Week of September 21, 2025 in UCIS

Monday, September 22

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
German Club at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and Global Hub along with Pitt German Club
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Join German Club at Pitt weekly meetings to improve language skills and cultural knowledge of German speaking regions!

German Club will meet in the Global Hub every Monday during Fall 2025 semester, starting September 8 and ending December 1, EXCEPT on November 24.

Tuesday, September 23

12:30 pm Lecture Series / Brown Bag
The Bridge over the Strait of Messina: “Security,” Integration, and the High Stakes of Seismicity in Schengen-Era Sicily
Location:
4217 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center
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European Studies Center Brown Bag Lunch and Learn Series

In 2022, the Meloni government renewed plans to connect Sicily and the Italian mainland— plans that had lain dormant for more than a decade—and build the largest single-span suspension bridge in the world. What does this most recent chapter of the bridge’s story tell us about Sicily’s place in the Italian nation, in Europe, and in frameworks of integration
and security? And how do the politics of this moment resonate with earlier plans to bind this notoriously “seismic” island to more “stable” ground?

Bio:
Dr. Lina Insana
Associate Prof of Italian
Director of Italian Graduate Studies
Italian Program Coordinator

Lina Insana’s research and teaching focuses on modern and contemporary Italian cultural production. Most of her work on Italian writer and Holocaust survivor Primo Levi is concerned with textual mediation, translation, and adaptation; newer research—on Sicilian cultural belonging and manifestations of italianità in the American interwar period (1919-1939)—seeks to interrogate formations of transnational identity at the margins of conventionally accepted definitions of Italianness.

6:00 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and 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!

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

Wednesday, September 24

6:00 pm Student Club Activity
French Club Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and 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!

The French Club will meet twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, during Fall 2025, EXCEPT on November 25 and November 26.

8:00 pm Student Club Activity
Arabic Club Conversation Table
Location:
Global HubJoin the Arabic Club for biweekly meetings in the Global Hub during Fall 2025 semester, and to practice Arabic language, structured by varying geographic dialects and level of speaker proficiency!
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies, Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Arabic Club
See Details

Join the Arabic Club for biweekly meetings in the Global Hub during Fall 2025 semester, and to practice Arabic language, structured by varying geographic dialects and level of speaker proficiency!

Thursday, September 25

6:00 pm Teacher Training
Global Issues Through Literature: The U.S. in the World
Location:
via Zoom
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center
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This professional development workshop series is designed for K-12 educators seeking to deepen their understanding of global issues through literature. This year, we will explore the theme of “The U.S. in the World.” Through global and regional perspectives, we will discuss narratives of a “Global United States,” where the U.S. role in the world and its relationship with other countries and regions is informed by transnational narratives and dialogues shaped by global trends such as migration, environmental issues, human rights, and human conditions. By exploring compelling stories from diverse cultural perspectives, educators will gain insights into the complexities of this theme, its impact on individuals and communities, and how to engage students in meaningful discussions around these topics.

Each session features a carefully selected book, paired with historically contextualized presentations, interactive discussions, teaching strategies, and cross-disciplinary activities to inspire classroom implementation.

Sessions this year will take place virtually on Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:30 p.m. (ET). Three Act 48 credit hours (for PA educators) and a copy of the book are provided for each session.

The September 25, 2025 workshop will focus on the book, "Lark Ascending," by Silas House.

For more information and to register, please go to: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/GILS .

6:00 pm Student Club Activity
Kya Baat Hai! Conversation Hour
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Studies Center and Global Hub along with Kya Baat Hai!
See Details

Pitt students: Join Kya Baat Hai, a Hindi-Urdu conversational club that practices language and celebrates South Asian culture, for weekly conversation hours!

Kya Baat Hai will meet weekly, on Thursdays, during the Fall semester, EXCEPT on Thursday, November 27.