In recent years, the EU has adopted far-reaching legislation and policies to support LGBTIQ and women’s rights across a broad range of issues from the gender pay-gap through accession to the Istanbul Convention on violence against women to gender equality in culture and foreign affairs, biodiversity, and digital policy. Yet, several member states have resisted such transnational efforts and have not only removed the word “gender” from official documents and eliminated the field of gender studies in higher education but also rolled back gender rights within their boundaries, sparking sustained protests most notably in Poland and Hungary.

Join us for this interdisciplinary panel of scholars, policy-makers, activists, and politicians to explore the history and the future of gender equality in the EU.

Moderator:
Müge Kökt en Finkel
Assistant Professor, GSPIA
University of Pittsburgh

Speakers:
Laura Albu
Vice President, European Women's Lobby

Lenka Bustikova
Associate Professor, Political Science
Arizona State University

Malgorzata Fidelis
Associate Professor, History
University of Illinois, Chicago

Alice Kuhnke
MEP, European Parliament
Vice Chair, Group of Greens/European Free Alliance

REGISTER HERE: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d25lT5TKTwSUN_sbWMXxiw

As part of CLAS' Crimes Against Humanity in Latin America Series, Adriana Miramontes Olivas (Pitt PhD candidate in the History of Art and Architecture Department) will give a presentation on "Del Femi-Juvenicidio al Neoliberarchivo: Art, Archives, and the Pursuit of Human Rights - A discussion on Femicide along the US/Mexico border." The event takes place on International Women's Day to remember those women who have been killed. The event will be in English.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/2cax5kjp

Photo credit: Jorge Uzon/AFP

Intended for students who have a topic they are thinking about for their undergraduate thesis project but need some help turning it into a research question, this workshop will address the scope of the project, and the knowledge gap to which the project intends to contribute. Students will work in groups to refine their research questions and can schedule a one-on-one meeting with Dr. Lieder for additional guidance. All students are welcome!

Students must submit a 300-500 word abstract of their proposed project to apply.

Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScy5OlI-JJJJxheU4YtyKucmbu8-wS6...

The Chambermaid

Fiction / Mexico / 2019

In her feature debut, Lila Ávilés turns the monotonous work day of Eve, a chambermaid at a high-end Mexico city hotel, into a beautifully observed film of rich detail. Set entirely in this alienating environment, with extended scenes taking place in the guest rooms, hallways, and cleaning facilities, this minimalist yet sumptuous movie brings to the fore Eve's hopes, dreams, and desires. As with Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, set in the same city, The Chambermaid salutes the invisible women caretakers who are the hard-working backbone of society.

—New Directors/New Films

Language: Spanish

Registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/y6fte2b3

Please register by March 8, 2021 at 3 pm. Around 5:30 pm you will receive an email with the Zoom link and instructions on how to access the film

A live interview with Elana Resnick (University of California, Santa Barbara) and Viktor Pal (University of Helsinki). 

Register via Zoom here: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsc-GtrDwqHtAFNYiaO2HUNQNc5_tI2B-m

The existential threat of climate change has inspired renewed intellectual engagement with the Anthropocene. Eurasian Studies are no exception to this trend. In the last decade, studies that grapple with the past, present, and potential future of the human-nature dialectic are on the uptick. These studies have forced us to reconsider intellectual and ideological paradigms, sources, mission, and role of scholar in society.

Nature’s Revenge: Ecology, Animals, and Waste in Eurasia seeks to bring some of this scholarship and activism to a wider public through a series of live-recorded interviews. The goal is to illuminate recent scholarship and complicate our understanding of the Eurasian Anthropocene and its place in our world.

In the past thirty years, Poland has been taken as a bellwether for the political direction of East Central Europe. A country whose Solidarity movement, roundtable about a peaceful transition to multi-party rule, and elections in June 1989 helped end decades of Communist rule in the region, it was heralded as one of a small number of countries at the vanguard of an imagined inevitable transition to liberal democracy and a market economy. Indeed, Poland was part of the first wave of post-Communist countries to join the EU, and Poles quickly made themselves present in EU institutions (e.g. Donald Tusk) and the public life of some old member states (especially the UK). Today, however, Poland is being repeatedly rebuked (along with one-time democratic partner in the vanguard, Hungary) for violations of the generally liberal rule of law that define EU democratic norms. This different side of Poland must be explained at least in part with a historical, journalistic/activist, and political view of the ways in which populists have exploited the politics of difference, particularly regarding race, and leveraged deeper cultural ambivalences about pan-European ideas about human rights.

This symposium brings together a set of cross-disciplinary experts prepared to explore this contradiction in Poland as an erstwhile would-be vanguard of liberal democracy and now fulcrum for an illiberal turn. A Poland that is out on the streets, fighting both for women's and LGBT rights and against antisemitism and xenophobia, is still visible. The tradition is not new. Yet the prevailing sense of the arc of Polish history in the past century is that this kind of Poland keeps losing against a different one. For those invested in the contemporary liberal face of Poland, what traditions and new creative demonstrations of civil society offer hope? For those who are more interested in understanding the more conservative turn in Polish identity, an identity that has been visible through the post-Communist period, what is important to understand about the wishes and grievances of those currently pushing back on the wider embrace of EU values by the previous Polish political leadership?

Register here. Please see here for a library research guide on Polish studies.

Moderator:
George Gasyna, Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Panelists:
John Connelly, Professor of History, University of California at Berkeley
Konstanty Gebert, Journalist and Activist
Milada Vachudova, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Courtney Blackington, PhD Student in Comparative Politics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#JMintheUS

Join us for a reading and conversation between two iconoclastic horror authors whose work challenge and expand our notions of the horror genre. Kathe Koja and Maryse Meijer will read selections from each other’s work followed by a conversation about these selections, definitions of horror, and the relationship between influence and mentorship among different generations of writers.

Meet with African Studies Program Student Ambassador Emmanuel Ampofo to ask questions about the African Studies Certificate, upcoming events, and more.

Meet via Zoom: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/97841843639

Join the Pitt Global Hub for a special panel discussion in honor of International Womxn's Day. Our panelists will speak about the topic of "justice" in the current socio-political climate, covering issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Blackness, fascism, socio-political unrest, and more from an intersectional feminist perspective.

Panelists will speak from their personal experiences in addition to their research expertise in regions around the world.

PANELISTS:
Anna Carastathis, PhD, Co-director of the Feminist Autonomous Centre for Research
Jessi Hanson-DeFusco, PhD, Adjunct Professor & Visiting Scholar, GSPIA, University of Pittsburgh
Luana Reis, PhD Student, Department ofHispanic Languages and Literatures, University of Pittsburgh
Vivetha Thambinathan, Doctoral candidate, Health Professional Education, Western University

MODERATOR:
Kari Kokka, EdD, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh

Please visit globalhub.pitt.edu/programming/global-feminisms-2021 to view bios for our panelists and moderator.

Register Here: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIudu6oqzIsEtE8K7dOkdoIoZDPtZm0_v-4

December 2020’s European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP) sets out a number of important principles for the future of EU disinformation policy. EDAP is a wide-ranging document charting an ambitious course far beyond the precedent set by the 2018 Action Plan on Disinformation. However, much of the details still need to be worked out. In this talk, Pamment – who prepared a series of non-papers in support of EDAP and is an adviser to Commissioner Jourova – will discuss current and future challenges in defining and implementing EDAP.
This event is co-sponsored by the Santa Fe World Affairs Forum. We hope that you will join us. The Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you prior to the event after you register.

#JMintheUS

Chat with other French students, French faculty, and PhD students and practice your French language skills. Email PhD student Pat Nikiema at PAN32@pitt.edu for the Zoom link.

Dr. Shuyu Kong will discuss "participatory culture" and "affective communication" through a case study of internet media fandom of TV spy drama Undercover. She argues that Chinese media fandom demonstrates a new form of creative energy and interpretive practice among the younger generation of Chinese, and indicates a new social bonding through cultural consumption in post-socialist China.

Register here

We will examine a representative Safavid Persian miscellany of the mid-seventeenth century, MS Majlis 12575. Significant for the history of science, it comprises occult-scientific works by Iranian philosophers of various periods, including Suhravardi, Fakhr al-Din Razi and Sadr al-Din Dashtaki, as well as a lettrist work by Mahmud Dihdar Shirazi, teacher to Shaykh Baha'i in the occult sciences. Our focus will be on 'Ali Safi Kashifi's (d. 1535) Gift for the Khan (Tuhfa-yi khani), an early Safavid simplification of a Timurid Persian grimoire dealing with illusionism and conjuring, both of which we now dismiss as stage magic. Its Safavid-era expansion to include other, more serious occult sciences? alchemy, talismanry, astral magic? and the magico-political feats of eminent
Safavid philosophers will also be discussed with examples, as a window onto how Safavid philosophical culture worked in political practice.

PLEASE NOTE that registrations are limited and will be confirmed on a first-come, first-serve basis for Ph.D. students and faculty who work on Eurasia and can meet the language prerequisites specific to each topic.

PREREQUISITE
Advanced Persian

INSTRUCTOR
Matthew Melvin-Koushki
Associate Professor of Islamic History
University of South Carolina

COLLABORATORS
Aziza Shanazarova
UCIS Postdoctoral Fellow of REEES
University of Pittsburgh

REGISTER HERE: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYofuyhrTwjEtS-vEx0Wu98a9kr5_SMb9ry

Join the Pitt Global Hub and European Studies Center (ESC) for another RICE &... event. The ESC will be demonstrating how to prepare risi e bisi, Italian rice and peas, while providing the history and context of this dish.

Register here: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ude2upz0uHNWAXP_bL4HlFC3gFg-YnhE9

For some time, the membership of Hungary's nationalist ruling party, Fidesz (led by Viktor Orban), within the more mainstream European People’s Party (EPP) grouping at the European level has been a source of controversy. As Hungary shifted further away from traditional democratic norms, Fidesz membership led to tensions, conflict and criticism from other members of the EPP grouping. Many of these criticisms were directed at German Chancellor Angela Merkel whose continued support of Fidesz membership has been heavily criticized. The tension came to a head this week, when a majority of EPP members voted to adopt rules revisions facilitating expulsion of a member party. As a result, on March 3, Orban announced the ‘voluntary’ departure of Fidesz from the EPP. What does this mean? Will this mark a new chapter in EU-Hungary relations? Join the UF Center for European Studies for a EU briefing with Dr. Daniel Kelemen on the causes and consequences of this weeks’ events.

#JMintheUS

Laber Rhabarber - More than a German conversation hour!

"... the most human thing we have is language, and we have it in order to talk." German author Theodor Fontane wrote in 1892. So, here's chance! Be human with us for an hour every week, albeit in German ;D

Everyone and every level of German welcome!

Zoom Meeting link: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/99661883076
German Dept. website: http://www.german.pitt.edu/
Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @UPittGerman

CULTNA is a new discussion series on Afro-Latin American Culture: "Cultura Negra no Atlantico." As the name implies, it will be held in Portuguese, and will bring together discussion groups based at Universidade Federal Fluminense and Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, in Brazil, and CLAS. The first meeting, on March 11th, will be a discussion of the book Diasporas Imaginadas (Imagined Diasporas), by Kim Butler (Rutgers) and Petronio Domingues (Universidade Federal do Sergipe). Both with be present at the discussion, alongside the event organizers. The event will be in Portuguese.

Registration required: https://bit.ly/3ue9Kdu

In partnership with the CMU IFF, So Long, My Son will premiere virtually in Pittsburgh from March 6-12. The film is about two families who work together in a factory until a tragic accident pulls them apart. Moving backwards and forwards from the accident through four decades of Chinese history, acclaimed director Wang Xiaoshuai carefully constructs an epic, deeply moving drama of ordinary lives and severed connections in the midst of extraordinary social change. On March 11, there will be an online discussion with the director moderated by Pitt Professor Kun Qian.

Register for the screening here.
Register for the discussion here

Join us for a discussion of French horror-comedy Poltergay (Erin Lavaine, 2006). Be prepared for all things scary, funny, and absurd! A watch party will be held via Amazon Prime on Wednesday, March 10 at 7:00 pm. If you would like to watch the film in your own time, it can be found here https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08WH6Z393/ref=atv_wp_h_ep. The discussion will take place via Zoom on Thursday, March 11 via the zoom link above. Please indicate when registering if you are interested in an invitation to the watch party.

EU Cultural Policy: How to...

Participants in this workshop will gain insights into the shifts in EU cultural policy. They will also develop a foundation for their own analyses of European cultural policy. In different sessions, they will have an overview of culture in the long history of the post-war European movement. They will be introduced to the main mechanisms of cultural policy at the European, national, and regional levels. And they will have an opportunity to engage with experts in the area of policy analysis. The workshop is especially helpful to researchers in the humanities and social sciences who want to understand the mechanisms of cultural production in Europe and the political decision making that determine them.

Morning Events will have unlimited participants.
Afternoon Events will have a limited of 15 participants. Register Early!

Upon completion of the full workshop (all four modules), registered students and faculty will each receive a $150 stipend to purchase research materials or complete some project. In addition, participants in the full-day workshop will receive a Grubhub credit for lunch delivery during the day.

For More Information: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/esc/eu-cultural-policy

#JMintheUS

CLAS & the Center for Health Equity co-sponsor this reading group. We will discuss the conclusion of Matthew H. Rafalow's "Digital divisions: How schools create inequality in the tech era". The book chapter talks about technology, play, and discipline and how it plays in different environments. Pitt has access to this book.

With the support of the Center for Latin American Studies, we explore 1) the problems Latinos in small yet rapidly growing populations face, and 2) how to solve those problems. We hope to get new writing and research collaborations going! Open to all interested: students, faculty, staff, and practitioners from Pitt and beyond. If you want to get extra network time, we will be there 30 minutes before and after the meeting time.

Link: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/98312512267
Meeting Passcode: Latinx

Russian tutoring available for students by appointment.

Book your appointment here: https://calendly.com/katya-kovaleva/russian-language-tutoring

Join the Pitt German Club every Friday at 3PM to practice your German language skills and learn about different aspects of German culture!

Zoom ID: 950 0542 1812

As the Latinx population continues to grow in the United States, the medical system should be changing with it. The use of botanicas is one way of bridging this gap, but they are not without their flaws. While they are generally beneficial to the Latinx community, the lack of communication and cultural competency on behalf of medical providers can lead to bad outcomes for the patients.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/0312khp

Join us for a cozy evening of rich history and rich wines –
Stories about the Balkan region, people and most of all – wines and wine making!
Yugoslav Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh
is proud to host
Indira Bayer and Wines of Ilyria.
Believe it or not – you can enjoy these stories while sipping the same wines Indira will talk about! You can find them in your Pittsburgh state liquor store! See Info below.
Get one or several for the event … and maybe even more after!
Friday, March 12th 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Join Zoom Meeting

https://pitt.zoom.us/j/93238180456

Free for participants

Www.winesofillyria.com

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the Irish Room Committee beginning Saturday March 13th through Wednesday, March 17th! Learn the history of St. Patricks Day, take a tour of an Irish farm, and enjoy song and dance celebrating the tradition!

https://www.facebook.com/nationalityroomsprograms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPCtZZv6Lcc

Join the George A. Romero Foundation on March 13 for a howling good time in celebration of The Howling’s 40th anniversary. GARF Network hosts Matt Blazi and Eric Kent welcome director Joe Dante and cast member Dee Wallace (Karen White) about what went into the making of the movie and the film’s impact on horror.

Greece in America – America in Greece:

Unveiling of Correspondence
between the Greek Revolutionaries
and the American Founding Fathers
on the Matter of the Greek Revolution

https://pahellenicfoundation.org/2021/page-6/