on
the displacement of actor and director Fritz Kortner and contains autobiographical elements.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 7, 5-7PM
“THE SONG IN ME/DAS LIED IN MIR”
Director: Florian Cossen, colour, 94min, 2010

The University of Pittsburgh hosts the Eighth Annual Graduate Student Conference on the European Union, featuring Alexandre Stutzmann, Diplomatic Adviser to the President of European Parliament, as the keynote speaker. All panel sessions, including the keynote address, are open to the public and will be held in the Patrician Crown Mural Room of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. For a full listing of panels and a schedule of public events, please visit the EUCE/ESC web page featuring the schedule of the program.

Join GSPIA’s EU and the World Organization President Marina Duane and Vice-President Andrew Stark as they talk about their experience interviewing policy-makers, EU civil servants , and visiting major institutions in Brussels & Luxembourg as participants in the EU in Brussels Program, co-sponsored by Pitt’s EUCE/ESC & GSPIA. Marina and Andrew’s presentation will emphasize how the experience shaped their individual research projects and goals.
Pizza will be served.