Events in UCIS

Thursday, October 30 until Tuesday, November 4

(All day) Cultural Event
CLAS Day of the Dead Altar
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for Latin American Studies and Global Hub along with Latin American Studies Association
See Details

Ofrenda/Altar Display

October 28 – November 4, 2025

Global Hub

No need to register. Stop by any time between October 28th-November 4th to see the display.

Monday, November 3

4:30 pm Student Club Activity
Bate-Papo Portuguese Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies and Global Hub along with Brazil Nuts
See Details

Join us in the Global Hub for to meet other students and to practice Portuguese of all levels!

Bate-Papo meet on Mondays, during Fall 2025, starting September 8 and ending December 15, EXCEPT on November 24.

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
German Club at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with Pitt German Club
See Details

Join German Club at Pitt weekly meetings to improve language skills and cultural knowledge of German speaking regions!

German Club will meet in the Global Hub every Monday during Fall 2025 semester, starting September 8 and ending December 1, EXCEPT on November 24.

Tuesday, November 4

1:00 pm Lecture
CLAS Speaker Series: Legitimated Knowledge? Uncovering Identity in the Hidden Curriculum of Textbooks
Location:
4130 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

Dr. Filipe Recch is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice in Educational Research at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education. Using methods from political science, comparative education, and data analysis, he studies how curriculum, governance, and policy affect educational outcomes.

One of Dr. Recch’s primary research agendas focuses on how K-12 textbooks in low- and middle-income countries affect different populations of students and the regionalization of education. Employing computational text analysis and Natural Language Processing (NLP), he studies large collections of curricular materials to identify patterns and understand how these vary in terms of space and populational characteristics. By adapting NLP methods to non-English contexts, his work with Brazilian textbooks has revealed that textbook content correlates with performance, school characteristics, and broader educational outcomes. Additionally, in a study of Indian textbooks, he found shifts in historical narratives that suggest evolving understandings of national identity and different population experiences.

Beyond curriculum analysis, Dr. Recch investigates how policy coordination and governance structures shape access to high-quality education. Focusing on decentralized systems, he has studied Brazil’s educational policy alignment across municipal and state governments, identifying conditions under which coordinated approaches can influence access to educational opportunities. This comparative perspective allows him to draw insights relevant to various contexts, including how parallel education systems—such as charter schools in the United States, selective schools in the United Kingdom, and private schools more broadly—may produce unequal learning opportunities.

Before pursuing his doctorate, Dr. Recch worked for five years in the social development and education departments of a state government in Brazil. He holds a Ph.D. in International Comparative Education and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Stanford University. Prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh, he served as a Postdoctoral Research and Policy Associate at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

3:00 pm Information Session
Fall 2025 Global Distinction Drop-In Hours
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, Director's Office, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office
See Details

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!

4:00 pm Language Table
Hungarian Conversation and Tutoring
Location:
Braun Room (12th Floor), Cathedral of Learning
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
See Details

Tuesdays, 4-5pm
Braun Room (12th Floor), Cathedral of Learning

Come to chat, practice, meet others who are interested in Hungarian and Hungary! All levels are welcome.

For more info, contact Dr. Viktoria Batista (vib21@pitt.edu)

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Fall semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

UPDATE: On September 10 (only), the French Club and the French Department will have a joint event in the Global Hub, from 5:30 to 7 pm.

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

Wednesday, November 5

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Fall semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

UPDATE: On September 10 (only), the French Club and the French Department will have a joint event in the Global Hub, from 5:30 to 7 pm.

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

8:00 pm Student Club Activity
Arabic Club Conversation Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies, Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Arabic Club
See Details

Join the Arabic Club for biweekly meetings in the Global Hub during Fall 2025 semester, and to practice Arabic language, structured by varying geographic dialects and level of speaker proficiency!

Thursday, November 6

1:00 pm Language Table
Tavola Italiana
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with Department of French & Italian
See Details

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

Tavola Italiana will meet on Thursdays during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 27.

2:30 pm Presentation
Student Showcase: Pop Culture Event
Location:
WPU, Lower Lounge
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center along with Department of German, Germany on Campus and Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Washington
See Details

Celebrate the research projects of students in Beginning and Intermediate German (GERM 101-202).

Light Refreshment will be served

6:00 pm Student Club Activity
Kya Baat Hai! Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Kya Baat Hai!
See Details

Pitt students: Join Kya Baat Hai, a Hindi-Urdu conversational club that practices language and celebrates South Asian culture, for weekly conversation hours!

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Thursdays, during the Fall semester, EXCEPT on Thursday, November 27.

Friday, November 7

5:00 pm Presentation
Book Launch — Silhouettes of Russian Writers by Yuli Aikhenvald
Location:
4130 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies along with Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures
See Details

Join CMU Associate Professor of Russian Studies Tatyana Gershkovich for the launch of this new book, translated and edited with Stephen H. Backwell, and recently published by Academic Studies Press!

Yuli Aikhenvald was one of the most popular and influential Russian literary critics of the early 1900s. His major book, Silhouettes of Russian Writers, went through six ever-expanding editions. A major presence in Vladimir Nabokov’s early career, Aikhenvald has since been neglected by other writers and critics. This collection translates several of Aikhenvald’s key essays, making him available to English-speaking readers for the first time.

Monday, November 10

4:30 pm Student Club Activity
Bate-Papo Portuguese Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies and Global Hub along with Brazil Nuts
See Details

Join us in the Global Hub for to meet other students and to practice Portuguese of all levels!

Bate-Papo meet on Mondays, during Fall 2025, starting September 8 and ending December 15, EXCEPT on November 24.

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
German Club at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with Pitt German Club
See Details

Join German Club at Pitt weekly meetings to improve language skills and cultural knowledge of German speaking regions!

German Club will meet in the Global Hub every Monday during Fall 2025 semester, starting September 8 and ending December 1, EXCEPT on November 24.

Tuesday, November 11

3:00 pm Information Session
Fall 2025 Global Distinction Drop-In Hours
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, Director's Office, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office
See Details

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!

4:00 pm Language Table
Hungarian Conversation and Tutoring
Location:
Braun Room (12th Floor), Cathedral of Learning
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
See Details

Tuesdays, 4-5pm
Braun Room (12th Floor), Cathedral of Learning

Come to chat, practice, meet others who are interested in Hungarian and Hungary! All levels are welcome.

For more info, contact Dr. Viktoria Batista (vib21@pitt.edu)

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Fall semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

UPDATE: On September 10 (only), the French Club and the French Department will have a joint event in the Global Hub, from 5:30 to 7 pm.

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

Wednesday, November 12

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Fall semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

UPDATE: On September 10 (only), the French Club and the French Department will have a joint event in the Global Hub, from 5:30 to 7 pm.

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

8:00 pm Language Table
Turkish Language Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center
See Details

Join the Turkish Language Table in the Global Hub to learn about Turkish language, culture, and community.

There will be three meetings in the Global Hub during Fall semester, each from 8-9 pm:
- October 1 - Board Game Night!
- October 15
- November 12

Thursday, November 13

1:00 pm Language Table
Tavola Italiana
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with Department of French & Italian
See Details

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

Tavola Italiana will meet on Thursdays during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 27.

6:00 pm Student Club Activity
Kya Baat Hai! Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Kya Baat Hai!
See Details

Pitt students: Join Kya Baat Hai, a Hindi-Urdu conversational club that practices language and celebrates South Asian culture, for weekly conversation hours!

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Thursdays, during the Fall semester, EXCEPT on Thursday, November 27.

Friday, November 14

4:00 pm Seminar
Our Town Is Now a Cemetery: Soviet Yiddish Amateur Songs and the Rituals of Holocaust Commemoration, 1945–1947
Location:
Baker Hall 246A, Carnegie Mellon University
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies along with Department of History and Carnegie Mellon University Department of History
See Details

Part of the Socialist Studies Seminar series.

6:00 pm Student Club Activity
Addverse's Black Consciousness Day event
Location:
Global Hub
Announced by:
Global Hub on behalf of Addverse Poesia
See Details

Every November AddVerse celebrates Black Consciousness Day, aligned with the Brazilian celebration. Poetry, music, and food!

Monday, November 17

4:30 pm Student Club Activity
Bate-Papo Portuguese Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies and Global Hub along with Brazil Nuts
See Details

Join us in the Global Hub for to meet other students and to practice Portuguese of all levels!

Bate-Papo meet on Mondays, during Fall 2025, starting September 8 and ending December 15, EXCEPT on November 24.

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
German Club at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with Pitt German Club
See Details

Join German Club at Pitt weekly meetings to improve language skills and cultural knowledge of German speaking regions!

German Club will meet in the Global Hub every Monday during Fall 2025 semester, starting September 8 and ending December 1, EXCEPT on November 24.

Tuesday, November 18

3:00 pm Information Session
Fall 2025 Global Distinction Drop-In Hours
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, Director's Office, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office
See Details

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!

4:00 pm Language Table
Hungarian Conversation and Tutoring
Location:
Braun Room (12th Floor), Cathedral of Learning
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
See Details

Tuesdays, 4-5pm
Braun Room (12th Floor), Cathedral of Learning

Come to chat, practice, meet others who are interested in Hungarian and Hungary! All levels are welcome.

For more info, contact Dr. Viktoria Batista (vib21@pitt.edu)

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Fall semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

UPDATE: On September 10 (only), the French Club and the French Department will have a joint event in the Global Hub, from 5:30 to 7 pm.

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

Wednesday, November 19

8:00 am Conference
21st Annual High School Model European Union
Location:
William Pitt Union
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, European Union Center of Excellence and Global Studies Center
See Details

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. Model EU enhances students’ understanding of classroom learning and gives them a real sense of the challenges involved in the decision-making process of the European Union.

1:00 pm Lecture
CLAS Speaker Series
Location:
4130 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
1:30 pm Reading Group
Global Appalachia Reading Group: Session 3
Location:
4217 Posvar Hall or via Zoom
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center along with Institute of Spatial History Innovation
See Details

The Global Appalachia Reading Group examines the complex intersections of regional identity, global influence, and environmental justice as they pertain to Appalachia and its connections to the wider world. The Fall 2026 theme is "Place."

Session 1 Book, September 17, 2025: Appalachia in Regional Context: Place Matters, edited by Dwight B. Billings and Ann E. Kingsolver
Session 2 Book, October 22, 2025: Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker
Session 3 Book, November 19, 2025: Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia  by Emily Hilliard

Copies of the books will be available for those planning to attend the event. Please stop by the Global Studies Center (4100 Posvar Hall) to pick up your copy. If you need the books shipped, that can be arranged.

Note: We are able to fund and distribute books to registrants as funding allows. Registration will remain open after this amount is reached. Registrants will be notified if we are unable to provide them with the reading material.

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Fall semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

UPDATE: On September 10 (only), the French Club and the French Department will have a joint event in the Global Hub, from 5:30 to 7 pm.

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

6:30 pm Teacher Training--Area Studies
Russian Ballet
Location:
Zoom
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies along with “Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University”, “Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia, University of Wisconsin-Madison”, “Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies, University of Kansas”, “Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, The Ohio State University”, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill”, “Robert F. Byrnes Russian and East European Institute, Indiana University”, “Russian, and Eurasian Center, University of Illinois and Urbana-Champaign”
See Details

This webinar is the third in a six-part series, The Arts of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, designed to support K-14 educators in bringing the arts of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia into their classrooms. During this session, we will learn about the Russian ballet as a powerful cultural force shaped by political, religious, and aesthetic pressures from the 19th to the 20th century. We will examine how ballet was viewed by critics, dancers, and administrators—as both an “impossible” art form and a near-religious practice of survival and expression. Educators will gain tools to connect performing arts with broader historical and cultural themes, enriching classroom discussions around artistic expression under authoritarian regimes, the role of tradition in modernity, and how art can serve both resistance and conformity.

8:00 pm Student Club Activity
Arabic Club Conversation Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies, Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Arabic Club
See Details

Join the Arabic Club for biweekly meetings in the Global Hub during Fall 2025 semester, and to practice Arabic language, structured by varying geographic dialects and level of speaker proficiency!

Thursday, November 20

1:00 pm Language Table
Tavola Italiana
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with Department of French & Italian
See Details

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

Tavola Italiana will meet on Thursdays during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 27.

5:00 pm Language Table
Suchitra: Hindi Language Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center
See Details

Practice Hindi and play games with the Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center and students! No knowledge of Hindi required.

There will be three meetings in the Global Hub during Fall semester, each from 5-6 pm:
- September 25
- October 23
- November 20

6:00 pm Teacher Training
Global Issues Through Literature: The U.S. in the World
Location:
via Zoom
Sponsored by:
Center for Ethnic Studies Research and Global Studies Center
See Details

This professional development workshop series is designed for K-12 educators seeking to deepen their understanding of global issues through literature. This year, we will explore the theme of “The U.S. in the World.” Through global and regional perspectives, we will discuss narratives of a “Global United States,” where the U.S. role in the world and its relationship with other countries and regions is informed by transnational narratives and dialogues shaped by global trends such as migration, environmental issues, human rights, and human conditions. By exploring compelling stories from diverse cultural perspectives, educators will gain insights into the complexities of this theme, its impact on individuals and communities, and how to engage students in meaningful discussions around these topics.

Each session features a carefully selected book, paired with historically contextualized presentations, interactive discussions, teaching strategies, and cross-disciplinary activities to inspire classroom implementation.

The November 20, 2025 workshop will focus on the book, "Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me," by Lurline Wailana McGregor.

Sessions this year will take place virtually on Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:30 p.m. (ET). Three Act 48 credit hours (for PA educators) and a copy of the book are provided for each session.

For more information and to register, please go to: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/GILS .

6:00 pm Student Club Activity
Kya Baat Hai! Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Kya Baat Hai!
See Details

Pitt students: Join Kya Baat Hai, a Hindi-Urdu conversational club that practices language and celebrates South Asian culture, for weekly conversation hours!

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Thursdays, during the Fall semester, EXCEPT on Thursday, November 27.