Join our upcoming ValEUs Lecture on “European Values in the EU´s Developmental, Energy and Climate Policies” with Randall Halle. Halle directs the European Studies Center and is a Klaus W. Jonas Professor of German Film and Cultural Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

The event is organised by the Institute for European Studies of the European University Viadrina (IFES) as a collaboration between its Talk Series “Human & Planet” and the “ValEUs Lecture Series”.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Meeting ID: 686 8217 1250
Passcode: 756487

On January 7, join us for Italian Heritage Night when we host the Columbus Blue Jackets! Featuring a concourse display courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms & Intercultural Exchange Programs, be here when we honor the incredible impact of our city’s Italian community and celebrate their rich culture and history.

In celebration of your heritage, lock in special pricing now. Plus, the first 200 community members that purchase tickets through this offer will receive an exclusive Penguins-branded Italian Heritage Hockey Shirt!

To purchase groups of 10 or more tickets or to request additional information, please contact Olivia Stawovy at (412) 255-1811.

Penguins vs. Blue Jackets

Jan 07, 2025 7:00 PM EST

PPG Paints Arena

1001 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, US

Purchase Deadline: Jan 07, 2025 5:00 PM EST

Are you in the Trans, Queer, or 2SLGBTQIA+ community and want to travel abroad? Are you a student, faculty, or staff member in these communities who has traveled abroad previously? Join us for an informal discussion on traveling abroad and risk assessment, where we share stories and tips for how to feel confident studying abroad with a marginalized gender/sexual identity.

Refreshments provided!

RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZeQ3HElnmK1tf91wEdS5638alRVez...

In the aftermath of the 2024 election, we find ourselves at a crucial turning point. With promises to deport millions of Latinos, we face consequences that will impact not just our communities, but the entire fabric of the U.S. and beyond.

This impending social and economic storm will generate forceful opposition, though its shape is not yet determined. In this context, this panel discussion will emphasize these major questions:

How extensive could deportations be, and what are the potential economic impacts?
How can vulnerable communities protect themselves, and how can allies best support them?
What are the global effects of these issues, beyond Latin America and the Caribbean?
What can individuals do to help, and how can we effectively fact-check this information?

Join us for a challenging but necessary conversation in a safe, collaborative space that will include academics, community, and activist leaders.

Sheila Vélez Martínez, Jack and Lovell Olender Professor of Asylum Refugee and Immigration Law/Pitt
Rosamaria Cristello, Executive Director & Founder Latino Community Center
Nathan Harper, Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Manager, City of Pittsburgh
Michael Goodhart, Professor, Political Science, University of Pittsburgh

To register: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/content/clas-event-registration. This will be a hybrid event. The ZOOM link will be provided at a later date to online registered participants. For in-person participants, refreshments will be provided.

Sponsors: The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), the Center for Ethnic Studies Research (CERS), the Global Studies Center (GSC) at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Armenian Nationality Room of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs proudly presents a classical music concert featuring renowned Armenian and American musicians from Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Toronto. Two acclaimed ensembles, Trio Shell and Kassia Ensemble, will perform works by celebrated Armenian composers such as Komitas, Arno Babajanian, Aram Khachaturian, and more. The program will showcase a rich blend of violins, viola, cello, piano, and clarinet, celebrating the beauty of Armenian musical heritage. Additionally, enjoy an instrumental rendition of a piece by Charles Aznavour, adding a special touch to the concert.

Join Brazil Nuts (Luso-Brazilian Student Association) for coffee, light snacks, and a chance to learn basic conversational skills in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Stop by the Global Hub to learn more about Pitt in Cyprus and speak with the faculty leader!

Attention: Undergraduate students! Are you looking to gain experience that will help prepare you for a globally-connected job market? Stop by Drop-In Hours to learn more about getting the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript, receiving special recognition at graduation, and standing out to prospective employers!

Stop by the Posvar Gloval Hub to learn more about Reading and Writing London and talk with the faculty leader over tea and biscuits!

The event starts by 4-5pm which begins with the information session for interested candidates of the FLAS Fellowship. Here, a recap of what the fellowship is about and any further information needed would be passed to the attendees. Then from 5-6pm would be the drop in session where they can ask questions to current Fellows and UCIS Staff present regrading their on-going application as the FLAS fellowship deadline in February 17th 2025.

Get paid for pursuing proficiency of a less commonly taught languages while at Pitt! Learn about submitting a competitive FLAS application (deadline: February 17) and chat with UCIS advisors about any questions you may have about the application process. Pizza Served!

Join the German Club on Wednesdays during Spring semester for conversational meetings and to practice German speaking and listening skills.

Come by 810 William Pitt Union to learn more about this wonderful Summer 2025 program and speak with faculty!

Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch and chat with us! Pitt students only, all levels welcome!

Swedish Speaking Club is a space for practicing Swedish and deepening cultural understanding alongside others who are learning.

Join Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Clyde Pickett and a member of the student community, with the UCIS DEIB Manager serving as moderator, for a thought-provoking discussion about the role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in advancing Pitt’s global mission. This event will explore the future of DEI work in the context of a shifting national political landscape and its impact on fostering an inclusive and globally engaged university community.

This event is part of the University Center for International Studies' "Unpacking the Buzzwords" mini-series and is generously supported by a grant from the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Join us on Zoom to hear from the faculty leaders of Culture Through Literature in Barcelona and learn more about the Summer 2025 program!

Join undergraduate Pitt students for a conversation hour to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences.

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Fridays, during the 2024-2025 academic year, EXCEPT on March 7.

2025 European Union Film Festival

Double Feature:

Feathers or Glamour (Estonia), 2023, 28 MIN
Directed by Eva Kübar
Estonian language with English subtitles

Estonian urban chicken “farming.” Chickens as pets in bedazzled diapers. It is a short film.

Rewilding (France) 2018, 52 MIN
Directed by Vincent Perazio
French language with English subtitles

What if we brought back big carnivores throughout Europe, gave them vast areas to reproduce, and rediscovered the past landscapes? This fascinating vision raises many questions, though. Should we not focus on the existing natural heritage? How could we implement it in modern and densely populated countries? What would the risk to human activity be? This film is a unique opportunity to look at both sides of the coin. It also profiles the wildlife resurgence happening on European doorsteps, with many species now coming back thanks to legal protection and dedicated conservation efforts over the last 30 years.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

Join Addverse, a transcultural, multilingual, and intergenerational poetry organization, for weekly meetings in the Global Hub.

Addverse will meet weekly, on Fridays, during Spring 2025, EXCEPT on January 24 and March 7.

2025 European Film Festival

The Animal Kingdom (France), 2023, 128 MIN
Directed by Thomas Cailley
French language with English subtitles

Opening Feature Film:

In The Animal Kingdom, a visionary new thriller that drops viewers into an extraordinary world where mutations in human genetics cause people to transform into hybrid creatures, François (Roman Duris) does everything he can to save his wife, who is affected by this mysterious condition. As some of the creatures disappear into a nearby forest, François embarks with Emile (Paul Kircher), their 16-year-old son, on a quest to find her with help from a local police officer (Adèle Exarchopoulos). From acclaimed director Thomas Cailley, the film world premiered as the opening night selection of Cannes Un Certain Regard.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

We are delighted to invite you to join us for an afternoon of engaging conversations, meaningful connections, and the opportunity to create long-term collaborations. Come find us in Posvar Hall 4130 for this special conversation!

2025 European Union Film Festival

Next to Nothing/Tyle Co Nic (Poland), 2024, 93 MIN
Directed by Grzegorz Debowski
Polish language with English subtitles

A group of farmers organized a protest in front of the house of an MP who, contrary to previous promises, voted against their interests. At the same time, the body of one of the local farmers is found. Everyone suspects the leader of the protest, Jarek, even though the deceased was his closest friend. The man begins his own investigation, which leads him to find out the true causes of the deceased's death and, at the same time, verifies the attitudes of people around him.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

2025 European Union Film Festival

Double Feature:
Feathers or Glamour (Estonia), 2023, 28 MIN
Directed by Eva Kübar

Estonian urban chicken “farming.” Chickens as pets in bedazzled diapers. It is a short film.
Estonian language with English subtitles

Rewilding (France) 2018, 52 MIN
Directed by Vincent Perazio

What if we brought back big carnivores throughout Europe, gave them vast areas to reproduce, and rediscovered the past landscapes? This fascinating vision raises many questions, though. Should we not focus on the existing natural heritage? How could we implement it in modern and densely populated countries? What would the risk to human activity be? This film is a unique opportunity to look at both sides of the coin. It also profiles the wildlife resurgence happening on European doorsteps, with many species now coming back thanks to legal protection and dedicated conservation efforts over the last 30 years.
French language with English subtitles.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

2025 European Union Film Festival

Afire (Germany) 2023, 102 MIN
Directed by Christian Petzold
German language with English subtitles

While vacationing by the Baltic Sea, writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) are surprised by the presence of Nadja (Paula Beer), a mysterious young woman staying as a guest at Felix’s family’s holiday home. Nadja distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel and with brutal honesty, forces him to confront his caustic temperament and self-absorption. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group and tensions escalate when a handsome lifeguard and Leon's tight-lipped book editor also arrive.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

2025 European Union Film Festival

Duty of Care, The Climate Trials (Netherlands), 2022, 57 MIN
Directed by Nic Balthazar
Dutch and English language with English subtitles

Duty of Care tells the exclusive inside story of Roger Cox, the first and only lawyer to have successfully sued a government and an oil giant in landmark court cases that established catastrophic climate change can be made illegal. Roger’s ground-breaking cases against the Dutch government and oil major Shell established that those in power owe a duty of care to citizens to avoid catastrophic climate change, stunning legal experts and sending shock-waves through parliaments and corporate boardrooms around the world.

With echoes of the lawsuits against Big Tobacco, this inspirational 55-minute documentary gives viewers a behind-the-scenes experience of the David v. Goliath battle as one Dutch property lawyer turned litigation maverick takes on powerful states and the world’s largest oil company in the courtroom drama of our lifetimes.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

2025 European Union Film Festival

Luzzu (Malta), 2021, 94 MIN
Directed by Alex Camilleri
Maltese language with English subtitles

Hardworking new father Jesmark, played by a real-life Maltese fisherman, must choose between the traditional way of life practiced by his family for generations and an illicit black-market fishing operation in this stunning neorealist tale operating in the tradition of Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rosselini, and the Dardenne brothers.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

2025 European Union Film Festival

Afire (Germany) 2023, 102 MIN
Directed by Christian Petzold
German language with English subtitles

While vacationing by the Baltic Sea, writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) are surprised by the presence of Nadja (Paula Beer), a mysterious young woman staying as a guest at Felix’s family’s holiday home. Nadja distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel and with brutal honesty, forces him to confront his caustic temperament and self-absorption. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group and tensions escalate when a handsome lifeguard and Leon's tight-lipped book editor also arrive.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

2025 European Union Film Festival

Journey to Utopia (Demark), 2020, 88 MIN
Directed by Erlend E. Mo
Danish language with English subtitles

Feeling desperate about climate change, filmmaker Erlend, opera singer Ingeborg and their children leave their farm to join an ecological experiment: Project Permatopia. The goal is to become fully self-sufficient. But the reality is much more difficult – bordering on disastrous. Will they give up?

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

Nicole Breland Aandahl (JD '01) will discuss her novel Motherland, a thriller set in 1968 Washington, D.C., that explores the intersection between the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and gender inequity. The book builds on Nicole's background in Soviet Union studies, her work in national security, her lived experiences, and her parents' experience in 1968 Washington, D.C.
Nicole will discuss her research process, inspiration, and how her time at Pitt and study in Ukraine (during her JD education) impacted her work. She will also answer questions about her career track to becoming the first General Counsel at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., where she previously served as CSIS's senior Vice President for people and culture, which included the Human Resources department and Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs (DLIA) project.

Attention: Undergraduate students! Are you looking to gain experience that will help prepare you for a globally-connected job market? Stop by Drop-In Hours to learn more about getting the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript, receiving special recognition at graduation, and standing out to prospective employers!

2025 European Union Film Festival

Duty of Care, The Climate Trials (Netherlands), 2022, 57 MIN
Directed by Nic Balthazar
Dutch and English language with English subtitles

Duty of Care tells the exclusive inside story of Roger Cox, the first and only lawyer to have successfully sued a government and an oil giant in landmark court cases that established catastrophic climate change can be made illegal. Roger’s ground-breaking cases against the Dutch government and oil major Shell established that those in power owe a duty of care to citizens to avoid catastrophic climate change, stunning legal experts and sending shock-waves through parliaments and corporate boardrooms around the world.

With echoes of the lawsuits against Big Tobacco, this inspirational 55-minute documentary gives viewers a behind-the-scenes experience of the David v. Goliath battle as one Dutch property lawyer turned litigation maverick takes on powerful states and the world’s largest oil company in the courtroom drama of our lifetimes.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during Spring semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

2025 European Film Festival

The Animal Kingdom (France), 2023, 128 MIN
Directed by Thomas Cailley
French language with English subtitles

In The Animal Kingdom, a visionary new thriller that drops viewers into an extraordinary world where mutations in human genetics cause people to transform into hybrid creatures, François (Roman Duris) does everything he can to save his wife, who is affected by this mysterious condition. As some of the creatures disappear into a nearby forest, François embarks with Emile (Paul Kircher), their 16-year-old son, on a quest to find her with help from a local police officer (Adèle Exarchopoulos). From acclaimed director Thomas Cailley, the film world premiered as the opening night selection of Cannes Un Certain Regard.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

Celebrate the Year of the Snake! Fun Activities & Delicious Snacks. Come join us and bring in the Lunar New Yeat with joy and excitement!

2025 European Union Film Festival

Luzzu (Malta), 2021, 94 MIN
Directed by Alex Camilleri
Maltese language with English subtitles

Hardworking new father Jesmark, played by a real-life Maltese fisherman, must choose between the traditional way of life practiced by his family for generations and an illicit black-market fishing operation in this stunning neorealist tale operating in the tradition of Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rosselini, and the Dardenne brothers.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

2025 European Union Film Festival

Double Feature

6:00 PM-Feathers or Glamour (Estonia)
Estonian urban chicken “farming.” Chickens as pets in bedazzled diapers. It is a short film.

6:30 pm Alcarras (Spain)
In the small village of Alcarràs in Catalonia, the peach farmers of the Solé family spend every summer together picking fruit from their orchard. But when new plans arise to install solar panels and cut down trees, the members of this tight-knit group suddenly face eviction – and the loss of far more than their home.

Winner of the Golden Bear at Berlinale, the sophomore film from Carla Simón (Summer 1993) is a sun-dappled, deeply moving ensemble portrait of the countryside and a community’s unbreakable bonds.

2025 European Union Film Festival

Double Feature:

6:00 PM - Feathers or Glamour (Estonia), 2023, 28 MIN
Directed by Eva Kübar
Estonian language with English subtitles

Estonian urban chicken “farming.” Chickens as pets in bedazzled diapers. It is a short film.

6:30 PM - Alcarrás (Spain), 2023, 120 MIN
Directed by Carla Simón
Catalan with English Subtitles

In the small village of Alcarràs in Catalonia, the peach farmers of the Solé family spend every summer together picking fruit from their orchard. But when new plans arise to install solar panels and cut down trees, the members of this tight-knit group suddenly face eviction – and the loss of far more than their home.
Winner of the Golden Bear at Berlinale, the sophomore film from Carla Simón (Summer 1993) is a sun-dappled, deeply moving ensemble portrait of the countryside and a community’s unbreakable bonds.

2025 European Union Film Festival

Double Feature:

6:00 PM -Feathers or Glamour (Estonia)

6:30 PM - Alcarrás

Alcarrás (Spain), 2023, 120 MIN
Directed by Carla Simón
Catalan with English Subtitles

In the small village of Alcarràs in Catalonia, the peach farmers of the Solé family spend every summer together picking fruit from their orchard. But when new plans arise to install solar panels and cut down trees, the members of this tight-knit group suddenly face eviction – and the loss of far more than their home.
Winner of the Golden Bear at Berlinale, the sophomore film from Carla Simón (Summer 1993) is a sun-dappled, deeply moving ensemble portrait of the countryside and a community’s unbreakable bonds.

Reflecting on the global success of Squid Game (Hwang Dong-hyuk, 2021) and its reinvention of the death game genre, this talk explores both the opportunities and challenges presented by new media systems, particularly global video streaming platforms, for local creators.

Netflix, renowned for decentralized approaches and departure from corporate-driven and center-to-local strategies in traditional media, allows for greater financial and creative freedom for local creators. However, concerns have arisen over Netflix’s dominance in local media landscapes and the overreliance of local creators on the platform giant, which would eventually lead to the demise of local media.

In exploring the rise of Netflix as the leading global platform, with a particular focus on its success in Korea, this talk thus aims first to articulate the double-edged nature of platform economy. In the latter part of the talk, attention shifts towards Squid Game itself, focusing on how it creatively adapted to the platform culture and how it questions contemporary capitalism through an innovative investment in the trope of survival game, where participants voluntarily enter the death game, rendering values such as free will empty promises.

Highlighting the show’s own dilemma between its anti-capitalist ethos and its success on Netflix, this talk also addresses the broader irony of resistance within the logic of platform economy that local production faces as the platform ecosystem continues to expand.

Join the Spanish Club for a regular meeting in the Global Hub. The event with a guest speaker has been postponed until February 5 at the same time.

2025 European Union Film Festival

Flowers of Ukraine (Ukraine/Poland), 2024, 70 MIN
Ukrainian language with English subtitles

***with Director Adelina Borets and Producer Glib Lukianets present for Q&A.

Goats and chickens, tomatoes and cucumbers, in the middle of the city, Natalia protects her space in the heart of Kyiv. The fight against gentrification takes on a new front with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Polish director Adelina Borets traveled to the capital of Ukraine to follow one of the city’s most colorful characters. In her garden, Natalia raises not just vegetables but also goats and chickens. Her garden happens to be in the middle of a block of soviet style buildings in the heart of Kyiv. The 67-year-old force of a person has been fighting gentrification and investors. They want her plot to build another building. Facing pressure from the developers and also from her own neighbors, Natalia stands her ground. The confrontation takes on a whole new dimension with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, the battle to protect her garden becomes a battle to preserve an entire way of life.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

On January 23, 2025, Fulbright Scholar Faraja Ngogo visited Avonworth High School to present on Kiswahili language and East African culture. Speaking to a group of about 20 students and two teachers, Faraja introduced basic Kiswahili phrases, discussed cultural practices in Tanzania, and shared personal stories to bring East African traditions to life.

Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch and chat with us! Pitt students only, all levels welcome!

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently predicted that global average temperatures will rise 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels in the mid-2030s. Over the last decades, a global network of scholars, policy makers, activists, and others have organized to offer ways to mitigate and even reverse the effects of climate change. What offramps can these solutions and movements offer our collective humanity?

“Eurasian Environments” seeks to provide some reflections to mark the UN’s 2024 Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. This series will examine social justice and sustainability efforts to address climate change by putting scholars of Eurasia in conversation with their peers specializing on Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The series will comprise six events that will illuminate the challenges and possible solutions to climate change in Eurasia in regional and global contexts.

Swedish Speaking Club is a space for practicing Swedish and deepening cultural understanding alongside others who are learning.

Current FLAS students networking event with FLAS alumni. Connect, explore VR, create custom stickers or keychains, and craft unique buttons—all while sharing ideas and building your professional network!

The disappearance of Central Asia's Aral Sea is seen as one of the worst environmental catastrophes in recent history. This paper, which draws from a book project on the disaster, Aral: Life and Death of a sea, focuses on the fate of the Aral Sea and its people in the Soviet Union's last years (1998-1991). It examines the far-reaching consequences of the sea's loss for local residents, as well as why Moscow failed to take any meaningful action to address the disaster.

2025 European Union Film Festival

Journey to Utopia (Demark), 2020, 88 MIN
Directed by Erlend E. Mo
Danish language with English subtitles

Feeling desperate about climate change, filmmaker Erlend, opera singer Ingeborg and their children leave their farm to join an ecological experiment: Project Permatopia. The goal is to become fully self-sufficient. But the reality is much more difficult – bordering on disastrous. Will they give up?

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

“The world needs music and art to help solve some global issues more than ever. If leaders and people are looking for happiness, sustainability, justice and hope, they shall look to music and art.” - Sean Gao

For 30 years, Sean Gao has been a global engagement professional and an environmental artist who is an advocate for the sustainability of performing art, quality education and environmental justice and policy.

Humans have always been a musical species from the beginning of time, and Sean believes music is from the people and for the people. This student-centered and audience-centered musical conversation will feature instrumental and vocal music from the East and West to inspire teachers and students about teaching and learning Asian content. The guest artists include members of his world traveling 6-WIRE trio and others.

Promoting Asian American music and art has been a shared artistic goal since Sean’s first day of college (U of Delaware) teaching career at 9am ET on September 11, 2001.

2025 European Union Film Festival

Double Feature:

6:00 PM
Feathers or Glamour (Estonia)
Estonian urban chicken “farming.” Chickens as pets in bedazzled diapers. It is a short film.

6:30 PM
Flowers of Ukraine (Ukraine/Poland), 2024, 70 MIN
Ukrainian language with English subtitles

***with Director Adelina Borets and Producer Glib Lukianets present for Q&A.

Goats and chickens, tomatoes and cucumbers, are in the middle of the city, and Natalia protects her space in the heart of Kyiv. The fight against gentrification takes on a new front with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Polish director Adelina Borets traveled to the capital of Ukraine to follow one of the city’s most colorful characters. In her garden, Natalia raises not just vegetables but also goats and chickens. Her garden happens to be in the middle of a block of soviet style buildings in the heart of Kyiv. The 67-year-old force of a person has been fighting gentrification and investors. They want her plot to build another building. Facing pressure from the developers and also from her own neighbors, Natalia stands her ground. The confrontation takes on a whole new dimension with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, the battle to protect her garden becomes a battle to preserve an entire way of life.

2025 European Union Film Festival

Next to Nothing/Tyle Co Nic (Poland), 2024, 93 MIN
Directed by Grzegorz Debowski
Polish language with English subtitles

A group of farmers organized a protest in front of the house of an MP who, contrary to previous promises, voted against their interests. At the same time, the body of one of the local farmers is found. Everyone suspects the leader of the protest, Jarek, even though the deceased was his closest friend. The man begins his own investigation, which leads him to find out the true causes of the deceased's death and, at the same time, verifies the attitudes of people around him.

Pitt Students/Faculty and Staff: Free Admission with a valid Pitt ID
General Admission: $9.00 (Students/Seniors) and $11.00 (Regular)

Moderated by Darya Tsymbalyuk, with speakers Zhanar Sekerbayeva, Oksana Kazına, and Aydin Khalilov.

11:00 am - 12:30 pm (EST) | 10:00 am - 11:30 am (CST) | 8:00 -9:30 am (PST)

This six-part virtual event series will examine body matters within Eurasia through a variety of disciplines and themes. The body-as-method has emerged recently to provide novel insights on society, culture, and identity by foregrounding alternatives to Western traditions that marginalized the corporeal dimensions of social and personal existence.

Why is the body good “to think with” on both intellectual and professional matters?
How do classed, diversely abled, gendered, and raced bodies interact in the daily lives we study or inhabit through our avocations?
What is the continuously evolving relationship between the body and the body politic, whether the nation, empire, the EU, or NATO?
Is research and teaching disembodying and can recentering “embodied and uncomfortable knowledge” therefore move liberation in East European and Eurasian Studies forward?
To address these questions, "Bodies in Focus" will have six virtual, recorded panels featuring speakers from various disciplines and institutions. Panelists and the audience will explore how bodies matter for the study and teaching of East European and Eurasian social and material environments, our understanding of power and equity, and for the cultivation of human capacities in our field.

This panel is part of the series Bodies in Focus; Power, Subjectivity, and Practice in East European and Eurasian Studies. For the full schedule, see https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/creees/content/bodies-focus

Join undergraduate Pitt students for a conversation hour to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences.

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Fridays, during the 2024-2025 academic year, EXCEPT on March 7.

This annual national competition provides US school and college students the opportunity to demonstrate their Russian language knowledge while meeting with other students of Russian and conversing with native Russian speakers. Students will receive recognition for their demonstrated language proficiency, improve their chances of getting international and study abroad scholarships, and enhance their professional resume.

Event date: Saturday, March 15, 2025

Location: TBA

If you would like to learn more about how you can study a language abroad (in Latvia, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, etc.) or locally, and apply for financial support, join us for this session on the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship and SRAS study abroad programs

Join our live stream (Zoom) of this special event by the ValEUs network!

Dr. Nina Sajic (University of Banja Luka) and Dr. Ayhan Kaya (İstanbul Bilgi University) will discuss a specific dimension of European values: the handling of conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
The speakers will elaborate on the role of the EU in these regions, focusing on the question of to what extent the EU lives up to the values it promises in its founding documents.

This ValEUs Panel Discussion is organised as part of Prof. Timm Beichelt’s seminar “Which values/valEUs is the European Union based on?” at European University Viadrina.

The seminar aims to convey insights and perspectives from the global research and education network to Viadrina students and to encourage their input along the network’s central themes and questions through the network’s key initiative of “ValEUs Student Policy Briefs”. The Viadrina is delighted to strengthen its participation in this network initiative through a local partnership with the Europäische Akademie Berlin.

The event is organised in cooperation with the Institute for European Studies of the European University Viadrina (IFES).

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.

Panelists:
Pieter de Wilde, University of Groningen
His research focuses on political conflict over European integration and globalization. He’s principal investigator for the projects Unelected Representatives: The Impact on Liberal Democracy in Europe, Trondheim Analytica and Reconciling Europe with its Citizens through Democracy and Rule of Law (RECONNECT). Before joining NTNU, he was a Senior Researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. De Wilde holds a PhD in political science from ARENA, Center for European Studies, University of Oslo.

Michael Blauberger, Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg.
He has been teaching and researching at the University of Salzburg since 2011. He studied Political Science, Public International Law and Economics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and University of Paris I. He wrote his doctoral thesis on European state aid control at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne, and the University of Bremen. His publications appeared in peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of European Public Policy, West European Politics, Regulation & Governance, Research & Politics, Politische Vierteljahresschrift, Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen. Michael Blauberger is editorial board member of the Journal of European Public Policy and coordinator of the docfunds doctoral college “Challenges of European Integration”. In his current research, he investigates EU action against democratic backsliding and the protection of mobile workers in the EU’s internal market.

Attention: Undergraduate students! Are you looking to gain experience that will help prepare you for a globally-connected job market? Stop by Drop-In Hours to learn more about getting the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript, receiving special recognition at graduation, and standing out to prospective employers!

This will be an informative session featuring speakers from various English teaching ventures, including JET, Fulbright, and others. The speakers will share how they developed an interest in teaching English outside the United States and discuss their experiences. We’re expecting a diverse group of attendees, ranging from those just beginning to explore opportunities to those preparing for or already engaged in teaching abroad.

The session will cover various aspects of teaching English in different cultural contexts, including preparing lesson plans, understanding student needs, and navigating life in a foreign country.

Some key topics we hope to address include:

1. Understanding the cultural nuances and challenges of teaching in non-English-speaking countries.
2. Exploring different teaching methods and resources effective in international classrooms.
3. Navigating visas, work permits, and the logistical aspects of teaching abroad.
4. Creating a fulfilling and sustainable career while living in another country.
5. We are also inviting students from regional campuses so they can have the opportunity to learn from this event as well.

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during Spring semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

Join Associate Dean Adriana Helbig for a discussion of her book ReSounding Poverty: Romani Music and Development Aid (Oxford University Press, 2023). Drawing on ethnographic research in development contexts, ReSounding Poverty asks who speaks for whom within the Romani rights movement today. Framing the critique of development aid in musical terms, it engages with Romani marginalization and economic deprivation through a closer listening to vocal inflections, physical vocalizations of health and disease, and emotional affect. ReSounding Poverty brings us into the back rooms of saman, mud and straw brick, houses not visited by media reporters and politicians, amplifying the cultural expressions of the Romani poor, silenced in the business of development.

Adriana N. Helbig is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Pittsburgh's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and the College of General Studies as well as Professor of Music and former Chair of the Department of Music (2020-2023). Professor Helbig has an international reputation as an applied ethnomusicologist and a scholar who advances discourses in Critical Race Studies, Critical Prison Studies (Pitt Prison Education Project), Development Studies, Minority and Migration Studies (Romani Music and Human Rights in Eastern Europe), Working-Class Studies, and Global Hip Hop Studies. Her books include Culture and Customs of Ukraine, co-authored with Oksana Buranbaeva and Vlada Madineo (Greenwood Press, 2009), Hip Hop Ukraine: Music, Race, and African Migration (Indiana University Press, 2014), Hip Hop at Europe’s Edge: Music, Agency, and Social Change, co-edited with Milosz Miszczynski (Indiana University Press, 2017), and ReSounding Poverty: Romani Music and Development Aid (Oxford University Press, 2023).

Zoom link: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6_sXGcsOReWIrKB3yp44-A

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during Spring semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus

Join the German Club on Wednesdays during Spring semester for conversational meetings and to practice German speaking and listening skills.

Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch and chat with us! Pitt students only, all levels welcome!

Students from SLAV 18050 Balkan Culture will be learning how to prepare Balkan coffee.

Swedish Speaking Club is a space for practicing Swedish and deepening cultural understanding alongside others who are learning.

Attention, undergraduate students! Interested in studying abroad, learning another language, applying for funding, making friends from around the world, connecting with international opportunities in Pittsburgh, and/or sharpening your career skills in our increasingly interconnected world? Join TRIO SSS and the Global Hub to learn more about the amazing international opportunities available at and through Pitt! Pizza and prizes will be provided, and we can't wait to see you there!

This reading group for K-16 educators explores literary texts from a global perspective. Content specialists present the work and its context, and participants brainstorm innovative pedagogical practices for incorporating the text and its themes into the curriculum. Session 1 book is The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis.

Moderated by Pawel Lewicki, with speakers Masha Beketova, Oksana Potapova, Alexa Tignall-Kurmanova, and Volha Verbilovich.
11:00 am - 12:30 pm (EST) | 10:00 am - 11:30 am (CST) | 8:00 -9:30 am (PST)
This six-part virtual event series will examine body matters within Eurasia through a variety of disciplines and themes. The body-as-method has emerged recently to provide novel insights on society, culture, and identity by foregrounding alternatives to Western traditions that marginalized the corporeal dimensions of social and personal existence.

Why is the body good “to think with” on both intellectual and professional matters?
How do classed, diversely abled, gendered, and raced bodies interact in the daily lives we study or inhabit through our avocations?
What is the continuously evolving relationship between the body and the body politic, whether the nation, empire, the EU, or NATO?
Is research and teaching disembodying and can recentering “embodied and uncomfortable knowledge” therefore move liberation in East European and Eurasian Studies forward?
To address these questions, "Bodies in Focus" will have six virtual, recorded panels featuring speakers from various disciplines and institutions. Panelists and the audience will explore how bodies matter for the study and teaching of East European and Eurasian social and material environments, our understanding of power and equity, and for the cultivation of human capacities in our field.

For more information, visit https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/creees/content/bodies-focus

On January 31, 2025, Fulbright Scholar Faraja Ngogo visited Montour High School to share insights on Kiswahili language and East African culture with approximately 31 students and three teachers. The interactive session highlighted key aspects of Tanzanian daily life, language, and traditions, offering students a meaningful opportunity to explore global perspectives.

Join undergraduate Pitt students for a conversation hour to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences.

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Fridays, during the 2024-2025 academic year, EXCEPT on March 7.

Join Addverse, a transcultural, multilingual, and intergenerational poetry organization, for weekly meetings in the Global Hub.

Addverse will meet weekly, on Fridays, during Spring 2025, EXCEPT on January 24 and March 7.