Week of March 24, 2024 in UCIS

Sunday, March 24

2:00 pm Lecture
Referral: Thomas Kukucka Memorial Lecture
Location:
Cathedral of Learning, Room 332
Announced by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies on behalf of Slovak Studies Program
See Details

This year, Pitt's annual memorial keynote lecture on Slovak culture, which helps keep alive the memory of Thomas Kukučka (whose commitment to Slovakia in the 1980s helps future generations to improve their knowledge of the country), will focus on Slovak Immigration in Pittsburgh.

Since the 1800s Pittsburgh has welcomed generations of Slovak immigrants. Once known as the "Gateway to the West", Pittsburgh and its surrounding regions were a magnet for chain migration, attracting those who carved out livings in the steel mills, iron, glass, and other factories along its famous three rivers. This lecture explores the stories of both famous and everyday Slovaks who served as the bridge between America and their European Homeland.

Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. will be presenting.

A recording will be made and available to the public for those who cannot make the actual event on 3/24.

4:00 pm Student Club Activity
Pitt Japanese Student Association Matsuri
Location:
William Pitt Union Lower Lounge
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center
See Details

Join JSA for their annual Spring Festival!
With special guest Mei Semones and goods from Origami PGH.

Monday, March 25

3:30 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 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 :)

5:00 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 conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

6:30 pm Workshop
Quechua Mini-Language Lesson
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies and Global Hub
7:00 pm Performance
I'M SORRY, I DON'T UNDERSTANDING
Location:
Alphabet City, 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Announced by:
Global Studies Center on behalf of City of Asylum
See Details

Olena Boryshpolets (PiNTS Scholar) and Anouar Rahmani have written and produced (and act in) their original play, I'm Sorry, I Don't Understanding. Performed in multiple languages, the play tells the story of a Ukrainian woman and an Algerian man who arrive in Pittsburgh and accidentally become neighbors, but live their pain in solitude. One day they realize that in order to move on, it is vital for them to tell each other their stories.

Tuesday, March 26

3:30 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, Center for Latin American 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

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!

4:00 pm Lecture Series / Brown Bag
Amazonian Planetarities Workshop
Location:
4130 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies along with The World History Center
6:00 pm Student Club Activity
German Club at Pitt
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with German Club
See Details

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!

Wednesday, March 27

12:30 pm Student Club Activity
Tavolina
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Department of Italian
See Details

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

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

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

4:00 pm Student Club Activity
Hungarian Table
Location:
Braun Room
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
See Details

Come practice your conversational Hungarian with students of all levels!

7:00 pm Student Club Activity
Kya Baat Hai!
Location:
Global Hub
Sponsored by:
Global Hub along with Kya Baat Hai!
See Details

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!

Thursday, March 28

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 Lecture Series / Brown Bag
EU Enlargement - Spotlight: Malta and Cyprus
Location:
Zoom Webinar
Sponsored by:
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence
See Details

EU ENLARGEMENT LECTURE SERIES: 20th Anniversary of the EU Enlargement

As part of our continued efforts to bring together experts with diverse perspectives to discuss contemporary issues facing Europe, the European Studies Center/European Union Center of Excellence (ESC/EUCE) along with the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES) offers a new lecture series to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the EU Enlargement. This virtual lecture series will be held on the last Thursday of each month. 

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the biggest enlargement of the European Union in its history. Ten countries, mainly former socialist Eastern European states, almost doubled the EU from 15 to 25 member states. May 1, 2004, was the triumphal return to the European Family for many. But for some, it initiated a process of disenchantment with the EU and the West.

Each month, the ESC/EUCE, together with REEES at the University of Pittsburgh, will focus our attention on a specific country or a group of countries in the EU by inviting experts and eyewitnesses to discuss the hopes and realities of the EU integration before and after expansion to address what hopes were fulfilled and what new hopes exist for the Union in the present.

Each session is recorded and later posted on the internet with suggested additional readings and further resources. Please check out our webpage for more details and mark the last Thursday of the month to attend this event.

Moderator:

Panelist:

4:00 pm Conference
Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference
Location:
4217 and 4130 Posvar Hall; Zoom
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes everyone wot the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss socail and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.
During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive interntional nertwork and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

5:00 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 conversation hours, on Mondays & Thursday at 5-6 pm during Spring 2024, for French speaking individuals of varying levels to practice the French language.

6:00 pm Film
All That Breathes (2022) Screening Followed by Q&A with Director Shaunak Sen
Location:
232 Cathedral of Learning
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center and Global Studies Center along with Department of English, Film and Media Studies Program and Consortium for Educational Resources on Islamic Studies (CERIS)
See Details

All That Breathes (2022)

In one of the world’s most populated cities, two brothers—Nadeem and Saud—devote their lives to the quixotic effort of protecting the black kite, a majestic bird of prey essential to the ecosystem of New Delhi that has been falling from the sky at alarming rates. Amid environmental toxicity and social unrest, the “kite brothers” spend day and night caring for the creatures in their makeshift basement hospital. Director Shaunak Sen explores the connection between the kites and the brothers who help them return to the skies, offering a
mesmerizing chronicle of inter-species coexistence.

Director Shaunak Sen

Shaunak Sen is an Academy award nominated filmmaker and writer based in Delhi. His film All That Breathes received nominations at the 2023 Academy and BAFTA awards. The film won awards at Cannes, Sundance, BFI London, IDA, Grierson and Cinema Eye, and 24 other film festivals. Cities of Sleep (2016), Sen’s first feature-length documentary, was shown at various major international film festivals and won 6 international awards. He has been a jury member at festivals including Sundance, Zurich, and the Kerala Film Festival.
He holds a PhD and has published in journals including Bioscope and Widescreen and is currently a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute, Berlin.

6:00 pm Cultural Event/Lecture
Mini Swahili Language Lessons
Location:
Posvar Hall 3415
Sponsored by:
Center for African Studies along with Less-Commonly Taught Languages Center
See Details

Karibuni! Are you interested in learning some conversational Swahili? Join us for a three part mini-series taught by our advanced Swahili students! Topics include introductions, bargaining, food, and more. We hope to see you there!

Thursday, March 28 until Saturday, March 30

12:30 pm Conference
Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference
Location:
TBD
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

More event details to come!

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes faculty and students to the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference page. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss social and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.

During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive international network and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese.

More information can be found here: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/laspp

Friday, March 29

8:30 am Conference
Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference
Location:
4217 and 4130 Posvar Hall; Zoom
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes everyone wot the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss socail and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.
During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive interntional nertwork and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

3:00 pm Reading Group
Anna May Wong Book Discussion Meeting 3
Location:
2800 Posvar Hall
Sponsored by:
Asian Studies Center
See Details

*For University of Pittsburgh Affiliates (Students, Staff, Faculty) Only*

The final meeting and discussion about "Daughter of The Dragon", by Yunte Huang.

5:30 pm Film
Film: Women of Tomorrow
Location:
FRICK FINE ARTS AUDITORIUM
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies along with Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures, Department of Music, Film and Media Studies Program, Gender Sexuality, and Women's studies program and Pittsburgh Silent film society
See Details

Watch Russia's first feminist film- a strong woman obstetrician Anna Betskaya has a brilliant career; husband Nikolai, feeling neglected, starts an affair with a young waitress, who soon gets pregnant. Later, the two women decide to work cooperatively at the doctor's office and raise the baby together.
Delve into the melodrama atmosphere of a 1910s motion-picture theatre! Admission is free, registration required

5:30 pm Student Club Activity
Addverse Poesia Meetings
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!

Saturday, March 30

8:30 am Conference
Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference
Location:
4217 and 4130 Posvar Hall; Zoom
Sponsored by:
Center for Latin American Studies
See Details

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as part of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes everyone wot the Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. For over 25 years, we have welcomed researchers from around the world to discuss socail and public policy in Pittsburgh. Creating spaces where the scientific community can discuss the past, present, and future of Latin America, Caribbean, and its Diasporas is always important; it seems even more crucial these days.
During the LASPP conference participants will benefit from CLAS' extensive interntional nertwork and in-house scholars. This assures that authors and presenters collect insightful feedback benefitting from top researchers in Latin American Studies. Moreover, in order to become ever more inclusive and lower barriers for scientific exchange, papers may be presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

7:00 pm Cultural Event
"The Greek Question": A Re-enactment of the Congressional Session Between January 16-24, 1824 by Students of the Quo Vadis Program
Location:
https://pahellenicfoundation.org/March2024/
Sponsored by:
Global Hub and Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs along with Greek Nationality Room Committee; Quo Vadis and American Hellenic Foundation of Western Pennsylvania
See Details

On December 2nd, 1823, President James Monroe submitted his annual message to Congress. What he wrote about Greece appeared innocent and straightforward. It was not.

In the context of prior cabinet discussions and also in the context of strong support for the Greek Struggle for Freedom among educated and politically active Americans, Monroe’s statements were quite ambiguous.

"A strong hope has long been entertained, founded on the heroic struggle of the Greeks, that they would succeed in their contest, and resume their equal station among the nations of the earth . . . . Their cause and their name have protected them from dangers, which ere this, might have overwhelmed any other people."

"The Greek Question" remains one of the little-known matters of American history that was both consequence of, and fuel for, America's growing support for the Greek Revolution. Congressional documents and underlying evidence is scant. Until now.

This year, we unveil some of the documents. Most importantly, we bring to light the actual Congressional Session on the matter, with a re-enactment by students of the Quo Vadis program at the University of Pittsburgh.

There will be a virtual lecture on the 23rd at 7 PM at https://pahellenicfoundation.org/March2024. The event will be broadcast at 7 PM on March 30th at: https://pahellenicfoundation.org/March2024.