Week of November 5, 2023 in UCIS

Monday, October 30 until Monday, November 6

(All day) Exhibit
Dia de los Muertos Ofrenda
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies and Global Hub
See Details

Join us for our Dia de los Muertos celebration!

From October 30th to November 6th, stop by the Global Hub in Posvar Hall to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Center for Latin American Studies students, community, and staff have worked together to build an ofrenda, or alter, where you can bring photos or momentos of your loved ones. 

As you engage with the display, you'll have the opportunity to learn more about the symbolism and traditions of Dia de los Muertos. This is a wonderful way to honor the memory of those we've lost and celebrate their lives. We welcome everyone to join us in this celebration of life and cultural understanding.

 For more details or inquiries, please reach out to clas@pitt.edu

Sunday, November 5

12:00 pm Cultural Event
Slovak Heritage Festival
Location:
Cathedral Commons Room
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs and UCIS Engagement along with Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures, First Catholic Slovak Union and Sokol USA
See Details

Ethnic Food

Cultural and Education Lectures

Musical and Folk Dance Performances

Craft Demonstrations

FREE ADMISSION!!!

4:00 pm Lecture
Paradoxical Bodies: Responsibility, Morality and Culture in Weight Loss Surgeries in Israel
Location:
144 English Room
Sponsored by:
Global Hub and Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs along with Jewish Studies Program and Israel Heritage Room Committee
See Details

“Paradoxical Bodies: Responsibility, Morality and Culture in Weight Loss Surgeries in Israel”
The 2023 Israel Heritage Room Lecture will be given by Dr. Hilla Nehushtan, the current Israel Institute teaching fellow at the Jewish Studies Program of the University of Pittsburgh. She specializes in critical medical anthropology, exploring the intersection between health, gender, and culture through the prism of weight loss practices. Her dissertation ethnographically studies a weight loss surgery clinic in Israel; it won the prize for best Ph.D. dissertation by The Israeli Anthropological Association (IAA). Dr. Nehushtan is currently teaching courses on Modern Israel, Health in Israel, and Body Size Around the Globe.
The social and cultural constructions of body size affect many aspects of daily life: how larger-bodied people are treated by their family and peers; discrimination against larger-bodied people in the workplace and the fashion industry; how people are judged while eating in public; the ways children and adolescents are socialized to dislike their bodies; the ever-growing diet industry, and biomedical perspectives that influence all the rest. Dr. Nehushtan advocates a more nuanced listening to both patients and medical professionals. Her research, conducted in Israel, is resonant with American practice as well.

Dr. Nehushtan’s Israel Heritage Room talk will be given at 4 pm on Sunday, November 5, 2023, in the English Nationality Room, 144 Cathedral of Learning.

Monday, November 6

3:30 pm Student Club Activity
Swahili Beginner Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center
See Details

Beginner Swahili students are invited to join this weekly conversation hour to practice the language outside of the classroom.

4:00 pm Student Club Activity
Turkish-English Language Social Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center and English Language Institute
See Details

Do you want to help speakers of Turkish practice English? Or are you from Turkey and want to help students studying Turkish at Pitt? Join us for an hour of language and cultural exchange! Please register in advance. https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_byz4pc5RhZ03EzQ

4:00 pm Student Club Activity
Talk Time - English Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office along with English Language Institute
See Details

Come meet international students, make friends, practice conversational English, and have fun together, during these weekly discussion groups coordinated by the English Language Institute. Feel free to bring your lunch :)

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
German Club at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Department of German and Pitt German Club
See Details

Join German Club at Pitt’s weekly meetings during Fall 2023 to converse in German and learn German culture!

Tuesday, November 7

10:00 am Teacher Training--Area Studies
Teaching African Oral Tradition
Location:
Brashear High School
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies
See Details

The Teaching African Oral Tradition workshop is designed to provide K-12 educators with an immersive experience of the vibrant and multifaceted oral traditions found across African cultures. Participants will delve into the profound significance of these traditions in shaping cultural identities, perpetuating knowledge, and safeguarding historical narratives.

Through a blend of interactive activities and insightful discussions, educators will gain practical insights into integrating African oral traditions into their classroom curricula. By doing so, they will not only foster a deeper appreciation for diverse cultures but also cultivate critical thinking skills and promote cross-cultural understanding among their students. Join us as we explore the rich tapestry of African oral heritage and discover innovative ways to enrich the educational experience for al

12:00 pm Panel Discussion
Borders, Security, & Policing
Location:
4130 Posvar
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center along with Kabosh Theatre Company
See Details

Moderator: Jennifer Keating, University of Pittsburgh

Panelist:
Paula McFetridge will discuss portrayals of policing, borders, and contending conceptions of security as explored in the production, Green & Blue, to be performed in Pittsburgh a City Theatre Co. November 9th-11th. This play, written by Laurence McKeown, draws from oral achieves collected from former police officer in An Garda Siochana and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (before its reorganization to become the Police Service of Northern Ireland).

Michael Glass, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of the Urban Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh will discuss his recent contributions to a coedited volume, Urban violence, Resilience, and HumanSecurity: Governance Responses in the Global South (Bristol University Press 2022), in which authors offer a framework
for understanding the pervasive nature of urban violence and community responses to urban disorder.

12:30 pm Student Club Activity
English Conversation Hour - Talk Time
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office along with English Language Institute
See Details

Come meet international students, make friends, practice conversational English, and have fun together, during these weekly discussion groups coordinated by the English Language Institute. Feel free to bring your lunch :)

3:00 pm Student Club Activity
French Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club for a conversation hour for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

3:00 pm Information Session
Global Distinction Drop-In Hours
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for African Studies, Director's Office, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office
See Details

Are you looking to gain experience that will help prepare you for a globally-connected job market? Stop by Drop-In Hours to learn more about getting the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript, receiving special recognition at graduation, and standing out to prospective employers!

NOTE: Fall 2023 Global Distinction Drop-In Hours: Tuesdays at 3:30-4:30 pm, except on November 21. On November 7, Global Distinction Drop-in Hours will take place at 3-4 pm.

5:00 pm Student Club Activity
Hungarian Conversation hour
Location:
Braun Room, 12th floor, Cathedral of Learning
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center
See Details

Come practice your Hungarian speaking skills and meet other individuals who are interested in the language. All levels are welcome!

7:00 pm Information Session
Plus United Kingdom: Intersections of Healthcare and Education Information Session with Professor Melissa Marks
Location:
Zoom
Sponsored by:
Global Experiences Office along with School of Nursing
See Details

Plus United Kingdom: Intersections of Healthcare and Education Information Session with Professor Melissa Marks
Tuesday, November 7, 7pm
Cathedral of Learning Room 144 (English Nationality Room) OR Zoom: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIlfu6gpzMtE91118bl1zjygshVbpm1z_XN

7:00 pm Student Club Activity
Lingovation at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Lingovation
See Details

Join Lingovation, a club focused on merging language and service, for their general body meeting.

Wednesday, November 8

1:00 pm Student Club Activity
BCMS Conversation Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies and Global Hub
See Details

Come practice your BCMS conversational skills at this weekly, informal language table!

NOTE: BCMS Conversation Table will not meet on November 22 due to the Thanksgiving break.

2:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club for a conversation hour for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

3:30 pm Student Club Activity
Swahili Advanced Conversation Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center
See Details

Join advanced Swahili students from Swahili 3 to practice the language outside of the classroom!

Note: Meetings will take place weekly in the Global Hub, during Fall semester, except on September 20 and October 18.

4:00 pm Lecture
Japanese Demons: Oni
Location:
Cathedral of Learning 501
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center along with Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures and Japan Iron and Steel Federation
See Details

Dr. Reider is a leading authority of Japanese tales and the supernatural. Her scholarly publications include Tales of the Supernatural in Early Modern Japan: Kaidan, Akinari, Ugetsu
Monogatari (2002), Japanese Demon Lore: Oni form Ancient Times to the Present (2010), Seven Demon Stories from Medieval Japan (2016) and Mountain Witches: Yamauba (2021).

4:00 pm Student Club Activity
Bate-Papo Portuguese Conversation Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Brazil Nuts
See Details

Join weekly Bate-Papo Portuguese conversation practice for all levels, from brand-new beginners to advanced or heritage speakers!

Note: Meetings will take place weekly in the Global Hub except on September 27, October 18, and November 1.

Thursday, November 9

7:19 am Lecture
Teaching African Culture through literature
Location:
Brashear High School
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies
See Details

The guest lecture provides an insightful exploration of Joseph Mbele's "Chicken in the Bus book," delving into its themes of cultural adaptation, resilience, and community.

12:00 pm Student Club Activity
Tavola Italiana
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Department of Italian
See Details

Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch and chat with us! Pitt students only, all levels welcome!

12:30 pm Student Club Activity
Talk Time - English Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office along with English Language Institute
See Details

Come meet international students, make friends, practice conversational English, and have fun together, during these weekly discussion groups coordinated by the English Language Institute. Feel free to bring your lunch :)

2:30 pm Cultural Event
Remembering Kristallnacht
Location:
Zoom Webinar
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies and European Studies Center along with David C Frederick Honors College, Department of Anthropology, Department of History of Art and Architecture, Department of History, University of Pittsburgh Stages and Classrooms Without Borders
See Details

Art Gives Hope in Times of Political Upheaval and Darkness.

Join the Department of German and the Jewish Studies Program for this timely commemorative event organized by Professor Dr. Amy Colin. Students from her German studies seminars will read Paul Celan’s “Die Todesfuge” (Death Fugue) in Michael Hamburger’s English translation and present the work of Jewish artists who survived the Holocaust, Sculptress Irene Fröhlich-Wiener (Switzerland) will show ways in which her work and art in general can create a spiritual and emotional bond between people in times of violence and war, and anthropologist C. Raman Schlemmer will discuss the persecution of the famous avant-garde artist Oskar Schlemmer in Nazi Germany and his reception today. German Honorary Consul Paul Overby will participate in the opening of the event.

4:00 pm Lecture
Ukraine Now: An Eyewitness Account
Location:
Global Hub (Posvar Hall, 1st floor)
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
See Details

Dr. Taras Filenko is newly returned from Ukraine and the surrounding region, where Ukrainian refugees have sought shelter from the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. Come hear an in-person eyewitness account from someone with a lifelong network of family, friends, and colleagues, many who are displaced from their homes to locations inside Ukraine and abroad.

What hope is there for victory? Is US support waning? What kinds of help are most valuable at this moment? What is the life of students during war?

Taras Filenko is an ethnomusicologist, lecturer, and concert pianist with doctoral degrees from Kyiv’s Academy of Music and the University of Pittsburgh’s Music Department. He has presented his work internationally in Austria, Canada, Belgium, France, Russia, the Baltic states, and Ukraine. Based on recently discovered materials, much of his research concerns forgotten and prohibited composers from the 19th and 20th centuries. Since last year’s full scale invasion, Dr Filenko has volunteered his talent and expertise for numerous events to educate about Ukrainian culture and raise funds for humanitarian support.

5:00 pm Presentation
Anthropological Approaches to Zoonosis in Africa: Bubonic Plague in Madagascar and Schistosomiasis in Senegal
Location:
Public Health Commmons
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies and Global Studies Center along with Center for Global Health and School of Public Health
See Details

Sodikoff is a cultural anthropologist interested in the political economy of biodiversity loss, conservation, and restoration with extensive research on labor and rain forest conservation in Madagascar. Her book , Forest and Labor in Madagascar: From Colonial Concession to Global Biosphere (Indiana University Press, 2012), is an anthropological-historical account of the role of subaltern labor in forest conservation and ecotourism efforts. She is currently examining the problem of land degradation and zoonosis, disease that spills over from animal species to humans. The current project is a multispecies epidemiology of the plague in villages of the Moramanga district in eastern Madagascar, where an outbreak of pneumonic plague occurred in 2015 and risks recurring.

6:00 pm Film
EU Film Festival Teaser: Orphea in Love
Location:
4130 Posvar
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center
See Details

Nele is a young call center agent who moonlights as a cloakroom attendant at the State Opera. When she falls in love with the small-time street dancer, Kolja, she must confront the demons of her past and descend into the underworld. Talent scout Hollbach notices Nele's singing talent and offers her a great opportunity for a career as an opera singer. Axel Ranisch's modern adaptation of Orpheus and Eurydice is a cinematic opera pastiche, camp, comedy, tragedy, not to be missed.

7:00 pm Student Club Activity
15-Minute Mini-Language Lessons
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center
See Details

Have you ever wanted to learn 12 different languages in one night? This is your chance! The Less-Commonly-Taught Languages Center is hosting an event on Thursday November 9th that will allow you to sample up to 12 of the languages offered at Pitt over the span of 2 hours! After 15 minutes of learning, you will rotate to the next station and start over with a new language. This event is perfect for anyone looking to find a language for their Second Language GER.

7:30 pm Performance
Green & Blue
Location:
City Theatre
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center along with English Department and City Theatre Company
See Details

The award-winning Green & Blue explores the painful and humorous realities faced by the individuals who patrolled the border during the height of the conflict.

An officer from the Royal Ulster Constabulary in his green uniform and Eddie from An Garda Síochána, resplendent in blue, communicate via crackly radios until an explosive incident forces them to meet across a field only farmers know the location of. Focusing on what it’s like to be hunted when you’re protecting a man-made line on the ground, the play looks at the societal and human cost of borders.

‘Green & Blue’ is based on real-life interviews with former serving officers. Winner of The Lustrum Award for Best Theatrical Moment at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe

8:00 pm Information Session
Himalayan Health Peer-to-Peer Information Session
Location:
Cathedral of Learning Room 253
Sponsored by:
Global Experiences Office along with School of Nursing
See Details

Hear from a former student of the program. Join either session:

Tuesday, November 7, 8pm

      Cathedral of Learning Room CL253 OR Zoom: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYtf-uoqjwjGdYc0P85niBsW5UKm_8njTcd

Friday, November 10

8:30 am Panel Discussion
Africa-China Relationship and its Global Impact
Location:
Zoom meeting
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for African Studies, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center and UCIS Engagement along with Reinhardt University
See Details

This seminar delves into the multifaceted nature of the Africa-China relationship and its impact on the international stage. Exploring the economic, political, socio-cultural, and developmental dimensions of this dynamic partnership, the workshop seeks to analyze how the growing interaction between Africa and China is shaping and influencing the global geopolitical landscape and economic development. Through its focus on infrastructure as a tool of politics, the workshop discusses not only Chinese investments in infrastructure in Africa, but also provides examples from other regions (Europe, Latin America, etc.) about the challenges and opportunities that arise from these relationships.

Featured Speakers:
Lena Kaufmann, University of Zurich, Postdoctoral Researcher/Lecturer

Matthew Johnson, AltaSiva, Founder/Director, Member of the National Committee on US-China Relations

Agnieszka Joniak-Luthi, University of Fribourg, Department of Social Services

Francis Semwaza, University of Florida, Department of Anthropology, Former Fulbright/PhD Student

Abdourahmane Seck, Gaston Berger University, Senegal Center for Social Sciences of Religion

12:00 pm Information Session
African Studies Graduate Internship Panel
Location:
4217 Posvar Hall (UCIS Office)
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies
See Details

Interested in interning abroad but don't know where to start? In this installment of the UCIS Career Toolkit Series, hear from fellow students who have interned in Africa previously and learn how you can create a personalized internship in an African country! All disciplines are welcome. Pizza provided!

1:00 pm Student Club Activity
Polish Conversation Table
Location:
Cathedral of Learning 126
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
See Details

Come practice your conversational Polish at these weekly meetings!

2:30 pm Presentation
2023 Global Health Case Competition: Final Round
Location:
1500 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies and Global Studies Center along with School of Public Health's Center for Global Health
See Details

Of the ten initial teams participating in Pitt's 2023 Global Health Case Competition four teams were invited to participate in the final and will present their proposals in front a panel of judges on November 10, 2:30 PM, 1500 Posvar Hall. After a culmination of five weeks of workshops and equipped with a comprehensive lib guide, teams of students will present their response to the prompt: to develop a comprehensive strategy for controlling Schistosomiasis, providing supportive care for those infected, preventing future infection, and addressing water access and usage in the Dagana department of the Northwestern region of Senegal. The plan should be developed with local community input and designed to be implemented over five years with a budget of $3 million USD total.

We invite the Pitt community to attend their presentations.

4:00 pm Student Club Activity
Kya Baat Hai!
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Kya Baat Hai!
See Details

Join Kya Baat Hai weekly conversation hours for students to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences!

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
Addverse Poesia
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Addverse Poesia
See Details

Join Addverse Poesia, an international and multilingual poetry group that discusses, reads and translates poems in at least 4 languages, for their weekly meetings!

7:30 pm Performance
Green & Blue
Location:
City Theatre
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center along with English Department and City Theatre Company
See Details

The award-winning Green & Blue explores the painful and humorous realities faced by the individuals who patrolled the border during the height of the conflict.

An officer from the Royal Ulster Constabulary in his green uniform and Eddie from An Garda Síochána, resplendent in blue, communicate via crackly radios until an explosive incident forces them to meet across a field only farmers know the location of. Focusing on what it’s like to be hunted when you’re protecting a man-made line on the ground, the play looks at the societal and human cost of borders.

‘Green & Blue’ is based on real-life interviews with former serving officers. Winner of The Lustrum Award for Best Theatrical Moment at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe

Saturday, November 11

7:30 pm Performance
Green & Blue
Location:
City Theatre
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center along with English Department and City Theatre Company
See Details

The award-winning Green & Blue explores the painful and humorous realities faced by the individuals who patrolled the border during the height of the conflict.

An officer from the Royal Ulster Constabulary in his green uniform and Eddie from An Garda Síochána, resplendent in blue, communicate via crackly radios until an explosive incident forces them to meet across a field only farmers know the location of. Focusing on what it’s like to be hunted when you’re protecting a man-made line on the ground, the play looks at the societal and human cost of borders.

‘Green & Blue’ is based on real-life interviews with former serving officers. Winner of The Lustrum Award for Best Theatrical Moment at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe