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 perspective. Open to series subscribers and the Pitt Community, these evening discussions, conducted by Pitt experts, provide additional insight on prominent writers and engaging issues.

With Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo became the first Black woman to win the Booker Prize for Fiction. The novel is a magnificent portrayal of the intersections of identity, across generations, in a group of Black British women. Girl, Woman, Other is a polyphonic and richly textured social novel that reminds us of all that connects us to our neighbors, even in times when we are encouraged to be split apart. The twelve central characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives. From a nonbinary social media influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in Northern England, these unforgettable characters also intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to class.

Homeward shares the story of a Crimean Tatar father and son coping with family loss as they travel to transport the body of their son and brother from Kyiv to Crimea.

Karolina Nikielska-Sekula
Andreas Wiesand
Alexandra Xanthaki
Moderator: Andrzej Jakubowski, University of Opole & Institute of Law Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences
This panel will consider both the human rights law dimension of cultural heritage, and the role that heritage plays in protecting and realizing all human rights, comprising cultural rights. The panel will particularly refer to the protection of cultural rights of minorities, Indigenous peoples, and migrants.
#JMintheUS

A discussion of inequalities revealed and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the public policy tools available to ameliorate them, and the likely paths economies will take in recovery.

#JMintheUS

Join UCIS and our Emerging Global Leaders in Residence Jenna Baron ('13) and Eric Reidy ('12) for a discussion on their careers in migration and working with immigrant and refugee communities in the U.S. and abroad. This discussion is geared towards current students and recent graduates who are interested in these topics and working with these communities. If you are looking for advice on how to get started, how to decide on career paths, and how to just figure things out, please join us!

Jenna Baron is a co-founder and the Executive Director of ARYSE. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Global Studies, and African Studies in 2013 from the University of Pittsburgh. Jenna is a 2013 Fulbright Scholar, 2015 Humanity in Action John Lewis Fellow, New Leaders Council Pittsburgh Alumna, a board member for the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Program, and in 2019, was recognized as one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40. Jenna’s work is largely motivated by Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and believes that education can be a tool for liberation.

Eric Reidy is a journalist and the Migration Editor-at-large for The New Humanitarian currently based in Goa, India. He has reported extensively on migration in the Mediterranean as well as on humanitarian aid work and anti-migrant vigilante groups at the US-Mexico border and the effort to document crimes and push for accountability in Syria’s civil war. Eric's work has taken him to Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Niger, Italy, France and Greece, among other countries. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BPhil in International and Area Studies and History in 2012.

Register here: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0uduqppjouGtRUtM5zJhf-oeqeL3qR9RLL

Over the past year, the Eastern Mediterranean has become a hotbed of geopolitical tensions. Long-established local rivalries have attracted new players and have become increasingly entangled with other major disputes, including those over gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean and continued instability in Libya. H.E. Alexandra Papadopoulou, Greece’s ambassador to the United States, and H.E. Marios Lysiotis, the Republic of Cyprus’ ambassador to the United States, and Matthew Palmer, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs for the US State Department, will discuss these subjects and more during a virtual conversation. SIS professor Doga Eralp will moderate the discussion, followed by a Q&A with the audience.
Event registrants will receive an email containing the Zoom webinar link.
Biographies
Ambassador Marios Lysiotis has been the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the US since September 2018. His previous roles include Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister of Defense, Ambassador to France, Ambassador to Austria, Permanent Delegate to UNESCO and OSCE, and many others.
Ambassador Alexandra Papadopoulou is the first female Ambassador of Greece to the US. Prior to that, she was also the First Female Permanent Representative of Greece to the European Union and served in other important positions, such as Head of the Diplomatic Cabinet of the Prime Minister, Director General for European Affairs/in charge of the Greek Presidency of the EU in 2014, Head of the Greek Liaison Office in Skopje and Deputy Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations. She also served as Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) in Kosovo.
Matthew Palmer is a member of the Senior Foreign Service (class of Counselor) and serves currently as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs with responsibility for the Western Balkans and the Aegean. Previously, he was Director of the Office of South Central Europe. Earlier tours included Belgrade, Nicosia, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and various positions in Washington, D.C., including on the Secretary’s Policy Planning staff and at the National Security Council.
Professor Doga Eralp (moderator) is a senior professorial lecturer at American University's School of International Service. He is a scholar-practitioner of international conflict resolution with more than a decade of experience in international dialogue facilitation. His work focuses on social media and peace processes, cultures of violence, narrative mediation, collective memory, security and peace regimes, regional organizations, international mediation and democratization. Professor Eralp has also been consulting various think-tanks and international organizations such as the World Bank, NED and the UNOPS. He has a number of articles and book chapters published on the Western Balkans, Middle East, Cyprus, European Union and Turkey.
#JMintheUS

The Spring 2022 Asia Pop series will explore the growth of the gaming culture across East Asia and its historical implications along with distinguished scholars and experts in the field. Please join us for the final lecture with a panel discussion led by Dr. Yun-Oh Whang, Clinical Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Zach Horton, a media, literary, and game studies scholar at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a filmmaker, camera designer, and game designer. Please register here.

Join us for a conversation with acclaimed horror authors Jewelle Gomez and Michelle Lane. The conversation will explore expanding traditional horror conventions to include marginalized communities, the intersections of inspiration and mentorship, and revisiting characters through sequels.

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

Dr. Crandol will share insights about his latest publication, Ghost in the Well (Bloomsbury 2021), the first study to provide a full history of the horror genre in Japanese cinema, from the silent era to Classical period movies such as Nakagawa Nobuo’s Tokaido Yotusya kaidan (1959) to the contemporary global popularity of J-horror pictures like the Ring and Ju-on franchises.
Register here

The next Crimes Against Humanity in Latin America Series event, Roberto Simon will discuss his book, "O Brasil Contra a Democracia: A Ditadura, O Golpe no Chile, E a Guerra Fria na America do Sul," which focuses on the role that Brazil played in the cold war and how the Brazilian Military Dictatorship sought to influence regional affairs, including Chile's own anti-democratic struggles. The event will be in English. Registration is required.

Roberto Simon is a journalist and political risk analyst focused on Brazil and Latin America. Simon was a columnist for Brazil’s Folha de S. Paulo daily and Americas Quarterly, and a Senior Director of Policy at Americas Society / Council of the Americas. Previously, he worked as the lead Latin America political risk analyst for FTI Consulting. Simon for a decade as a foreign correspondent with O Estado de S. Paulo, covering events across Latin America and in the Middle East.

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.

This roundtable is an opportunity for undergraduate CLAS students to hear from current teachers who graduated from Pitt with a Certificate in Latin American Studies about how they arrived at this stage in their career and how they incorporate their knowledge of Latin America in their jobs. The event will consist of testimonies from the teachers followed by a question and answer session. Thank you to the following teachers who will be participating: Zach Rehrig, Sarah Sleasman, Nicole Hartung, Luke Leiden, and Jason Hank.

Registration is required.

Please join us for the 8th annual Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Pittsburgh Asia Consortium. This interdisciplinary event will be held virtually this year! Please join us on Zoom for the following student papers under the topic, "Tolerance and Hatred in Asian Contexts."

The Yasukuni Controversy: History Overtaking Tradition
Amanda Marcus, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

The Geography of Hatred: Antisemitism of the West and Tolerance in the East
Marissa Herzig, University of Pittsburgh
Oppression and Liberation Through Fire
Hiba Hassan, SUNY Buffalo

Register here

JOIN US FOR A VIRTUAL SERIES of films based on the Malay folktales of a blood-sucking ghost born from a woman who dies in childbirth. The smash hit premiered in April 1957 and screened for nearly three months at the local Cathay cinemas. Its success spawned many sequels, including in 2004 and 2019. It is also said to have launched the Pontianak genre in Singapore and Malaysia, with rival Shaw producing its own Pontianak trilogy.
Register here

Join us for a virtual series of films based on the Malay folktales of a blood-sucking ghost born from a woman who dies in childbirth. The smash hit premiered in April 1957 and screened for nearly three months at the local Cathay cinemas. Its success spawned many sequels, including in 2004 and 2019. It is also said to have launched the Pontianak genre in Singapore and Malaysia, with rival Shaw producing its own Pontianak trilogy.

Register here.

Each year the University of Pittsburgh recognizes faculty members and young alumni for their contributions around the world. On April 8th and April 22nd, join us in celebrating the winners of the prestigious Sheth International Achievement Award!

We will have a Virtual Fireside Chat and Celebration event on Thursday, April 8th, 2021 from 12:00-1:15 p.m. EST to celebrate the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement winners, Dr. Diego Chaves-Gnecco and Dr. Carmelo Mesa-Lago.

We will have a Virtual Celebration event on Thursday, April 22nd, 2021 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST to celebrate the Sheth International Young Alumni Achievement Award winner, Dr. Vyasa Sai.

For more information and to register for these events, visit: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/sheth-international-achievement-awards

Join us for a lecture by Dr. Rosalind Galt, "Return of the PONTIANAK: Southeast Asian Horror as Postcolonial Cinema."

Register here

This talk will explore the transnational roots, debates, and conditions for the diachronic implementation of a game-changing policy: The EU’s Free Movement of Persons. Indeed, historical analysis and the normative legacies on human mobility rights can provide a deeper understanding of European integration and of current challenges related to EU migration and asylum policymaking.

A Grubhub credit will be available to the first 20 people to register (only available within the U.S.)

A roundtable discussion inspired by the film Homeward (2019), moderated by Validimir Padunov, Slavic Languages and Literatures and Film Studies.

This panel promotes and discusses the need for educational work components, such as life-long learning in rapidly changing fields, or European language learning, with participating European-focused language education professionals and faculty.

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

Please join us for the 8th annual Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Pittsburgh Asia Consortium. This interdisciplinary event will be held virtually this year! Please join us on Zoom for the following student papers:

Telling the China Story: Roots of Tianxia Discourse in River Elegy
Esther Liu, University of Pittsburgh

Blood Isn’t Everything: Transnational Adoption’s Effects on Identity Formation, Racial Identification, and Kinship
Hannah Ku, University of Pittsburgh

North Korea’s Nuclear Program: Return to Strategic Patience?
Khala Vines, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Register here

Join Dr. Williams in exploring the advent of faith-based maternity homes in Nigeria since the early 1930s, and how they adapted to socio-political and biomedical trends in their search for legitimacy. While scholars have studied the contemporary roles of post-colonial African churches in health and healing, very few have considered faith-based obstetrics. By examining the history and professionalization of faith homes, Dr. Williams highlights the growth and significance of faith-based birthing institutions as primary maternal healthcare providers in Nigeria. She also shows the importance of medical pluralism in Africa and the indigenization of post-colonial African institutions.

Russian tutoring available for students by appointment.

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

This event is part of the Fall 2021 Latin American and Caribbean Festival Preview. The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, and Mexico Lindo, are proud to present a live, virtual carving demonstration and painting workshop with renowned Oaxacan artist, woodcarver Armando Jimenez and his wife, painter Antonia Jimenez Carillo. The workshop will be co-facilitated by Mexico Lindo’s owner, Mexican Folk-Art dealer Lisa DiGioia Nutini.

Each registered participant will receive a small, unfinished, hand carved animal kit, including paints to follow along as we watch Armando and Antonia at work. Armando will discuss the origins of his art form, family history, and answer your questions.

PLEASE NOTE: All of the alebrije kits have been claimed. For more information, please email lavst12@pitt.edu

Recent increases in violence and harassment have brought to national attention the prejudices Asian Americans face every day, and events like the March 16 shootings in Atlanta, GA have left communities feeling shaken. This teach-in will examine the history of anti-Asian prejudice, both overt and covert, in the US, as well as discussing current events in an interdisciplinary context.

Register here.

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

What was the nature of 'the book' on the Silk Road? How can we move beyond Eurocentric terminology toward an organically Eurasian codicology? This workshop introduces scholars to the study of manuscripts, posing fundamental questions about what we can learn from this field in a Eurasian context.

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
Participants should have some facility in a relevant premodern language

INSTRUCTOR
Devin Fitzgerald
Curator of Rare Books and History of Printing
UCLA Library Special Collections

COLLABORATOR
Michelle McCoy
Assistant Professor
History of Art and Architecture
University of Pittsburgh

REGISTER HERE: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsdO-oqDsoGdac39Koc2n55PhgEyCcJTnz

This event is part of the Fall 2021 Latin American and Caribbean Festival Preview. Join the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at Pitt for a fun evening of Trivia about the Americas! Test your knowledge about North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean! You can register as an individual or as a team (we will have Break-out rooms for each team to set up). If you sign up as an individual, you will be given the choice to join a virtual team, and given time to meet your teammates.

If you have any questions about the AMERICAS Trivia Game, please email us at clas@pitt.edu.

This documentary screening is part of the Fall 2021 Latin American and Caribbean Festival Preview.

A Chilean man and recent widower named Sergio answers a classified ad for an unusual job at a private investigation service. It's unusual in part because it’s looking for men between the ages of 80 and 90, who are good with technology, and independent. After he wins the gig, Sergio learns that he’ll be infiltrating a retirement home, armed with a pen that has a mini-camera, and thick-rimmed glasses with a camera inside as well. Sergio's mission is to make sure that one client’s mother, who is at the facility, is not being abused, or having her things stolen. It's a job that the stoic 83-year-old will take on with his clear sense of pride, and compassion—if he can just figure out his iPhone first. For however quaint and sporadically quirky it is, "The Mole Agent" is an earnest look at old age, and a community full of people just like Sergio. -https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-mole-agent-movie-review-2020

Registration is required. The day of the film, around 6:20 pm you will receive information about how to watch the film online. The film is in Spanish and has English subtitles.

A panel discussion moderated by Trevor Erlacher, Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies.