Events in UCIS

Thursday, March 28

12:00 pm Student Club Activity
Tavola Italiana
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Department of Italian
See Details

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

12:30 pm Lecture Series / Brown Bag
EU Enlargement - Spotlight: Malta and Cyprus
Location:
Zoom Webinar
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence
See Details

EU ENLARGEMENT LECTURE SERIES: 20th Anniversary of the EU Enlargement

As part of our continued efforts to bring together experts with diverse perspectives to discuss contemporary issues facing Europe, the European Studies Center/European Union Center of Excellence (ESC/EUCE) along with the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES) offers a new lecture series to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the EU Enlargement. This virtual lecture series will be held on the last Thursday of each month. 

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the biggest enlargement of the European Union in its history. Ten countries, mainly former socialist Eastern European states, almost doubled the EU from 15 to 25 member states. May 1, 2004, was the triumphal return to the European Family for many. But for some, it initiated a process of disenchantment with the EU and the West.

Each month, the ESC/EUCE, together with REEES at the University of Pittsburgh, will focus our attention on a specific country or a group of countries in the EU by inviting experts and eyewitnesses to discuss the hopes and realities of the EU integration before and after expansion to address what hopes were fulfilled and what new hopes exist for the Union in the present.

Each session is recorded and later posted on the internet with suggested additional readings and further resources. Please check out our webpage for more details and mark the last Thursday of the month to attend this event.

Moderator:

Panelist:

3:00 pm Lecture Series / Brown Bag
The EU's Security and Defense Partnerships in a World in Transition
Location:
4419 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center
See Details

This seminar will provide an overview of the historical, legal, institutional, and policy dimensions of the EU’s evolution as an international security actor. It will examine the development
of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and will analyze the EU’s partnerships with core strategic partners, as well as the EU’s inter-organizational cooperation with the UN and NATO in the context of rising geopolitical rivalries. This will also include the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, shifting international alliances, and the future of European strategic
autonomy. Seats are limited to allow for good conversation.

About the Speaker:
Joachim A. Koops is Chair of Security Studies and Scientific Director (WD) of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) at Leiden University’s campus in The Hague. His research focuses on Global Security Governance and the European Union’s foreign and security policies, the role of the United Nations, European Union, NATO (and their inter-organizational relations) in peace and security as well as crisis management, peacekeeping, the responsibility to protect(R2P) and the changing nature of diplomacy. In addition, Joachim is interested in issues of academic diplomacy as well as higher education innovation and reform.

Facilitated by Randall Halle, Director of the European Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh.

4:00 pm Conference
Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference
Location:
4217 and 4130 Posvar Hall; Zoom
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes everyone wot the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss socail and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.
During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive interntional nertwork and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

4:30 pm Panel Discussion
Referral: America Last
Location:
105 Lawrence Hall
Announced by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies on behalf of Center for Governance and Markets
See Details

In America Last, Heilbrunn explores the historical phenomenon of American political leaders expressing admiration for authoritarian leaders and dictators abroad, spanning from the early 20th century to the present day. The book examines how influential U.S. intellectuals, journalists, and politicians have been attracted to the perceived strength and leadership styles of foreign autocrats, viewing them as potential models for addressing domestic political and social issues.

Jacob Heilbrunn is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and editor of the National Interest. He previously served as senior editor at the New Republic and an editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times. He is a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School.

Damir Marusic is assignment editor at the Washington Post and founding editor or Wisdom of Crowds. Previously, he was executive editor at the American Interest magazine and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center.

5:00 pm Student Club Activity
French Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club for conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

6:00 pm Film
All That Breathes (2022) Screening Followed by Q&A with Director Shaunak Sen
Location:
232 Cathedral of Learning
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center and Global Studies Center along with Department of English, Film and Media Studies Program and Consortium for Educational Resources on Islamic Studies (CERIS)
See Details

All That Breathes (2022)

In one of the world’s most populated cities, two brothers—Nadeem and Saud—devote their lives to the quixotic effort of protecting the black kite, a majestic bird of prey essential to the ecosystem of New Delhi that has been falling from the sky at alarming rates. Amid environmental toxicity and social unrest, the “kite brothers” spend day and night caring for the creatures in their makeshift basement hospital. Director Shaunak Sen explores the connection between the kites and the brothers who help them return to the skies, offering a
mesmerizing chronicle of inter-species coexistence.

Director Shaunak Sen

Shaunak Sen is an Academy award nominated filmmaker and writer based in Delhi. His film All That Breathes received nominations at the 2023 Academy and BAFTA awards. The film won awards at Cannes, Sundance, BFI London, IDA, Grierson and Cinema Eye, and 24 other film festivals. Cities of Sleep (2016), Sen’s first feature-length documentary, was shown at various major international film festivals and won 6 international awards. He has been a jury member at festivals including Sundance, Zurich, and the Kerala Film Festival.
He holds a PhD and has published in journals including Bioscope and Widescreen and is currently a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute, Berlin.

6:00 pm Cultural Event/Lecture
Mini Swahili Language Lessons
Location:
Posvar Hall 3415
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies along with Less-Commonly Taught Languages Center
See Details

Karibuni! Are you interested in learning some conversational Swahili? Join us for a three part mini-series taught by our advanced Swahili students! Topics include introductions, bargaining, food, and more. We hope to see you there!

Thursday, March 28 until Saturday, March 30

12:30 pm Conference
Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference
Location:
TBD
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

More event details to come!

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes faculty and students to the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference page. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss social and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.

During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive international network and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese.

More information can be found here: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/laspp