Register here.

The Global Studies Center is honored to welcome Leilani Farha, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Adequate Housing, to the University of Pittsburgh as a H.J. Heinz Foundation Visiting Fellow.

Leilani Farha is the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing and Global Director of The Shift. Her work is animated by the principle that housing is a social good, not a commodity. Leilani has helped develop global human rights standards on the right to housing, including through her topical reports on homelessness, the financialization of housing, informal settlements, rights-based housing strategies, and the first UN Guidelines for the implementation of the right to housing. She is the central character in the documentary PUSH regarding the financialization of housing, screening around the world. Leilani Launched The Shift in 2017 with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Cities and Local Government.

During the week of April 4th to 7th, join us as Leilani takes part in a number of public lectures, student and faculty visits, and meetings with City officials and community organizers to highlight housing as a human rights issue. See a full schedule of events below.

As UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Adequate Housing, Ms. Farha worked to push governments to do more to protect residents’ access to safe and affordable housing. She continues to work with governments at local, national and global levels while also helping housing justice advocates make better use of international tools to defend and advance the right to housing.

Join the French Club for French language conversation practice

Portuguese conversation at all levels

Come join the German Club to practice your language skills and learn about German culture!

Join AQUARIUS and the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) for a movie screening of the Vietnamese film, Song Lang. Song Lang (2018) is a film that narrates the unlikely bond between a debt collector and a Vietnamese opera performer in 1980s Saigon.

This event is co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Center.

Screening will occur from 6 until approximately 7:40PM, followed by a discussion until 8:30PM

University members can view the film at any time through the University Library System here: https://pitt.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?context=L&vid...

Join the Arabic Language & Culture Club for an hour of conversing in the colloquial Arabic language while speaking on various current events.

An emerging issue that should be included in the compact provision talks. The impact of climate change is global and our collective security is at risk. It has become increasingly clear that climate change has consequences that reach the very heart of the security agenda: economic disruption, flooding, disease, famine, resulting in migration on an unprecedented scale in areas of already high tension; drought and crop failure, leading to intensified competition for food, water, and energy in regions where resources are already stretched to the limit.

Speakers:

Dr. Charles Fletcher
Interim Dean
School of Earth Science and Ocean and Technology
Chair Honolulu Climate Change Commission
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Dr. J. Scott Hauger
Retired Professor Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies
Senior Advisor to the USINDOPACOM Climate Change Impacts Program

The Summer EDGE in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program will take place from May 9-August 6. This is an undergraduate certificate program offered in the College of Business Administration and targeted toward non-business students. Through this curriculum students will be exposed to the mechanics of opportunity creation. These skills include modules on business plan preparation and feasibility analysis, presentation skills, interactive marketing, customer relationship management, and competitive analysis, project management, and leadership. Upon completion of the certificate students will have increased their ability to compete for summer and permanent positions in a wide range of industries and functions. ALL non-business undergraduate students are welcome to enroll.

Register here: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrcOqqrjsjGdOjTE5UhFCucwIvUy_XXJyW

Recent decades have seen increasing demands from policy makers for publicly funded universities to be proactive drivers of innovation and development in the places in which they are located, particularly in less developed or peripheral regions. This has led to a resurgence of interest in concepts such as the civic university in understanding the contributions universities might make to local social and economic development. This research explores, and culminates in challenging, many of the orthodoxies underpinning the policy rhetoric around the role of universities as civic anchors. It contends that a more realistic, honest understanding of the limitations of universities’ contribution as local civic anchors coupled with a more nuanced and context sensitive approach to policy design might lead to more mutually beneficial outcomes for them and the places in which they are located.

Lecture by Dr. Louise Kempton, Newcastle University

Please join us for a faculty panel discussion on the human security of civilians during the war in Ukraine. The invasion has created an escalating humanitarian crisis in a country of 41 million people, where approximately 10 million people have been displaced (including nearly 4 million refugees so far). Topics will include targeting of civilians; access to power, food, water, medical services; refugees; humanitarian assistance.

Panelists include:

Taylor Seybolt, Associate Professor, GSPIA
Paul Nelson, Associate Professor, GSPIA
Gemma Marolda, Teaching Faculty, Political Science
Svitlana Maksymenko, Senior Lecturer, Economics

Moderated by Luke Condra, Associate Professor & Public and International Affairs Program Director, GSPIA

There will be time for Q&A from the audience.

Register here: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QjJxZqrzSLqSMWMGTSesnQ

Professor Daniel Thomas (University of Leiden) joins Pitt Professor Gregor Thum (History) for a discussion of his recent work entitled "The Limits of Europe: Membership Norms and the Contestation of Regional Integration" and how it outlines the potential expansion of the European Union and what it means to be a member of Europe.

Please register using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/302753522937

This talk focuses on three imaginary writers invented by Borges: Pierre Menard, Herbert Quain and Mir Bahadur Alí, on how the invention of these authors, and the imagining of their literary production, as a way for Borges to invent himself as a new kind of writer in the 1940s, and to reimagine literary history.

Yan'an is China's "Revolutionary Holy Land," the heart of Mao Zedong's Communist movement from 1937 to 1947. In this lecture, Joseph W. Esherick, Emeritus Professor of History at University of California, San Diego, will examine the origins of the Communist Revolution in Northwest China, from the political, social, and demographic changes of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), to the intellectual ferment of the early Republic, the guerrilla movement of the 1930s, and the replacement of the local revolutionary leadership after Mao and the Center arrived in 1935. Esherick compels us to consider the Chinese Revolution not as some inevitable peasant response to poverty and oppression, but as the contingent product of local, national, and international events in a constantly changing milieu. To register, go to https://tinyurl.com/pittesherick

Children, we are told, are becoming more anxious. But what are they anxious about? Recent studies on “climate anxiety” suggest that the current climate crisis is at the top of children and young people’s concerns and is being expressed in the form of grief. This presentation considers a growing body of climate fiction for children that links personal grief to planetary grief as a way of promoting climate activism. It examines contemporary middle-grade books that include Ali Benjamin’s The Thing about Jellyfish (2015) and Sarah Baughman’s The Light in the Lake (2019), tracing the historical and literary roots of this trend in literature for the young. Beginning in the early twentieth century, an increasing number of materials for parents and educators attempted to “teach” children how to immerse themselves in nature. But, as the archival records produced by children reveal, young people often took charge of their own relationship with the environment. Through an examination of these historical records, Dr Emily Murphy argues for a participatory approach—a method that focuses on co-production between adult and child—to the narration of these experiences as a way of broadening who we identify as young climate activists and recognizing the complex emotions associated with ecological grief.

Emily Murphy is a Lecturer in Children’s Literature at Newcastle University (UK), with research interests in international children's literature, childhood studies, and global citizenship education. Her monograph, Growing Up with America: Youth, Myth, and National Identity, 1945 to Present (University of Georgia Press, 2020), was the winner of the 2021 International Research Society for Children’s Literature Book Award. The book explores the role of the figure of the adolescent in challenging national myths about U.S. identity, and looks at both canonical American novels and young adult fiction, including Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita and M.T. Anderson’s Feed, to support its argument. She has published essays in The Lion and the Unicorn, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, and Jeunesse, and her work also appears in Prizing in Children’s Literature (ed. Kenneth Kidd and Joseph Thomas) and Connecting Childhood and Old Age in Popular Media (ed. Vanessa Joosen). Currently, she is working on a new book project entitled The Anarchy of Children’s Archives: Children’s Literature and Global Citizenship Education in the American Century, for which she has received an Ezra Jack Keats/Janina Domanska Research Fellowship from the De Grummond Children’s Literature Collection and an International Youth Library Research Fellowship.

The Spring 2022 Asia Pop Series explores 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 our last event in the series, a panel discussion led by Dr. Yun-Oh Whang, Clinical Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Zach Horton, Assistant Professor in Film & Media Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Register here.

Many local policy makers and legal practitioners remain unaware of the extensive body of international law and precedent upholding the internationally recognized human right to adequate housing. Farha will discuss this legal context and how the United Nations is working to support governments to do better and more to realize this most basic right for all residents.

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 Conference. For 25 years we have welcomed researchers from around the world to Pittsburgh, creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas. Though this is always important, it seems even more crucial these days.

LASPP conference participants, authors and presenters will benefit from CLAS' extensive international network and in-house scholars, to collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. As a way to lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese

Social Italian event for students of Italian at Pitt

A live interview with Isaac Scarborough (Liverpool John Moores University)

Register here: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IptNQlv6RCmORUl8bANvhg

French casual conversation table. Open to all students of all levels of proficiency.

This program will feature a brief talk by Leilani, opportunities to ask questions and talk about housing rights, and space to talk about action steps in Pittsburgh and the world. Coffee and food will be provided!

Join the French Club for French language practice

Join our panel of community leaders as they share examples of how Pittsburghers are working to advance housing justice in our city and to engage with our international guest, Ms. Leilani Farha, in explorations of how we can make more use of global alliances and international legal strategies in efforts to protect and promote housing as a human right.

ADDverse+Poesia is a poetry collective that shares stories and works of art from underrepresented communities within our society - including but not limited to: the LGBTQIA+ community, Black and Indigenous individuals, and people living with disabilities.

In partnership with the Japan America Society of Pennsylvania and the Phipps Conservatory, please join us for a virtual lecture about these masterpieces in miniature. Enjoy learning about bonsai; what the art form is and how it relates to gardens. Discover its ancient origins in China, its refinement in Japan and its popularity now around the world. Explore how bonsai were introduced to the United States and its ongoing role in international diplomacy. To register: https://tinyurl.com/PittMcClellan

This conference will introduce many of the forces that have shaped Vietnam's modern development. Presenters will analyze topics such as the impact of French colonialism on Vietnam's history, Vietnamese war literature both in Vietnam and amongst the Vietnamese-American community, Vietnam's rise as an economic powerhouse and producer of consumer goods, and the impact of the Mekong River in Vietnam's history and modern relationship with China.

To register for this event, please click here.

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 Conference. For 25 years we have welcomed researchers from around the world to Pittsburgh, creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas. Though this is always important, it seems even more crucial these days.

LASPP conference participants, authors and presenters will benefit from CLAS' extensive international network and in-house scholars, to collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. As a way to lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese

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 Conference. For 25 years we have welcomed researchers from around the world to Pittsburgh, creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas. Though this is always important, it seems even more crucial these days.

LASPP conference participants, authors and presenters will benefit from CLAS' extensive international network and in-house scholars, to collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. As a way to lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese

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 Conference. For 25 years we have welcomed researchers from around the world to Pittsburgh, creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas. Though this is always important, it seems even more crucial these days.

LASPP conference participants, authors and presenters will benefit from CLAS' extensive international network and in-house scholars, to collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. As a way to lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese

Join us for a presentation live on April 8 from the Scottish Nationality Room celebrating the Tartan Week 2022!

This free event will celebrate Scottish heritage in the Pittsburgh region, promote the new Glasgow Sister City initiative and showcase Scottish innovation!

Speakers:
- Neil Owen (Host, Scottish Business Network)
- Kathy Risko (Sister Cities International)
- Fergus Bruce (Edify.ac)
- Bill McShane, Associate Director for Integrated Learning at the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business & Scottish Nationality Room Secretary

Co-Sponsors:
- University Center for International Studies
- Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs
- European Studies Center
- Scottish Nationality Room
- Scottish Business Network
- Sister Cities International (SCI)
- Edify

In-Person: Scottish Nationality Room, Cathedral of Learning, Room #139, First Floor, 4200 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260

Please note, in-person capacity is limited and will be offered to the first registrants to select that they plan to attend in-person.

Effective March 28, the University has announced that masks are optional indoors. Further information can be found at the Power of Pitt: Building a Healthy and Resilient Community: https://www.coronavirus.pitt.edu/healthy-community/pitts-health-rules

If you are attending this event in-person, parking is available on-street or in Soldiers and Sailors parking garage.

A small reception will take place in the Schenley Croghan Room following the event.

Virtual: Please indicate that you plan to attend virtually when registering via Eventbrite. The virtual meeting link will be sent prior to the date of the event.

Join the Vietnamese Student Association for a poetry workshop with Professor Diana Khoi Nguyen that will explore expressions of Vietnamese identity.