Join Till Mostowlansky, Research Professor and Eccellenza Professorial Fellow in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at The Graduate Institute Geneva, present his latest work: Transforming Landscapes of Aid: How Gulf Business, the War in Ukraine, and Equestrian Sports Change Small-Town Kyrgyzstan.

Over the last decade, international development in Kyrgyzstan has undergone significant transformations. Despite the ongoing presence of diverse foreign organizations, notable shifts have occurred with the emergence of new contributors to aid, such as entities from the Gulf states, alongside increased trade revenues from China. This talk centers on a small town in southern Kyrgyzstan, delving into the concrete materialization of these influences within its social and political landscape. Drawing upon continuous ethnographic research conducted since 2022, the talk explores the intersection of Islamic charity with the state, the influence of excess on ideas of the good, and how equestrian sports serve as a catalyst for redistribution.

Till Mostowlansky is a Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the Geneva Graduate Institute. He is the author of Azan on the Moon: Entangling Modernity along Tajikistan’s Pamir Highway (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2017) as well as co-editor of Infrastructure and the Remaking of Asia (University of Hawai’i Press, 2023) and Humanitarianism from Below: The Alternative Politics of Universalism (UCL Press, under contract).

The talk is part of the Future of Development Assistance project at the Center for Governance and Markets.

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!

Join Global Experiences Office Peer Advisors for this weekly roundtable in the Global Hub! Bring your questions about study abroad programs!

Join German Club at Pitt’s weekly meetings, on Tuesdays at 6-7 pm during Spring 2024, to converse in German and learn German culture!

A screening of E.A. Dupont's 1929 silent film Piccadilly, starring Asian American icon Anna May Wong. The screening will be musically accompanied by local musicians, Appalasia and Tom Roberts. Come immerse yourself in their original score and experience one of early Hollywood's finest stars at her finest.

Celebrate Eid with your colleagues and neighbors at the Global Hub! Eid is the holiday held at the end of Ramadan and celebrated by by more than 1 billion people worldwide.

Join weekly Tavolina (a separate gathering from Tavola Italiana) to practice Italian. This is an Italian conversation table aimed for beginner and intermediate speakers.

Join weekly Swahili Class 2 students for weekly conversation hours this
Spring semester, to practice Swahili outside of the classroom.

Come practice your conversational Hungarian with students of all levels!

Join Spring 2024 Kya Baat Hai weekly conversation hours, on
Wednesdays from 7-8 pm, for students to practice speaking in Hindi and Urdu and connect over shared cultural experiences!

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

Hosted by the Humanities Center and visiting fellow, Finbarr Barry Flood. This event will be hybrid, so you can attend it either in person in 602 CL or via Zoom as you prefer.

The image of Islam in the West has been consistently informed by the idea that the religion fosters distinctive attitudes towards the image. Recent controversies about Islam, aniconism and iconoclasm are typical in this respect, often taking the idea of an Islamic Bilderverbot (image prohibition) as a given. Seen from the perspective of the longue durée, however, the idea of an image problem is only partly informed by knowledge or understanding of beliefs and practices that are internal to Islam. Representations of Islam produced by non-Muslims over more than a millennium have been no less important to the perception, perhaps even creation, of an Islamic Bilderverbot. This persistent idea should, therefore, be analyzed not only in relation to the tenets of Islam, but also as an aspect of European intellectual history. Doing so sheds light upon the current reinvestment of the image as a site for the construction of difference in debates about Islam, secularism and European identity.

A Digital Portfolio (ePortfolio) is required for all students completing area or global studies certificates. The ePortfolio will help you synthesize your experiences inside and outside the classroom to demonstrate your understanding of world regions and global issues. You will also learn how to use the ePortfolio in future job and graduate school applications!

In the sixth installment of the Global Issues Through Literature Series (GILS), educators will convene to discuss Go: A Coming of Age Novel by author Kazuki Kaneshiro. This discussion will be facilitated by David Kenley, PhD, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Dakota State University.

This year's theme is: Marginalized Voices in Global Context: Centering Overlooked Narratives in Literature

This reading group for K-16 educators explores literary texts from a global perspective. Content specialists present the work and its context, and participants brainstorm innovative pedagogical practices for incorporating the text and its themes into the curriculum. Sessions this year will take place in a hybrid format, with virtual and in-person discussions taking place on Thursday evenings from 5-8 PM (EST). A copy of the book and 3 Act 48 credit hours are provided for each session.

Join the Persian Language Table every other Thursday during Spring 2024 to practice language, celebrate culture, and meet new people!

This event is the closing retreat for GSPIA's Policy and Social Impact Fellows Program's 2023-2024 cohort. As part of the program, undergraduate students from across many disciplines worked in groups to collaborate with local Pittsburgh organizations on a community-engaged project throughout the course of the academic school year. During this event, the student groups will have a poster session to present the work that that they did with each organization on their community-engaged project. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come by to hear about the wonderful work the Fellows did with their partnering organizations!

To celebrate the end-of-the-year, join the Pitt and CMU Russian programs for a talent show!

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