Week of September 29, 2024 in UCIS

Wednesday, April 3 until Thursday, April 3

12:00 pm Lecture
Yellow Peril in Vladivostok: The Chinese Diaspora in Russia and the Soviet Union
Location:
4217 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Union Center of Excellence and European Union Studies Association along with Department of German
See Details

Dr. Urbansky discusses the challenges faced by Chinese immigrants during the late Tsarist Empire and early Soviet Union, highlighting the racial and cultural prejudices that fueled hostilities in urban settings. His analysis explores how these early interactions shaped the experiences and perceptions of Chinese communities in a rapidly changing socio-political landscape.

Sunday, September 29

12:00 pm Film
SCREENSHOT: Asia The Day of Reckoning
Location:
Frick Fine Arts 125
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center
See Details

Join us for a screening of The Day of Reckoning at Mt Lebanon Library on September 28 or Frick Fine Arts Auditorium 125 on September 29. This documentary by Xu Xing uses a personal love story to explore the broader sweep of China’s political history since 1949. By intertwining individual destinies with national narratives, the film offers a reflective view of a nation’s evolving story and seeks to uncover overlooked historical perspectives.

Both viewings will include a Live Q&A with director Xu Xing.

This film is part of the SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival, which takes place September 25-29. All films are free for Pitt students, staff, and faculty with a valid Pitt ID, and the Mt Lebanon Library viewing is free for all. Registration in advance is requested but not required. For the full schedule of films, please visit screenshot.pitt.edu.

2:00 pm Film
SCREENSHOT: Asia Cats of Gokogu Shrine Encore
Location:
Frick Fine Arts 125
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center
See Details

Join us for a screening of Great Absence at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium 125, a gripping tale of memory, loss, and family reconciliation. Veteran actor Tatsuya Fuji stars as Yohji, a retiree whose failing memory leaves his estranged son, Takashi, searching for answers about Yohji’s missing wife. As Takashi unravels the stories his father weaves, the film delves into questions of love, reality, and the fragility of the human mind.

This film is part of the SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival, which takes place September 25-29. All films are free for Pitt students, staff, and faculty with a valid Pitt ID. Registration in advance is requested but not required. For the full schedule of films, please visit screenshot.pitt.edu.

5:00 pm Film
SCREENSHOT: Asia Closing Girls Will Be Girls
Location:
David Lawrence Hall 121
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center
See Details

Join us for a screening of Girls Will Be Girls at David Lawrence 121, a bold and provocative look at a young woman's journey through self-discovery and societal expectations. As Mira, a model student at her boarding school, confronts her growing romantic feelings and the weight of her responsibilities, she is drawn into a rebellious exploration of identity. Featuring a stellar performance by newcomer Preeti Panigrahi, this film speaks to the generations of women forced to suppress their desires in the name of propriety.

This film is the final screening of the SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival, which takes place September 25-29. All films are free for Pitt students, staff, and faculty with a valid Pitt ID. Registration in advance is requested but not required. For the full schedule of films, please visit screenshot.pitt.edu.

Content Warning: Some sexual content

Monday, September 30

12:30 pm Information Session
Career Talk: Lunch with a Journalist
Location:
4217 Wesley Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence
See Details

The speaker Magnus Marsdal, is a Norwegian author and journalist currently serving as Editor-in-Chief of the digital platform Manifest Media. This event is intended for students interested in journalism and the various media in which political commentary can be shared, this informal lunch is an opportunity for students to talk with Mr. Marsdal about his experiences, the skills required in daily news reporting, and the development of a successful career as a non-fiction author, pundit and public speaker. He’ll share insights on what he sees as core elements of engaging journalism and how all of the above can translate into podcasting.

4:00 pm Panel Discussion
ValEUs Foreign Policy Debates with Civil Society
Location:
15 seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901| Academic Building (West), Room 2160 CAC
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence
See Details

The ValEUs Project has organized a series of panel discussions with civil society organizations on European values and EU foreign policy. These debates expose European foreign policy contestations and ambivalences, allowing for the exploration of new avenues to counteract them.

On September 30 the ValEUs Foreign Policy Debate at Rutgers University will feature Luisa Neubauer, Gubad Ibadoghlu, and Elena Apostoli-Cappello. They will discuss climate change, activism, and government policy in the EU and beyond. The event is open to a local audience and available via live stream.

5:00 pm Student Club Activity
Bate-Papo: Portuguese Language Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Brazil Nuts
See Details

Join Brazil Nuts for weekly Bate Papo: Portuguese Language Hour in the Global Hub, every Monday at 6-7 pm during Fall 2024!

6:00 pm Lecture
Jewish Immigration to Latin America: Brazil and Argentina
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

Free and open to the public

Tuesday, October 1

8:30 am Lecture Series / Brown Bag
Building Peace in Colombia
Location:
TBD
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence
See Details

October 1 and 3: Lecture Series
Uninorte will be hosting two lectures as part of their "Cátedra Europa 2024," which this year features Italy as the guest country.

October 1: Participation from the EU Delegation in Colombia, along with several Colombian and Italian academics, focusing on Cooperation for Peace in Colombia.

11:00 am Panel Discussion
Thunderbird Trilogy Book Talk
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center along with Department of English: Children's Literature Program
See Details

Pitt's Children’s Lit Program will host a book talk about the Thunderbird Trilogy, a Palestinian middle grade fantasy series published in translation by University of Texas Press. (See below for more info.) The third of the series will be released on September 10. In celebration of the release, we’ll hear a presentation by author Sonia Nimr and translator M. Lynx Qualey. Pitt PhD student Hebah Uddin offer a response and will lead the Q&A.

According to the US publisher, the University of Texas press: "The Thunderbird trilogy is a fast-paced time-traveling fantasy adventure centered on Noor, a young orphaned Palestinian girl who starts in the present and must go back in time to get four magical bird feathers and save the world." All three books are on sale with the code UTXSUMMER and can be found here: https://utpress.utexas.edu/search-grid/?keyword=thunderbird+series.

Sonia Nimr is an award-winning Palestinian writer, storyteller, translator, and oral historian who has published more than two dozen books for children and young adults. She is an assistant professor of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Birzeit University.

Marcia Lynx Qualey is a writer, publisher, editor, translator, and speaker. She has published essays and short fiction in a number of magazines, including Ploughshares, AGNI, and The Ex-Puritan. She founded ArabLit, which won a “Literary Translation Initiative” award at the 2017 London Book Fair and an Ottaway Award for the Promotion of International Literature in 2024. She reviews for various magazines and newspapers and has translated a handful of novels, including the Palestine Book Award-winning Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands, by Sonia Nimr, and Haya Saleh’s Wild Poppies, which was shortlisted for the 2024 GLLI Award. She was also shortlisted for the Banipal translation prize in 2023 for the first two novels in Sonia’s Thunderbird trilogy and is very excited for you to read Maria Daadouche's forthcoming sci fi novel Golden Eyes. She is also a co-founder of the “WorldKidLit” initiative and co-hosts the BULAQ podcast, which explores literature of the Maghreb and Mashreq.

12:00 pm Information Session
Fall 2024 Global Distinction Drop-In Hours
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
See Details

Attention: Undergraduate students! 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!

1:00 pm Lecture
The Nordic Freedom Machine: Social Democracy as a Modelfor Individual Liberty
Location:
4303 Wesley Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center, European Union Center of Excellence and UCIS Engagement
See Details

This lecture will offer a comparison of the welfare states of Scandinavia and the U.S., conceptions of Left and Right and Liberty, and the embrace of the Nordic path to individual liberty.

About the Speaker:
Author and journalist Marsdal is the founder of the union-sponsored think-tank Manifest Center for Societal Analysis and the digital platform Manifest Media. Over the last decade, Marsdal has devoted much of his efforts to a Freedom Project, comparing the welfare states of Scandinavia and the United States of America. He currently hosts one of Norway’s leading politics podcasts

2:30 pm Student Club Activity
Slovak Conversation Table
Location:
Global Hub
Announced by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies and Global Hub on behalf of
See Details

Come practice your conversational Slovak with your classmates.

5:00 pm Reading Group
Clube do Livro
Location:
4200 Posvar, CLAS
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

For more information, contact clas@pitt.edu

Free and open to the public

5:00 pm Student Club Activity
Hungarian Conversation Table
Location:
Braun Room
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
See Details

Come practice your conversational Hungarian with fellow students!

6:00 pm Symposium
The Impact of Free Trade
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence
See Details

Hosted by the University of Guadalajara, this webinar will last between September 24 - October 15th, where it aims to highlight and connect the issues faced by working women, land defenders, environmentalists, and human rights activists, particularly focusing on the EU-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (TLCUEM), while linking voices from Mexico and Europe. The webinar will be conducted in Spanish with simultaneous translation into English.

Session 1: Working-Class Women and Labor Organizing (September 24th)
Session 2: Women in Defense of Land and Territory (October 1st)
Session 3: Women Defending Human Rights (October 8th)
Session 4: Women Resisting Megaprojects (October 15th)

Wednesday, October 2

11:00 am Student Club Activity
Swahili Conversational Hours
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies and Global Hub along with Less Commonly Taught Languages Center
See Details

Looking to brush up on your Swahili? Join Swahili TA and students every Wednesday and Thursday in the Global Hub.

12:00 pm Information Session
NRIEP Scholarships Info Session
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, Global Hub, Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, Office of International Services and Global Experiences Office
See Details

Explore the World with a Summer Study Abroad Scholarship! Join the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs' Scholarships Info Session!

Dreaming of an unforgettable summer adventure abroad? We're here to make it happen! Discover your opportunity to study abroad with the help of scholarships at our Summer Study Abroad Scholarships Info Session.

What You'll Gain from Our Info Session:
Scholarship Insights: Learn about various scholarships designed specifically for summer global experience programs.
Application Tips: Get expert advice on crafting a compelling scholarship application.
Destinations Galore: Explore exciting study abroad destinations and programs available.
Q&A Session: Ask your burning questions and get answers from experienced advisors.

Don't miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime! Secure your spot at our Summer Study Abroad Scholarships Info Session and embark on a transformative journey that will broaden your horizons and enrich your life. Your global adventure begins here!

In-Person event

12:30 pm Lecture
From Southport to Social Unrest
Location:
3911 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence along with the Matthew B. Ridgeway Center for International Security Studies
See Details

Learn about the July 2024 Southport attack in the UK and the subsequent far-right riots that spread across the country. Abdul-Hye Miah will provide relevant insights for combating political violence, managing civil unrest, and strengthening social cohesion in a polarized environment.

5:00 pm Cultural Event
African Languages Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub, Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies and Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught Languages Center
See Details

This is an informal time to meet fellow speakers of African languages and practice your skills with a seasoned facilitator! All levels are welcome.

Monthly schedule -

1st Wednesday: Arabic & Wolof
2nd Wednesday: Swahili & Amharic
3rd Wednesday: Yoruba & Akan/Twi
4th Wednesday: Haitian Creole

5:00 pm Student Club Activity
Russian Conversation Table
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies and Global Hub
See Details

Come practice your conversational Russian with your peers at the Russian conversation table!

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
French Club at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with French Club
See Details

Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during Fall semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!

French Club at Pitt will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2024, EXCEPT on Tuesday, October 1 and November 6.

Thursday, October 3

8:30 am Lecture Series / Brown Bag
The EU's Global Role and the Democratic Clause in Trade Agreements"
Location:
TBD
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence
See Details

This lecture, part of Uninorte's Cátedra Europa 2024 series, will feature Silvana Insignares and Professor Amparo Alcoceba from Carlos III University of Madrid. They will explore "The Role of the European Union as a Global Actor: Challenges and Strategies," with a focus on the EU's democratic clause in trade agreements.

11:00 am Student Club Activity
Swahili Conversational Hours
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies and Global Hub along with Less Commonly Taught Languages Center
See Details

Looking to brush up on your Swahili? Join Swahili TA and students every Wednesday and Thursday in the Global Hub.

12:30 pm Lecture Series / Brown Bag
CLAS Speaker Series
Location:
4130 Posvar and Zoom
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details
12:30 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!

4:30 pm Panel Discussion
International Careers Toolkit: Preparing a Competitive Application for PhD Programs
Location:
4130 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, Global Studies Center and Global Hub
See Details

Learn the key strategies to crafting a winning application from current graduate students and faculty who have been there, done that. From personal stories to expert tips, this session of UCIS's 2024-2025 Interntional Careers Toolkit Series will give you the edge you need to secure your spot in a top program.

Friday, October 4

2:00 pm Festival
Munich: City of Natural Wonder, Sustainability, and Oktoberfest
Location:
WPU Ballroom
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence along with Department of German, Film and Media Studies Program and Mascaro Center for Sustainability
See Details

Brezels, apfelstrudel, games, prizes, and information about German Degrees Certificate (CWES, Central European and European Union, study abroad, recycling and sustainability in Germany

2:30 pm Lecture
CESR Speaker Series: Professor Lok Siu
Location:
4130 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center, Center for Ethnic Studies Research and Global Studies Center
See Details

Chifas, or Peruvian Chinese food and restaurants, are ubiquitous throughout South America, a region with the largest population of ethnic Chinese in the American hemisphere. They first
emerged in the second half of the 1800s to service Chinese workers who settled in Lima. As chifas gained widespread popularity, they proliferated throughout neighborhoods and cities. Over time, the food served in chifas morphed and shifted according to local tastes, spices, and food preferences. Cultural proximity and intimacy among Chinese, Black, indigenous, and mestizo Peruvians helped generate new dishes. Today, chifas are considered an important part of Peru’s national cuisine. This talk examines the development and transformation of Chifas in order to illustrate one distinctive culinary formation—chifas in Peru—within the broader global circuit of Chinese foodways.

Lok Siu is Professor of Ethnic Studies and Associate Vice Chancellor of Research at UC Berkeley. A cultural anthropologist with expertise in diaspora, transnational migration, belonging and citizenship, food, ethnography, and hemispheric Asian American studies, she is an award-winning author of several books, including, most recently, Chinese Diaspora: Its Development in Global Perspective (2021), and the forthcoming Worlding Latin Asian: Cultural Intimacies in Food, Art, and Politics (Duke U. Press).

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

Join undergraduate Pitt students for a conversation hour to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences.

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Fridays, during the 2024-2025 academic year, EXCEPT on the following dates:
September 20
September 27
December 20
December 27
January 3

5:00 pm Workshop
Palaver: Writing Workshop for African Graduate Students
Location:
4130 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies
See Details

Center for African Studies and Africa Graduate Students Union will be hosting a writing workshop on Friday 4th October, 2024 at room 4130 in Posvar Hall. The workshop will help the graduate students appreciate the differences in writing in graduate school in the American system from back home. Come learn and enjoy good food.

Saturday, October 5

11:00 am Cultural Event
Heritage Kitchen: Food Presented by the Yugoslav Room Committee
Location:
Heinz History Center 1212 Smallman Street Pittsburgh PA 15222
Sponsored by:
Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs along with Yugoslav Nationality Room
See Details

Presented in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchanges Programs (NRIEP), the History Center’s Heritage Kitchen series is a multi-generational cooking experience in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchanges Programs (NRIEP), the History Center’s Heritage Kitchen series is a multi-generational cooking experience that explores the historical and cultural significance of recipes passed down through families and communities. At the museum’s Heritage Kitchen: Yugoslav Room Committee program, the Yugoslav Room Committee will prepare prepare burek, a popular savory pastry from the region. Samples of the delicious dish will be available for noshing at the end of the demonstration. Taste, learn, and connect with the vibrant flavors and rich histories that make these dishes more than just food—they are a testament to the enduring legacy of the diverse ethnic communities of Pittsburgh.

Admission

The program is $10 for non-members and FREE for History Center members. Admission to the program also includes full access to the Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum on Saturday, Oct. 5. The event will be held in the museum’s third floor Weisbrod Kitchen Classroom. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. Capacity is limited for this event. Please register at https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/event/heritage-kitchen-yugoslavian-food/ in advance online to reserve your spot! For additional questions, please contact programs@heinzhistorycenter.org.

The final Heritage Kitchen for the fall includes:
Saturday, November 16, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Heritage Kitchen: Czechoslovak Room Committee

In-Person event

4:00 pm Student Club Activity
Strong Women, Strong Girls DEI Committee Meeting
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Strong Women and Strong Girls
See Details

The Strong Women Strong Girls (SWSG) DEI Committee Meeting is for SWSG members of the Diversity Equality and Inclusion committee or individuals who have ideas for DEI events or topics for the SWSG club. During the meeting, we will discuss ways of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the chapter and among peers, create DEI-related presentations to give to SWSG mentors to help them discuss DEI-related topics during mentorship, and brainstorm fun and engaging DEI events to hold for the chapter.

11:59 pm Deadline
Global Health Case Competition (GHCC) Applications
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies and Global Studies Center along with School of Public Health’s Center for Global Health
See Details

Pitt’s Global Health Case Competition is an intensive and exciting dive into a real-world global health problem. The competition is designed to give undergraduate and graduate students professional experience in developing innovative 21st century solutions and strategies to address a real-world global health issue. We welcome all students from the University of Pittsburgh and students enrolled in institutions located within Northern and North Central Appalachian Regions.

Over a two-week timeframe, interdisciplinary teams of four to six graduate and undergraduate students will develop a plan to address a scenario in a holistic way based on information garnered during a series of presentation/workshop by experts along with a comprehensive library guide prepared specifically for the case study.

The top teams will receive cash prizes and support to register and, if accepted, to attend the Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition. (Pitt cannot guarantee a slot in the Emory Case Competition.)

The case competition is sponsored by the School of Public Health’s Center for Global Health and Pitt’s Global Studies Center.

Deadline to apply: October 5, 2024