Ten Pitt Model African Union members will represent Algeria at the 2026 International Model African Union conference and visit the Embassies of Algeria and Mozambique in Washington, DC.
Week of February 22, 2026 in UCIS
Thursday, February 19 until Sunday, February 22
Monday, February 23
Join Brazil Nuts in the Global Hub for weekly Bate-Papo Conversation Hours to meet other students and to practice Portuguese of all levels!
Bate-Papo Conversation Hours are every Monday during Spring semester, starting January 26 and ending April 20.
Hosted by Brazil Nuts
UPDATE: Bate-Papo's meeting on January 26 has been postponed due to weather.
Join Dr. Maci as she examines live virtual guided tours as an emerging communicative practice in tourism, showing how language and digital technologies intersect to foster interaction, craft compelling storytelling, and engage audiences in new and dynamic ways.
About the speaker:
Dr. Stefania Maci is a full professor of English Language, Linguistics and Translation at the University of Bergamo, where she is also chair of the Master's Degree Course in Text Science and Culture Enhancement in the Digital Age.
Her research focuses on the analysis of English used in academic settings, with particular emphasis on English for tourism, medical English and the construction of (professional) identity in national, international and professional contexts. She also works on AI and LLMs, with an approach based on Corpus Linguistics and Critical Discourse Studies.
Her most recent publications are The Routledge Handbook of Scientific Communication (2022), The Routledge Handbook of Discourse and Disinformation (2023), and Translating Tourism (2025)
This event is part of the SPRING 2026: Transformation of Place
Join the German Club for weekly meetings on Mondays in the Global Hub to practice German and share about German culture!
Hosted by the German Club
Tuesday, February 24
In March 1974, Lt. Onoda Hiroo emerged from the jungle on the Philippine island of Lubang, where he had been hiding for almost three decades after the end of the Pacific War. He immediately became a worldwide media sensation as an exemplar of samurai-like devotion to duty. Moved by his story and the tragedy of a life wasted for a fruitless war, jazz composer Toshiko Akiyoshi dedicated a composition to him. Entitled “Kogun” (lone soldier), the piece drew on thematic and narrative elements of medieval nō theater, situated within a jazz orchestral setting, to highlight this tragedy, thereby bringing to fruition her desire to create a seamless “blend” (yūgō) of Japanese music and the jazz idiom. This presentation also blends conventional cultural historical and musical analysis to argue for the landmark status of “Kogun” within jazz history.
E. Taylor Atkins is Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at Northern Illinois University. His major publications include Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band’s Kogun (2024); A History of Popular Culture in Japan, From the Seventeenth Century to the Present (second edition, 2022); Primitive Selves: Koreana in the Japanese Colonial Gaze, 1910-1945 (2010); Jazz Planet (editor, 2003); and Blue Nippon: Authenticating Jazz in Japan (2001), winner of the Association for Asian Studies’ John Whitney Hall Prize. He also plays bass for the Jazz in Progress Big Band and the Wild Blue Ukulele Orchestra and produces and hosts House of Funk on Hot Rocks Radio.
Join us for our weekly Global Distinction Drop-In Hours on Tuesdays from 3-4 pm in the Global Hub! Come learn how to gain experience that will help prepare you for a globally-connected job market, get the Global Distinction added to your academic transcript, receive special recognition at graduation, and stand out to prospective employers.
A lively conversation capped off with a Pittsburgh‑style food fest!
Pittsburgh has long been a “melting pot” city. The people who
powered the steel mills also filled the city with music, food,
dance, and rich traditions.
Celebrate the city’s heritage – and keep those traditions alive!
• Catch the energy of Greek dance performers
• Watch ethnic craft traditions come to life
• Discover Pittsburgh’s legacy as a jazz capital
• Learn about, and snack on, iconic Pittsburgh foods
Registration is appreciated but not required: www.duq.edu/Labriola
Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Spring semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!
Hosted by the French Club
Wednesday, February 25
Are you interested in participating in a WorldStrides study abroad program? Come by the Global Experiences Office on 2/25 between 10am - 3pm to meet with a representative from WorldStrides and ask your questions!
Join the French Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm during Spring semester for conversational meetings and to practice French speaking and listening skills and create a francophone community on campus!
Hosted by the French Club
Join the Arabic Club in the Global Hub every other Wednesday during Spring semester, starting January 28, to practice Arabic language, structured by varying geographic dialects and level of speaker proficiency!
Hosted by the Arabic Club
Thursday, February 26
Mangia con noi! Bring your lunch to the Global Hub every Thursday to chat with the Department of French and Italian and practice Italian!
Tavola Italiana will meet every Thursday during Spring semester, from January 15 to April 23, EXCEPT on January 29, February 5, February 12, and March 12.
Hosted by the Department of French and Italian
Join the Center for African Studies on Thursdays to practice conversational Swahili in a social environment.
Celebrate 100 years of the University of Pittsburgh’s Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program (NRIEP) with the grand opening of two new exhibits at the University of Pittsburgh Library System’s Hillman Library!
Read the Room! Uncovering the Italian Room's Transnational Traces, curated by Dr. Lina Insana, Associate Professor in the Department of French and Italian, and students in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences.
The Women Behind the Walls, curated by Joanna Conings, PhD candidate in the Department of French and Italian.
This milestone event honors a century of global understanding and cultural exchange fostered by the NRIEP at the University of Pittsburgh. Hear remarks from key partners in NRIEP and the University Library System (ULS) and explore rare and unique materials in ULS’s University Archives that document the history of these iconic rooms.
Visit the exhibits in the Hyland Gallery from February 2026- September 2026. For more details about these displays, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/events/history-program-archives-sp... and https://library.pitt.edu/asc-exhibits.
For more information about the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs Centennial celebration and related events across the University, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/100years.
Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program and University Library System.
Please let us know if you require an accommodation in order to participate in this event. Accommodations may include live captioning, ASL interpreters, and/or captioned media and accessible documents from recorded events. At least 5 days in advance is recommended.
Pitt students: Join Kya Baat Hai, a Hindi-Urdu conversational club that practices language and celebrates South Asian culture, for weekly conversation hours!
Friday, February 27
Are you planning to study abroad? Are you a first time traveler? Come by 810 William Pitt Union to hear from Pitt GEO Staff members about helpful tips when preparing for your program!

