How does art preserve memory, sustain cultural heritage, and shape national identity—especially during times of conflict?

This sixth and final webinar in The Arts of Eastern Europe and Eurasia: A Webinar Series for Educators explores how artistic expression functions as a living record of cultural memory. Through case studies from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, we will examine how art and culture are mobilized as tools of influence, identity, and messaging, particularly in moments of war, political upheaval, and societal change.

Designed for K-14 educators, this session offers practical insights and classroom-ready materials that illuminate the power of memory, creativity, and cultural heritage in shaping both historical and contemporary narratives. Participants will also develop strategies to help students think critically, recognize disinformation, and better understand the intersections of art, identity, and politics.

Euro Challenge is a competition about the currency and policies that shape the EU for 9th and 10th-grade students across the US. Student teams work on a presentation about the economics of the euro currency area and tackle a specific challenge faced by a member country. Students become policymakers, crafting solutions to a topical issue, and give a 15-minute presentation.

Join lead curator Dr. Lina Insana, Professor in the Department of French and Italian, for a gallery talk on the new exhibit, Read the Room! Uncovering the Italian Room's Transnational Traces.

This exhibit, co-curated by students in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, showcases University Archives from the University of Pittsburgh Library System that document the transnational networks and economic class dynamics at play during the Room's development in the 1930s and 1940s. How did decisions made in Rome and Florence determine the Italian Room’s decorative style and use of materials? To what extent was the Italian immigrant and ethnic community in Pittsburgh involved in these decisions? And at what point did skilled manual labor intersect with philanthropic support and elite decision-makers to bring the Italian Room to completion? Attend this talk and visit the exhibit for answers to these questions and more.

Visit the Hyland Gallery to see this display between February 2026- September 2026. For more details, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/events/history-program-archives-sp... and https://library.pitt.edu/asc-exhibits.

This exhibit and gallery talk are part of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs Centennial celebration. For more information about the Centennial and related events across the University, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/100years.

Join curator Joanna Conings, PhD candidate in the Department of French and Italian, for a gallery talk on the new exhibit, The Women Behind the Walls!

This exhibit is dedicated to uncovering the hidden labor and “affective diplomacies” through which women made the French Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh a reality, as evidenced in the University Archives at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. The Women Behind the Walls invites scholars and visitors alike to reconsider how personal agency and affective diplomacy shape, and are shaped by, our shared architectural legacies.

Visit the Hyland Gallery to see this display between February 2026 -September 2026. For more details, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/events/history-program-archives-sp... and https://library.pitt.edu/asc-exhibits.

This exhibit and gallery talk are part of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs Centennial celebration. For more information about the Centennial and related events across the University, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/100years.

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 workshop for March 19, 2026 will focus on the book, "The Last Watchman of Old Cairo," by by Michael David Lukas.

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 .

The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the European Studies Center, and the Graduate Organization for the Study of Europe and Central Asia join Yale University's Macmillan Center to host the 2026 REEESNe Student Conference. This FREE student conference will bring together undergraduate and Master's-level students from the northeast and beyond. The event will feature panels of student research papers, roundtables for presenting student experiences (study abroad, internships, volunteering, etc.), and a professionalization panel with alumni, who apply REEES expertise in a diversity of careers.

Application Deadline: December 12, 2025