Past Events

- 4217 Posvar Hall

- Professor Mary Rauktis
- Zoom
Global Literary Encounters book discussions are pre-lecture discussions that align with the Pittsburgh Arts & Lecture's Ten Evenings series. Global Literary Encounters puts prominent world authors and their work in a global perspective in order to provide additional insight on writers and engaging issues. Join us as we discuss Haniya Yanagihara's "To Paradise."
Our facilitator is Dr. Mary Rauktis, Research Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh.

- High School Student Teams
- 2400 Sennott Square
In cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business, Global Studies Center, University Center for International Studies, and GNC— along with other partners— to create and administer the events and competition. Student teams will present their marketing pitches on this year's target market and target product. High school teams work on their project throughout the year, culminating in these final presentations. This round of presentations provides an opportunity for student teams to present their research in front of fellow competitors and a panel of judges from academic and business communities, as well as to answer audience questions.
The Cultural Communications Alliance is a business-to-education community outreach non-profit organization aiming to prepare tomorrow's workforce to meet the requirements of an expanding global marketplace, promoting the acquisition of world language and cultural understanding.

- Charity Randall Theatre
The University Center for International Studies cordially invites students graduating in Spring and Summer 2023 to celebrate their academic achievements and receive their credentials at the University Center for International Studies’ Graduation Ceremony on Friday, April 28, 2-3pm in the Charity Randall Theater followed by a reception in the Cathedral Commons Room.
Graduating students should look for their personal email invitations from the University Center for International Studies to RSVP and contact their UCIS academic advisor with any questions about the event.
Reception to follow the ceremony.

- Zoom & In Person (Posvar 4217)
In the sixth installment of the Global Issues Through Literature Series (GILS), educators will convene to discuss Run for It: Stories Of Slaves Who Fought For Their Freedom by author Marcelo d'Salete. This graphic novel tells unforgettable stories about Afro-Brazilian slaves who rebelled against oppression.
GILS is a reading group for K-16 educators to 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. This year’s theme is Graphic Novels in Global Context: Social Justice Through Illustration and Text. See registration for more information!

- Andrea Pavoni
- Posvar 4130
What is urban violence? Challenging the implicit answer that normally accompanies this question (i.e. the violence that takes place in the city), this talk embarks on a genealogical endeavour to unpack the where and the when of urban violence. The underlying presupposition is that the notion of urban violence surfaces at a specific historical and geographical juncture, namely at the dawn of urban modernity. In this context, the processes of urbanisation, industrialisation, and colonisation have been complemented by the surfacing of a novel urban imagination, and a new set of (bourgeois) aesthetic expectations about how (comfortable) urban life should look and feel like. After presenting the book project from which this intervention originates [Urban Violence. Security, Imaginary, Atmosphere (forthcoming 2023, Lexington), co-authored with Simone Tulumello (ICS, Lisbon)], the argument will be developed through the help of 19th century Catalan urban planner Ildefons Cerdá, and 20th century philosopher Peter Sloterdijk.

- Zoom
The University of Pittsburgh and the International Studies Consortium of Georgia (ISCOG) invite you to join the introductory session in an ongoing series focused on development, conservation, and sustainability contrasting dynamics and processes in different world regions. The sessions have been designed to help educators develop and enhance global content complementing their curricula. In addition to learning about thematic local/global intersections, educators will also explore Pitt’s Historical context, Ethics, Language proficiency, Media literacy, Social science methodologies (HELMS) framework for the area, and global studies. This series engages and promotes critical thinking about Amazonia’s current and future sustainability. We will work through approaches to the region’s role in water and food security, clean energy supplies, climate change, art, music, and cultural expressions. This collaborative series is funded through U.S. Department of Education National Resource Center grants.
Participants will be able to learn about issues related to Amazonia, particularly related to development, sustainability, and conservation. Improve understanding of diversely different and clearly interconnected dynamics that affect daily lives all over the planet. This will allow educators to have resources at hand to teach in their classroom as well as satisfy the requirement of teaching to the standards.
For questions, please email lavst12@pitt.edu

- Sharif Abdel Kouddous; Greg Victor, Moderator of Lecture and Founder of the International Free Expression Project
- Zoom & In Person (4130 Posvar Hall)
Hear first-hand accounts from journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous as he discusses his work in elevating the realities of those fighting for justice. His discussion will be followed by a screening of his documentary on the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera journalist based in the occupied West Bank, and a Q&A session with attendees. Sharif Abdel Kouddous is an independent journalist who has reported from across the Arab world, the United States, and internationally. He received a George Polk award for his investigation into the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, an Emmy award for his coverage of the Trump administration’s Muslim travel ban, and an Izzy Award for his coverage of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. His work has been published and featured in The Nation, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, and Democracy Now.
The discussion will be facilitated by Greg Victor, Founder of the International Free Expression Project.

- Dr. Hong Yang, Bryant University, Charles J. Smiley Chair Professor of Biological & Biomedical Sciences
- Zoom & In Person (4130 Posvar Hall)
Global climate change is looming as a long-lasting, all-dimensional issue of the century with far reaching impacts. Despite the increasing interests and rhetoric, higher education is poorly prepared to keep pace with the rapidly changing climate. Global studies can and should play a leading role to prepare students whose lives will be increasingly impacted by the climate crisis. As an Earth scientist, international education administrator, and a current Harvard Radcliffe Fellow, Dr. Hong Yang explores the linkage between climate change and global education by drawing his expertise, experience, and recent interviews with climate change education experts. He examines key questions such as: How do current US-China relations impact climate change collaborations? What kind of intellectual competence should a college graduate acquire about climate change? What can international educators do to move climate change to the center of global studies?
Dr. Hong Yang is the Charles J. Smiley Chair Professor of Biological and Biomedical Sciences and the Inaugural Vice President in charge of campus internationalization at Bryant University. He is also a current Radcliffe Institute Fellow at Harvard University.

- 4130 Posvar Hall

- Frick Fine Arts Auditorium and Cloister
This forum will bring the Pittsburgh community together to learn about the history of the early Pittsburgh Chinatown and to highlight Chinese immigrants and their contributions to the greater Pittsburgh region and Southwestern Pennsylvania. Registration required at: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6PQOrox1fIJnwfY

- Jasmine Al Rasheed, BPhil Candidate
- Zoom & In Person (School of Public Health, Room 6140)
Come and see BPhil candidate Jasmine Al Rasheed as she presents and defends her thesis. Jasmine explored the impact of intersectional identity in employment experiences of global, female Muslim migrant communities. She conducted a case study in Pittsburgh, interviewing members of the community and compared her findings with research done in the EU. Her research examines gender and religious identity in migrant communities.

- Molly McSweeney
- Global Hub
Join two Pitt alumnae for a student-moderated discussion about their journeys from undergraduates to their work in Pittsburgh and Kenya. During this gathering in the Global Hub, you will hear from Founder and CEO of Kakenya's Dream, and 2023 Exemplary Leader award recipient Kakenya Ntaiya, and from Pitt alumna and Executive Director of Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education (ARYSE) Jenna Baron, about how these women's time at Pitt shaped their professional journeys. As we share a lite bite together, you will learn more about important skills for inspiring the next generation of changemakers and how Pitt can help you get there.
Register here: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_71FZ2nySjZoVzVk

- Frick Fine Arts Cloister and Auditorium
Compensation, the first feature by award-winning filmmaker Zeinabu irene Davis (Cycles and A Powerful Thang), presents two unique African-American love stories between a deaf woman and a hearing man. Inspired by a poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar, this moving narrative shares their struggle to overcome racism, disability and discrimination. An important film on African-American deaf culture, Davis innovatively incorporates silent film techniques (such as title cards and vintage photos) to make the piece accessible to hearing and deaf viewers alike, and to share the vast possibilities of language and communication.
An ASL interpreter will be present at the event and there will be a Q&A/discussion with director Zeinabu irene Davis and screenwriter Marc Chery after the film (moderated by Professor Liz Reich). Refreshments provided!

- Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya
- WPU Ballroom A
The Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership invites you to attend a celebration in honor of Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya in recognition of her exemplary work and advocacy to support women and girls in Kenya and around the world. Ntaiya is the founder of the Kakenya Center for Excellence (KCE) with the mission to educate girls and end harmful traditional practices including FGM and child marriage.
Ntaiya earned her PhD in education from the University of Pittsburgh. She is the recipient of many awards and accolades, in 2013 she received the University of Pittsburgh's prestigious Sheth International Achievement Award, given to young alumni for their contributions around the world. She was honored with the Global Women’s Right Award from the Feminist Majority Foundation, was recognized by Women in the World as a “Woman of Impact,” and named a CNN Hero. Kakenya was honored with a Vital Voices Global Leadership award in 2008 and as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2010. She was named as one of Newsweek’s “150 Women Who Shake the World” in 2011, and was counted among the Women Deliver 100: The Most Inspiring People Delivering for Girls and Women. Learn more at kakenyasdream.org
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