Events

The collapse of the USSR and the cultural revolution called "Perestroika" were reflected in numerous contemporaneous films, books and surprisingly even in video games. Games were just entering the mainstream, invisible to censorship and inaccessible to most of the public, and nevertheless multiple games trying to represent the historical moment appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This talk looks at three video games made in different parts of the Soviet Union during the Perestroika as relics testifying to the confusion, anxiety and optimism of the Post-Soviet 1990s.

European Studies Center Brown Bag Lunch and Learn Series
This “lunch and learn” session will present the preliminary results of Dr. von Dirke research for her upcoming book titled "East Asian Diaspora in Germany Today."
Dr. von Dirke will discuss how images of minoritized populations shape perception in today’s highly differentiated media societies. Her research aims to map the circulation of Asian clichés and stereotypes in public discourse. These stereotypes, clichés and tropes are, of course, rooted in the German colonialist project. She uses the 1970s ABC television series, Kung Fu, to analyze how these colonialist images are refracted through US-American popular media, such as television shows, in the case of West Germany since 1945.
Bio:
Sabine von Dirke is Associate Professor in the German Department at Pitt and focuses on the political and cultural developments of Germany since 1945 within a European context. Previous scholarship analyzed sub- and counter-cultural developments in (West) Germany (1960s student movement 1960s, politically motivated violence of the Red Army Faction; the politics of popular culture (Neue Deutsche Welle, German Hip Hop, Pop Literature of the 1990s). Her current research explores the politics of representation with respect to Germans of Color, mostly Asian Germans, within Germany’s public television and digital media landscape, with a focus on the 2nd generation’s self-articulation. A second project explores the ideological labor televisual entertainment formats perform in maintaining the political and economic status quo.

Learn about Ukrainian opportunities here at Pitt -- Language, Culture, Advocacy, Community, and More!

Join the Global Studies Center for our annual welcome reception! Meet current and new students, faculty and staff and learn about GSC initiatives while enjoying conversation and refreshments.

Want to learn more about studying or interning abroad with CIEE or IFSA? Come speak with representatives from the organizations between 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm and ask all your questions!

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.

The Global Appalachia Reading Group examines the complex intersections of regional identity, global influence, and environmental justice as they pertain to Appalachia and its connections to the wider world. The Fall 2026 theme is "Place."
Session 1 Book, September 17, 2025: Appalachia in Regional Context: Place Matters, edited by Dwight B. Billings and Ann E. Kingsolver
Session 2 Book, October 22, 2025: Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker
Session 3 Book, November 19, 2025: Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia  by Emily Hilliard
Copies of the books will be available for those planning to attend the event. Please stop by the Global Studies Center (4100 Posvar Hall) to pick up your copy. If you need the books shipped, that can be arranged.
Note: We are able to fund and distribute books to registrants as funding allows. Registration will remain open after this amount is reached. Registrants will be notified if we are unable to provide them with the reading material.

Want to learn more about global opportunities with AIFS and/or IES? Come speak with representatives from both organizations in 810 William Pitt Union about their study and internship abroad programs!

The University of Pittsburgh’s Continental Connection: Africa and the African Diaspora Research Conference and Celebration will be a dynamic gathering that brings together faculty and students from across the University—including the Department of Africana Studies, Center for African Studies, Center for Ethnic Studies, Center on Race and Social Problems, Center for Health Equity, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Social Work.
Experience the power of connection as faculty and students share their research through captivating presentations and hands-on interactive poster sessions on September 18.
This conference creates a vibrant space where scholarship transcends geographical boundaries, sparking meaningful collaborations and amplifying the vital voices and contributions of African and diaspora communities worldwide.
Planned events will continue on September 19-20 with the Celebrate Africa & African Diaspora Festival hosted by the Center for African Studies.