With each global health crisis, the interconnectedness of populations around the globe becomes more pronounced. Diseases not only affect the health of communities, but they have a profound impact on political, economic, and social stability within countries and regions. This course engages the interdisciplinary nature of global health by approaching the issue through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) developed by the United Nations. The SDGs range in focus from good health and well-being to gender equality to clean water and sanitation to affordable, clean energy. By engaging the ways that health has a stake in these goals, the course will bring the expertise of faculty from the University of Pittsburgh and CMU as well as practitioners to understand and address the issue surrounding global health from a myriad of perspectives and avenues. With an applied focus, the course will assist students in engaging and advocating for a community on a global health issue through a policy memo. This iteration of the course will examine gender equality and SDG #5.

This language table has been moved online. Please contact Katya via Skype @katya.kovaleva1 during the usual meeting time of Monday's from 12:45PM-2:45PM OR email Katya directly (katya.kovaleva@gmail.com)

Improve and practice your Russian language skills with instructor Katya Kovaleva.

In the last two decades, there has been an exponential increase in the number of countries setting up economic zones (SEZ). SEZs aim to remove hindrances to trade and create opportunities for economic growth. While much of the academic literature on SEZs focuses on teh state practices in establishing SEZs, no attention is paid to other practices that bear semblance to SEZs. Drawing on the ethnographic fieldwork in Nigeria, Omolade Adunbi explores the notion of SEZs as an exclusive state regulatory practice. Using the example of artisanal refineries organized by youths in the Niger Delta, this lecture seeks to rethink SEZs and their relationship to oil extraction and state regulatory practices.

Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in the Central Mediterranean continue to be the subject of extensive debate in Italy and in Europe, even as the number of sea arrivals have significantly declined. A multitude of actors engaged in rescuing migrants and refugees at sea has created an increasingly complex situation in the waters south of Sicily all the way to the Libyan coast. Based on previous and on-going research by Dr. Marolda and her Ford Institute working group, this lecture addresses the following questions: 1) What is the migration challenge Europe is facing in the Central Mediterranean? How have state and non-state actors responded to this challenge? 2) How have the EU’s and Italy’s migration policies and practices changed since October 3, 2013, when 368 migrants tragically lost their lives at sea off the coast of Lampedusa? 3) Why have NGOs rescuing migrants at sea been recently forbidden to dock to Italian ports? What has driven the EU and its member states to restrict NGOs’ operations at sea?

The Caribbean is a privileged place to think about Latin America, as it embodied many of the cultural, social, political, and economic theories that emerged in the context of Twentieth Century Postwar - Cold War era. The maelstrom of those years in Latin America helped configure much of the academic knowledge of that era. However, taking on many of the challenges and transformations in Latin America during the first two decades of the 21st century requires us to adopt a global perspective. Integrating local and transnational ideas and fostering awareness of new cultural, social, political and economic movements allow us to fully comprehend Latin Americas’ past and present. Working with issues in the realm of the environment, gender, indigenous peoples, technology, religion, and the Latinx diaspora have opened doors for new voices and scholar whose voices we have begun to hear from.

Although aware that planning processes in an organization are a cooperative effort of all its members, envisioning Pitt’s Center for Latin American Studies towards its 60th anniversary provides me a base for sharing my vision and goals as roadmap to guide the Center to fulfill Pitt's Global Path. We will promote new knowledge and life changing research by tackling the most pressing issues of current Latin America and the growing Latinx transnational communities.

This presentation will address issues aimed at showing my vision and goals for the Center such as: 1) interdisciplinary experience and across disciplinary programs as a key driver of the strategic approach to Latin American issues and its transnational communities; 2) experiential learning and research opportunities in Latin American and with Latinx communities to advance new knowledge and life changing research; and, 3) partnerships that deepen the Center's offerings and financial resources.

Eliseo R. Colón Zayas is a professor and researcher at the School of Communication of the University of Puerto Rico, which he chaired from 1999 to 2013. He holds a B.A. from Duquesne University, earning his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. He has been a visiting professor and lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de São Paulo (Fulbright Research-Scholar), the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, the ITESO (in Guadalajara, Mexico), the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, the Universidad de La Plata in Argentina and the Universities of A Coruña, Sevilla and Málaga in Spain. Some of his books include: Matrices culturales del neoliberalismo: una odisea barroca (2013) and Medios Mixtos: Ensayos de Comunicación y Cultura (2013) .

Archaeological looting occurs when unauthorized individuals or groups illicitly dig at cultural heritage sites in order to locate valuable antiquities for sale on the black market – or even the legitimate art market. While many authors from various disciplines have written on the extensive damage this does to our understanding of ancient cultures, the influence of archaeological looting runs much deeper. In addition to affecting the ability to study these objects in the future and destroying evidence present at their origin sites, archaeological looting also has the potential to alter the art historical canon, affects the role of museums, and calls attention to issues of ownership. Just as the creation of art alters the cultural understanding of the concept, so does its destruction. While much of the current conversation has revolved around the impact of the conflict in the Middle East, it is equally vital to keep in mind that this continues to be a problem in all source countries.

As a fast-growing, privately-owned company, Addev Materials is regularly changing, growing and responding to trends in its sector. Starting as a distributor, they have since become a converter of high-performance materials, strengthening their strategic partnerships, investing in manufacturing capacities, developing converting technologies, and widening the services they offer. Undergraduates from any discipline are welcome to come and learn about opportunities through Addev Materials in the US and abroad. Information will also be presented regarding their summer 2020 internship opportunity (which can be viewed in the Career Center's database).

Please RSVP with Steve Lund at slund@pitt.edu

Students, considering career options or a paid summer internship in Europe? Attend the upcoming info session with ADDEV, a fast-growing company with multiple opportunities and locations in Pittsburgh and throughout Europe, to learn more about how you can grow in their company. ADDEV provides high performance materials for aerospace, defense, and transportation industries. They also serve energy, electronics, and the healthcare field. ADDEV is seeking students with backgrounds in business, engineering, finance, project management, economics, and HR.

ADDEV Info Session
Tuesday, February 4th
4:30-6:00pm
Posvar Hall, Global Hub

Please note this language table has been canceled. Please contact upittgerman@gmail.com with any questions.

Join the Pitt German Club for an hour of German conversation practice and cultural activities.

Please note this event has been canceled. Contact Shayan Jalali (shj55@pitt.edu) with any questions.

Practice your Persian language skills at our bi-weekly language table!

Dr. Mohammed Bamyeh, Chair and Professor of Sociology talked about the recently unveiled Trump Administration plan for Middle East peace.

Designed for juniors, seniors, and graduate students to establish a career direction
and formulate a strategy for securing a full-time position in today's competitive
international and global workplace. Students focus on developing specific
competencies that include career selection, jobsearch activities, resume and
cover letter development, professionalnetworking techniques, behavioral
interviewing skills, and workplace ethicsin preparation for government, business,
and nonprofit sector careers. ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND WORKSHOPS.

Learning Goals
This initiative emphasizes developing readiness to transition to the
workplace. The focus is on the development of self-awareness, interviewing
skills, the acquisition of job-hunting knowledge as well as the formulation
of an action plan to achieve the student's job and career goals.

Learning Outcomes

1. To clarify personal interests, values, skills
and career options.
2. To research/explore various fields for
international and global careers.
3. To create a career search strategy that
can/will be used upon course completion.
4. To present self effectively in an interview or
conversation with potential employers.

Contact Jennifer Wallace (jlw200@pitt.edu) or Bei Cheng (beicheng@pitt.edu) for specific questions.

Join us in the Global Hub for refreshments, crafts, and games as we celebrate the Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao, in honor of the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

This is the first feature film to depict the notorious Pitești Experiment in early communist Romania (1949-1951). Following the establishment of the communist regime, all university students were compelled to become Party members. Those who refused were imprisoned and 're-educated.' Based on a concept borrowed from the Soviet pedagogue A.S. Makarenko, the re-education phenomenon relied on the assumption that everyone can become a 'new person,' which in this instance was achieved by means of both physical and mental torture. An independent project funded through donations, this production aims to raise awareness about the Pitești Experiment, a subject that was kept out of the public eye until recently. For more details, see gofundme.com/f/HelpVictoriaFinishTheMovie.

Victoria Baltag has previously taught at the University College London and was a guest lecturer at Pace University in New York. She holds an M.A. in Film, History, and Television from the University of Birmingham, an M.Sc. in Management and International Marketing from the Academy of Economic Studies (Bucharest), and Bachelor 's degrees in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Bucharest. Victoria began working on the first independent feature film about the Pitești Experiment in 2011 and completed the footage in 2015. This past year, she was entirely focused on her work as a film maker. Inspired by historical events, her film is in the post-production phase and is scheduled for completion in May 2020.

Please note this language table is now meeting via Zoom. Contact Julia O'Hare (jho3@pitt.edu) for more information.

Portuguese Language Table

Please note this event is now meeting online. Join via Zoom: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/466509031
Contact Benjamin Brand (bmb145@pitt.edu) with any questions.

Join professors and students from the Department of German and practice your language skills!

For those attending the Washington DC Trip on February 20 and 21, please plan on joining Erin Wheeler, Career Consultant in the Career Center for a presentation on best practices for creating an elevator pitch to have ready to connect with experts and alumni that you will meet while in DC.

Please note this event has been canceled. Contact Emily Fogel (ehf11@pitt.edu) with any questions.

Practice your Hebrew at our weekly language table!

In conjunction with the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures program's Ten Evenings series, the Global Studies Center will host pre-lecture discussions for four of these events to place prominent world authors and their work within a global context. Led by Pitt experts and open to series subscribers and the Pitt community, these evening discussions provide additional insight on prominent writers and engaging issues.

Tommy Orange's There There pre-lecture discussion will be moderated by the History Department's Assistant Professor Alaina E. Roberts.

Practice your Turkish language skills - all levels welcome!

Please note this meeting has been canceled. Please contact Ceara McAtee at ckm30@pitt.edu with any questions.

Irish language and culture club

This language table has moved online. Contact Dijana Mujkanovic (dim31@pitt.edu) for more information.

Practice your Bosnian, Serbian, or Croatian language skills at our weekly language table.

Come learn more about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to help fund your experience abroad! This national scholarship is funded by the U.S. Department of State and is open to any student who receives a Federal Pell Grant and whose study abroad program will be a minimum of 21 days.

Maddie Hobbs is a peer advisor in the study abroad office, two-time study abroad alum (France and South Africa), a Gilman Scholarship Recipient, and Nationality Rooms Scholarship Recipient who has the experience to help you succeed. Join her as she share tips and experience and learn more about how to craft a winning application for the Gilman Scholarship!

Sign-up is required - visit https://pittstudyabroad.as.me/Gilman to reserve your spot!

Please note this meeting is postponed until further notice. Contact Areti Papanastasiou (areti.papanastasiou@pitt.edu) with any questions.

Practice your Modern Greek language skills - all levels welcome!

Dr. K. Frances Lieder, the UCIS Visiting Professor of Contemporary Global Issues, will lead this Global Studies Center three-part series. Students will learn the how-to’s of research in the social sciences and humanities, formulate and apply concepts to their own research, and engage with junior faculty about their research experiences.

The series is open to all undergraduate students -- and a must for students pursuing BPHIL, honor thesis and students with plans to pursue graduate study.

Link to registration: https://forms.gle/NCVjX1GSNofDHKza7

Prof. Heng is the author of The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages (Cambridge, 2018). This book is a major intervention in Medieval Studies and has sparked conversations across a number of disciplines. We are excited to be able to discuss that project with her. This lecture will be followed by informal responses from a number of members of the Pitt community - some from MRST, some not.

In many countries, the representation of women in local and national politics has risen. There has been a simultaneous rise in reports of physical violence and harassment that have targeted women in political positions and public roles. This Round-table will be centered on various cases of political violence and harassment in Latin America, as well as prevention methods and laws in place to combat this rise in gender-based violence and harassment.

Please note this meeting is now happening online. Contact Luana Reis (lreis@pitt.edu) for more information.