Join the Graduate Organisation for the Study of Europe and Central Asia for their 22nd Graduate Student Conference

On February 29, 2025, Fulbright Scholar Faraja Ngogo visited West Hempfield Middle School to present to a group of 15 students. Her session focused on Tanzanian culture and the Kiswahili language, offering students a firsthand look into East African traditions, education, and daily life through storytelling and language interaction.

Gina Kim is a Postdoctoral Associate in Japanese Studies, specializing in Trans-Asian art history and visual culture, with a primary research focus on Manchukuo.

Manchukuo (1932–1945), despite its short existence in northeast China during Japan’s imperial expansion, serves as a pivotal historical space for understanding trans-Asian experiences and discourses. This talk explores the art and cultural networks of Japanese settlers in Dalian, highlighting how they negotiated and redefined settler identities while cultivating a distinctive modernity. Through observing, producing, and collecting the cultural expressions of ethnic others—ranging from coolies to folk objects and toys—these settlers crafted unique narratives of identity and belonging.​

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.

Swahili Level 2 students: Join Swahili instructor Faraja Ngogo on Fridays at 4-5 pm in the Global Hub to practice Swahili.

Join Danica R. Starks to explore how private sector investment in digital infrastructure has supported economic development and democratization in Kyrgyztan, particularly in rural areas of this country. Her case study will provide valuable insights into the intersection of technology, governance, and regional resilience in Central Asia.

Danica R. Starks is Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs while she also serves in the roles of Senior U.S. Commercial Liaison and Advisor to the U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank and Head of the Commerce Department’s Multilateral Development Bank Group. Danica has over twenty years of experience in international economic policy, commercial diplomacy, trade, and national security, with a specialization in Europe and Eurasia. Most recently Danica served as the Director of the Policy Team at the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Office of Russia, Ukraine & Eurasia. She has also previously done assignments as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Helsinki Commission and to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets.