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!
Week of March 14, 2021 in UCIS
Saturday, March 13 until Wednesday, March 17
Sunday, March 14
Sunday March 14th, 2021
7:30 PM
From the Partimenti to the National Anthem:
The "Unknown" Nicolaos Halkiopoulos Mantzaros
Greece’s First Modern National Composer
Featuring:
Ms. Thyra-Lilja Altunin (First Violin)
Ms. Keira Wood (Second Violin)
Ms. Lily Jensen (Viola)
Ms. Sarah Stager (Cello)
Monday, March 15
After a botched attempt to poison Alexei Navalny in August 2020, the Kremlin has decided to sentence him to over two years in prison upon the oppositionist’s return to Russia in January. Navalny responded with a bombshell video about the corruption around “Putin’s Palace.” Unsanctioned, mass protests filled the two capitals and tens of provincial cities resulted. The protesters were met with mass, indiscriminate arrests, and police violence. The political ante in this back-and-forth has certainly risen but to what end?
Russia has experienced the ebbs and flows of protest on the federal and local level for years. And while each eruption quickly elicits a sense that Russia is at a turning point, more cautious and sober assessments follow in the weeks and months after. So, is what we’re now seeing something new or more of the same? What do the protests suggest about Russian society, politics, and the state of Putin’s power? Especially, as Russia will hold parliamentary elections in September.
This live roundtable discussion with Greg Yudin (Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences), Svetlana Yerpyleva (Public Sociology Laboratory), and Ilya Budraitskis (Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences and Political Diary Podcast) and moderated by Sean Guillory (REEES and the SRB Podcast) will explore these issues and more.
REGISTER HERE:https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckdOyrrjkoGtwStsGw09Vq-k7hJOmUeLKv
La duodécima conferencia de Charlemos tendrá lugar el 15 de marzo de 2021 a las 15:00 EST. El tema de la conferencia será "Avanzando hacia atrás? Elecciones y democracia en Ecuador." Andrés Mejía Acosta (King's College London) moderará una conversación entre John Polga-Hecimovich (U.S. Naval Academy) y Diana Dávila Gordillo (University of Leiden). John Polga-Hecimovich hablará de su artículo (forthcoming), "Old Habits Die Hard: Ecuador's Return to Political Instablity" (escrito con Francisco Sánchez) que se publicará en Journal of Democracy en junio. Diana Dávila Gordillo hablará de su texto, "Pachakutik, the Indigenous Voters, and Segmented Mobilisation Strategies." La charla será en español.
The twelfth Charlemos event will take place on March 15, 2021 at 3:00 pm EST. The topic of discussion will be "Progressing Backwards? Elections and Democracy in Ecuador." Andrés Mejía Acosta (King's College London) will moderate a conversation between John Polga-Hecimovich (U.S. Naval Academy) y Diana Dávila Gordillo (University of Leiden). John Polga-Hecimovich will discuss his forthcoming article, "Old Habits Die Hard: Ecuador's Return to Political Instablity, " (co-written with Francisco Sánchez) which will be published in June in the Journal of Democracy. Diana Dávila Gordillo will discuss her text, "Pachakutik, the Indigenous Voters, and Segmented Mobilisation Strategies." The talk will be in Spanish.
Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/enfd7qo2
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asians and Asian Americans have been scapegoated as bringing and carrying disease across the country. This rhetoric is not new. In this timely and critical panel, hear from local and national Asian American activists about how Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities are combatting targeted hate violence, how to be in solidarity with victims of racism & xenophobia, and what forms of justice our communities are fighting for.
This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Sociology, the Global Hub, and the Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh.
We thank our panelists, Sam Huynh (AQUARIUS), Judy Suh (APALA Pittsburgh), Tiffany Diane Tso (AAFC), and Randy Duque (PCHR) for their time and expertise in contributing to such an important conversation.
Tuesday, March 16
Dina Moulioukova is a Lecturer of International Studies and Master of International Administration at the University of Miami where she teaches courses on security. Dina has completed her Ph.D. at the University of Miami with focus on innovative approaches to security studies. Prior to her studies at UM, Dina received her Master of Law degree law (LL.M.) at the University of Cambridge with focus on international law and J.D. from Kazan State University on Russian civil law and international law in Russia. Her current research concentrates on different aspects of Russian foreign policy and security, with special emphasis on Russia’s relations with the European Union, Russia’s energy security and geopolitical competition between the West and rising powers in Africa and Latin America. Dina has also widely published on the topics of her research and is currently working on finalizing her book. In addition to her academic interests, she has been engaged in a number of US Agency for International Development and Library of Congress’ projects on post-Soviet space and has served as an expert in roundtable discussions by Council on Foreign Relations and USSOUTHCOM.
Studying water infrastructure is an excellent entry point to examine the nexus between the utilization of natural resources and technologies on the one hand, and of politics and everyday life on the other. The talk will first address important findings of a study on irrigation systems and cotton cultivation in Central Asia. Here, the Russian colonizers of the nineteenth century implemented ideas of modernity and transformation that lived on in the Soviet context. Second, the talk presents the outlines of an ongoing project on water on public display, comparing the relevance of artificial lakes, fountains, and drinking wells in cities like Berlin and Tashkent. Both cases combine cultural studies‘ approaches with the history of infrastructure and technology.
Julia Obertreis is Professor for Eastern European modern history at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. In her teaching and research, she focuses on water infrastructures in the Soviet Union in a global perspective. She has an interest in the Soviet Union as a multiethnic empire and in oral history as a critical method in Eastern European history. Her first book is Living in Leningrad Between Everyday Life and Utopia, 1917-1937 (Böhlau Verlag, 2004). Her second book is titled Imperial Desert Dreams. Cotton Growing and Irrigation in Central Asia, 1860–1991.
REGISTER HERE: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O8xyvhLYTBazBGIUjjeIwQ?fbclid=I...
Join the Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies with our UCIS colleagues as we discuss international variations on one of our favorite drinks.
REGISTER: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEscu2przwpHd1fqozi_jcrRGLWTsDDASgC
A Discussion with Shannon (Illig) Kimack, Federal Employee with the FBI
Tuesday, March 16th, 5pm
Zoom Discussion
GSPIA Alumni Shannon (Illig) Kimack (MPIA '08) will discuss her career in federal service. Shannon started her career as a Staff Operations Specialist for the Pittsburgh Division of the FBI and then transitioned to the role of Intelligence Analyst, where she spent ten years working national security matters. She currently serves as a Supervisory Intelligence Analyst for FBI Pittsburgh.
Register:
https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvdO6rqzorH9wHBapvuchy8TtqwRcN2t1Q
A series of NCTA Master Teacher workshops on integrating East Asia into your classroom.
Join us for a teacher to teacher presentations that will cover content, strategies, implementation, and resources for bringing East Asia into your classroom this year.
This presentation will examine the foundations of world beliefs, how (and why!) to teach about them in a social studies classroom, and ways to help students see their relevancy in the world today. Participants will learn most directly about the basic tenets of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Emphasis will be placed on the worldviews that underpin each faith, how they are connected, and how they are distinct. Resources will be shared and opportunity to work in collaborative online groups will be given, to simulate the student learning experience.
Join us for a reading and conversation with acclaimed horror poet Linda D. Addison. The conversation will focus on her biography and path to success, her role as a mentor, her approach to horror and poetics and the intersection of content and style, and feature a reading and discussion of her poetry. Linda D. Addison is the author of five award-winning collections, including How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend. She is the first African-American recipient of the Horror Writers Association’s (HWA) Bram Stoker Award and has also received the HWA Lifetime Achievement Award, HWA Mentor of the Year Award, and Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association Grand Master Award.
Wednesday, March 17
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
More information to be updated
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.
The Latin America and the Caribbean Competency Virtual Series is an opportunity for students to learn more about different topics related to this area and connect with the guest speakers outside of the classroom environment. The students will also have the chance of discussing and asking questions regarding the topic of the presentation. The third presentation will be by João V. Guedes-Neto, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. He will talk about Bureaucratic Polarization. In times of political polarization, we tend to pay attention to conflicts in Congress. Yet, this is just a minor part of the problem. Polarization exists everywhere, even in the public administration. Relying on data from Brazil and the United States, this presentation discusses the causes and consequences of the conflicts between civil servants in government. After all, can we get things done when everyone seems to hate each other?
You can earn myPittGlobal/OCC credit and a certificate of participation by attending!
Registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/virtualseries3
The People’s Republic of Desire explores the lives of the successes of China’s digital society, a world in which live-streamers are celebrities of fame and fortune with millions of fans and super-rich patrons that lavish them with gifts. And yet, the film is a disturbing look into cyber escapism, loneliness, and isolation. The film won the Grand Jury Award at the 2018 SXSW, among many other awards. It has screened at over 40 film festivals worldwide and broadcasted nationally on PBS Independent Lens. It was described by The Los Angeles Times as “invariably surprising and never less than compelling.” Please join us on Wednesday 3/17 at 6:30 pm EDT for a virtual film screening followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.
Register here
Thursday, March 18
Be part of the first annual high school Asia Challenge simulation virtually at the University of Pittsburgh. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), comprised of Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand will meet in two sessions to address immediate and long-term crises affecting the partnership.
The morning session will center around a simulation of conflict in the Korean Peninsula and the broader threat of nuclear aggression in the region. The afternoon session will focus on unresolved issues that have arisen out of RCEP's inception--such as labor, the environment, and state-owned enterprises. To register for this event, please click here.
For more information or questions, please email asia@pitt.edu
This installment of Conversations on Europe is in collaboration with the Center for European Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
The ESC’s 2020-21 theme, Creating Europe, explores both the political, social, cultural, and geographical forces that have given shape to contemporary Europe and also individuals who create and are creative in their daily or artistic expressions of what it means to be European.
This session will be highlighting different approaches to constructing a common European identity. Our interdisciplinary panel of experts will focus on EU language policies and multilingualism within European institutions. Join us for this virtual, interactive discussion.
Audience participation is encouraged.
Panelists:
Katerina Strani, Heriot-Watt University
Nils Ringe, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Michele Gazzola, Ulster University
Karen McAuliffe, University of Birmingham
Moderator:
Jae-Jae Spoon, University of Pittsburgh
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
Since its release in 1992, Candyman (directed by Bernard Rose) has become a pillar of Black horror through its representation of how the trauma of racism is carried down from one generation to the next. 2021 will see the release of a reimagined Candyman, or—as it has been described, a “spiritual sequel”—to the 1992 film, which itself spawned two sequels in the 1990s. With Jordan Peele producing and Nia DaCosta directing, the remake will belong to an emerging canon of Peele-helmed projects that explicitly reinscribe race and racist violence against Black Americans through the horror genre. Unlike the original films, the remake is helmed by two Black filmmakers, and will contribute to an ongoing cultural redefinition of horror as depicting the experience of racism from the perspective of minority creators at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement.
To mark this timely and much-anticipated adaptation, this event will consist of a virtually-hosted panel discussion of the original Candyman franchise and the upcoming remake (the release of which is currently on hold due to COVID), moderated by one of the Horror SIG co-chairs. Attendees are invited to screen the film(s) independently ahead of the official event.
Our panel of experts includes Professor Robin R. Means Coleman (author of Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films From the 1890s to Present), Dani Bethea (editor, We Are Horror Zine; writer, Ghouls Magazine & Gayly Dreadful), Professor Dawn Keetley (project manager of Horror Homeroom), and Jon Towlson (author of Candyman, a monograph).
Sponsored by the Horror Studies Working Group at the University of Pittsburgh, the Department of Screen Cultures at Northwestern University, and the Department of Arts at Northumbria University. Hosted by the SCMS Horror Studies Scholarly Interest Group.
In Conjunction with the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures program's "Ten Evenings" series, GSC is hosting "Four Evenings" pre-lecture discussions that put prominent world authors and their work in global perspectives. Open to series subscribers and the Pitt Community, these evening discussions, conducted by Pitt experts, provide additional insight on prominent writers and engaging issues.
The Global Studies Center, along with Pitt faculty will hold a virtual book discussion on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 6 PM. Please register above by clicking on the date. Once your registration is received, a Zoom-Link will be sent to you via email.
Ocean Vuong is an award-winning poet and the author of the critically acclaimed bestselling novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, a brilliant, heartbreaking family portrait – a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling. Framed as a letter from a son to his mother who cannot read, this shattering portrait of a Vietnamese family and first love, asks how to survive, how to find joy in darkness, and the meaning of American identity. With stunning urgency and grace, Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are.
These virtual evening discussions, conducted by Pitt experts, provide additional insight on prominent writers and engaging issues in a virtual setting. A limited number of tickets to the author's lectures are available.
Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/yyy5ezcl
Join Nationality Rooms Tour Coordinator Michael Walter for a brief tour of several Nationality Rooms, examine their decoration and interconnections, and gain insight into the origins of the Nationality Rooms Program at the University of Pittsburgh. This presentation will also share some perspectives on different Pittsburgh communities' association with their background vis-à-vis unique architectural expressions contained on Pitt's campus.
Pitt undergraduate students from Professor Jan Musekamp’s Nationalism class will continue the tour by presenting the Czechoslovak and the Austrian Nationality Rooms. They have worked in small groups, researched the history of those rooms, and analyzed how they fit into the broader concept of nationality rooms in the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning. As an additional step, they will present the rooms from the perspective of nationalism studies.
REGISTRATION LINK: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckf-iqpjgiHNztxhjwHkif1--87n5gpmhJ
Thursday, March 18 until Sunday, March 21
The Twentieth Annual Czech and Slovak Studies Workshop will be held virtually at the University of Pittsburgh on March 18-21, 2021. This year’s workshop will bring together an international community of researchers, faculty members, and advanced graduate students to exchange their experiences, research results, and ideas on a variety of areas ranging from literature, language, history, and the visual arts.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
MARCH 19
9:00 am (EDT) | 1:00 pm (GMT) | 2:00 pm (CET)
Transatlantic Cooperation in Pandemic Times
Surprisingly enough, the COVID-19 pandemic affected Europe and America in a dramatic manner. Health systems, economies, and social life in the most developed countries have been going through severe tests last year. This keynote lecture will focus on the comparative aspects of the COVID-19 crisis in Europe and the United States, look at its impact on transatlantic relations, and bring examples of cooperation in combating this global pandemic.
SPEAKER:
Pavol Demeš, Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Explore our CONFERENCE PROGRAM: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/creees/visitors/czech-slovak-workshop.
REGISTER to attend: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkdu2hpj4uGdG3ZbUonmX4tSawD61rDLL0.
This registration is for the academic portion of the conference, including paper presentations, the keynote address, and networking events. Participation is restricted to faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and the organizers.
Friday, March 19
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
Join us on Friday, March 19, 2021 at 4:15 pm EST to discuss our featured article: A Conversation of Celebration and Appropriation written by Panoramas Intern, Ashley Brown. To read the article please visit: https://www.panoramas.pitt.edu
Spiritual practices and brujería are gaining popularity on various social media platforms. From TikTok videos showing pick-a-card-readings, to Instagram reels explaining spells that anyone can do on their own, African diasporic religions have drawn widespread attention. But with widespread attention, misinformation can easily be spread. Evidently, because these spiritual practices have caught the attention of pop culture, appropriation is occurring all across platforms such as Tumblr, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. It is imperative that we actively combat the erasure and commodification of these spiritual practices.
Ashley Brown is a junior double majoring in English Writing and Spanish, minoring in Africana Studies and Creative Writing, and is pursuing certificates in both Latin American Studies and Sustainability. As an Afro-Honduran, her background influences much of her writing as she centralizes her work around the African diaspora within the Americas and the disparities faced by marginalized populations. In addition, she is the current President of the Latinx Student Association. She uses her position to educate the members of the organization, celebrate diversity both inside and outside of the university, and foster conversations that are vital to the growth and unity of the community. She will continue to use her platforms for advocacy and to shine a light on many of the systematic and societal obstacles faced by BIPOC.
Registration required: tinyurl.com/a3b191
The artist, revolutionary, and cult leader of the Pop Art movement, Andy Warhol masterfully explored the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture through his legendary depictions of cultural icons while constructing his own public persona and artistic mystique in the most politically-charged, creative, and expressive periods of the 20th century. The son of Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants and a devout Byzantine Catholic, Andy Warhol was deeply influenced by a rich cultural heritage in which icons are experienced as doorways to the sacred. Although he convincingly blurred the line between commercial and fine art, his style and technique exposed Warhol’s lifelong connection to a religious culture with which he lived.
Join us for an exploration of Byzantine iconography and Andy Warhol’s art.
REGISTRATION LINK: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkdOqqqD4iGt2a0jH6AAECzA_Gq5PoXLnE
Speakers:
Very Reverend Mitred Archpriest Marek Visnovsky
Vicar General of the Eparchy of Parma
Donald G. Warhola
Vice President, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Liaison, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh
Saturday, March 20
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
20th Czech and Slovak Studies Workshop
March 18-21, 2021
TRANSATLANTIC COOPERATION IN PANDEMIC TIMES
9:00 am (EDT) | 1:00 pm (GMT) | 2:00 pm (CET)
REGISTER: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkdu2hpj4uGdG3ZbUonmX4tSawD61rDL...
SPEAKER:
Pavol Demeš, Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
DESCRIPTION:
The COVID-19 pandemic affected Europe and America in a particularly dramatic manner. Health systems, economies, and social life in the most developed countries have been going through severe tests last year. This keynote lecture will focus on the comparative aspects of the COVID-19 crisis in Europe and the United States, look at its impact on transatlantic relations, and bring examples of cooperation in combating this global pandemic.
BIO:
Pavol Demeš is a well-known Slovak expert on international relations and civil society, an author, and a photographer. Prior to the Velvet Revolution, Demeš was a bio-medical researcher at Comenius University in Bratislava. He is a graduate of Charles University in Prague. After democratic changes in 1989, he served in the Slovak government and was the co-founder of the Slovak Academic Information Agency-Service Center for the Third Sector, a leading NGO in the country. Appointed first to the Ministry of Education, he was later named Minister of International Relations (1991-2) and served subsequently as the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the Slovak Republic Michal Kovac (1993-1997). In 1999, he was awarded a six-month public policy research fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. From 2000-2010, he was the Director for Central and Eastern Europe for the German Marshall Fund of the US-based in Bratislava. Currently, he is a non-resident senior fellow with GMFUS and an external advisor to the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has his own program on international relations and diplomacy on an Internet TV of the Slovak Press Agency. He published several books and numerous articles. Demeš has served on boards of domestic and international non-profit organizations, among others: the European Foundation Center, the European Cultural Foundation, the European Council on Foreign Relations, and the European Endowment for Democracy. He played important role in the EU's civil society development program in Slovakia and democratization efforts in the Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries.
Selected Awards:
The EU-US Democracy and Civil Society Award (1998), the USAID Democracy and Governance Award (1999), a six-month public policy research fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. (1999), Royal Dutch decoration Knight of the Order of Orange
Nassau (2005), Yugoslav Star of First Class (2005), South-East Europe Media Organization Human Rights Award (2009), and the Medal of Honor from the Friends of Slovakia (2011).
The full conference program will be available here: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/creees/visitors/czech-slovak-workshop.
First Principles: What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and how that Shaped our Country
A conversation with bestselling author Thomas E. Ricks
Celebrating the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution in Western Pennsylvania.
Saturday, March 20th, 6PM
Register: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMoceGpqjsjG9XRVA0DIOh7TmBNux8HyQQT
The Czech Center New York is delighted to introduce a multi-media exhibition project, which aims to present Adolf Loos’ unique interior design work as a result of the architect’s long-term activity in Pilsen, Czech Republic. The project was initiated in 2020, marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Adolf Loos (1870–1933), a world-renowned epitome of modern interwar architecture of Moravian descent, whose ideas and implementations influenced contemporary architecture and inspired later events and trends in contemporary architecture on an international scale.
After an introduction by Miroslav Konvalina, Director of the Czech Center New York, participants will be invited to explore the online exhibit while listening to a concert by Pilsner Jazz Band from Loos’ interior in Pilsen.
REGISTRATION LINK: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwodOmrqjkuH90C8T3Y3Jtlfg-QcdxlNb0p
Sunday, March 21 until Sunday, March 28
The Festival of the Egg is a family-oriented event welcoming the coming of Spring in many ethnic traditions. Celebrate ethnic traditions from India, Romania, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. Celebrate with Easter Egg Decorating, Spring Traditions, Easter basket folklore, palm weaving, Easter customs, spring festival of colors, virtual market place and much more!