Friday, March 22 to Saturday, March 23
De-exceptionalizing Displacement?
Rethinking Citizenship and Mobility
With increasing forms of precarity across the globe, there is a need to call attention to sites of struggle that bridge assumed divisions between ”migrants,” “refugees,” and “citizens.” These include access to housing, safety, thriving neighborhoods, healthcare, food, education, childcare, the labor market, and other shared needs. What would it mean to de-exceptionalize displacement, rethinking mobility and citizenship alike?
For more information please visit : https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/migrations, or contact sbv2@pitt.edu.
Friday, March 22
Almanac, Battledore, Chapbook: An ABC of Pre-Modern Popular Print for Children with M.O. Grenby
Matthew Grenby is Dean of Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University, UK, and Professor of Eighteenth-Century Studies in its School of English. His research interests are in pre-modern children's literature and culture, political participation in the eighteenth century, and children and heritage. His books include The Anti-Jacobin Novel, The Child Reader, Popular Children’s Literature in Britain, and The Cambridge Companion to Children’s Literature.
Maroon Queen, Mother of the Nation, & ‘Science Woman’: Using the Physical, Social and Metaphysical Sciences to Interrogate the History of Queen Nanny of the Jamaican Maroons
Presenter: Dr. Harcourt Fuller
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall
Dr. Harcourt Fuller is an Associate Professor at Georgia State University. His lecture is titled: Maroon Queen, Mother of the Nation, & “Science Woman”: Using the Physical, Social and Metaphysical Sciences to Interrogate the History of Queen Nanny of the Jamaican Maroons. In his lecture, Dr. Fuller will explore the history of resistance against slavery in the Caribbean. In addition, he will also discuss his research methods for investigating the ethnogenesis and lived experiences of the Jamaican Maroons, including that of the 18th century leader, Queen Nanny of the Jamaican Maroons.
The second part of his lecture will focus on the Maroon notion of Queen Nanny as “science woman,” “metaphysical scientist,” or “traditional environmental scientist,” as opposed to the negative, and misconstrued stereotypes promulgated by British planter-historians and colonial officials. He seeks to not only examine how scholars can use scientific methodologies in historical inquiry, but also to reevaluate the questions of what science and technology are, and how they have been used in the context of Maroon nations that survived and lived in their own worlds and on the periphery of European slave societies in the Americas.
Dr. Fuller is a Fulbright Global Scholar and Associate Professor of History at Georgia State University. Please join us for this lecture!
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: My Friend the Polish Girl
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
MY FRIEND THE POLISH GIRL borrows from cinema verite and video bloggers to create a rare naturalism in style and performance. Katie, a young, rich American, decides to make a documentary film about Alicja, an impulsive Polish actress living in London. During the making of the film, the interference of Katie in the life of her character proves to have serious consequences, both in their relationship and the film’s narrative. Set in a post-Brexit-vote London, Katie’s colonizing, disruptive presence in Alicja’s life mirrors the treatment of migrants in the UK: Welcomed, used, then discarded. MY FRIEND THE POLISH GIRL is a raw, sexual, and visually brash film exploring the abusive power and control over someone’s intimacy. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/myfriendthepolishgirl.html.
Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24
Transforming Cities: Global Cities Mini Course
Time: 5:00 pm to 12:00 pm
Location: 100 Porter Hall, Carnegie Mellon University
Due to economic development and globalization, cities continue to grow with predictions that 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by the year 2050. This course, then, will view cities as hubs where patterns, connections, discussions, and the processes shape such issues as social justice, economic development, technology, migration, the environment among others. By examining cities as a lens, this sequence of weekend courses encourages students to examine cities as a system for discussing social processes being built and rebuilt. With an interdisciplinary focus, the course invites experts from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and relevant fields more broadly. Course Topics: Global cities (Sp. 2019): This offering of the course will address the concept of global cities, including their distinctive cosmopolitan characteristics by exploring emergent edge cities, global cities of the past, and their relationship to other critical social issues. This offering will provide a broader overview by conceptualizing the issues of global cities, including questions of scale, the challenges of pluralism, and sustainability. It will offer a brief introduction to the future issues discussed in later iterations of the course. Smart cities and technology (Sp. 2020): This iteration of the course will explore such topics as: the influence of multinational corporations on cities; the rise of privacy issues in relation to adoption of technology within cities and homes; the replacement of human labor and access to employment; the role of technology on urban planning, among others. Cities and social justice (Sp. 2021): This iteration of the course will explore such topics as: the rapid growth of cities and their impact on fair housing, gentrification, and poverty; the role of human rights cities as models; the role of migration on cities; the role of governance addressing inequality; the need to have access to health care; among others. Cities and sustainability (Sp. 2022): This iteration of the course will explore such topics as: the role cities can have on climate change, low-emission growth and clean energy; the importance of access to resources; the need for sustainable transportation; the practices of sustainable consumption; among others. For more information and to register: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/mini-course/transforming-cities
Saturday, March 23
2019 Islamic Studies Research Symposium: Identity, Culture and Contact Across the Islamic World
Location: Slippery Rock University
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to present their research or a project (visual or literary arts) related to the broad conference theme. The day will include both student presentations and a keynote speaker. Presentations will be clustered along themes that emerge from paper submissions. Student information is available at CERIS website.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Sofia
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
In this caustic look at contemporary Moroccan society—where premarital sex and giving birth out of wedlock remains a crime—20-year-old Sofia suffers from pregnancy denial. When she secretly gives birth at a local hospital, they give her 24 hours to provide the father’s papers before informing the authorities. Director Meryem Benm'Barek-Aloïsi uses the ensuing family drama to expose the hypocrisy intrinsic to Morocco’s patriarchal culture. SOFIA approaches #MeToo discussions from a more global perspective, adding layers to an already important and nuanced movement. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/sofia.html.
Commemoration of Greek Independence Week
Presenter: Greek Nationality Room Committee
Location: Alumni Hall 7th floor gallery and auditorium
Lecture on Greek independence followed by traditional Greek dances.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Another Day of Life
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
Based on renowned reporter Ryszard Kapuściński's book of the same name, ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE tells the gripping story of Kapuściński's three-month trip to civil war torn Angola in 1975. An idealist, Kapuściński is a friend to lost causes and revolutions. Although he has been to many front lines before, Angola changes him forever. Through both animation and live action footage, ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE blurs the line between action thriller, biopic, and documentary while vividly capturing the chaos and insanity of the war and Kapuściński's experiences. As he witnesses bloody horrors and questions the role of the war reporter, Kapuściński undergoes a deep change as a human being and is reborn - as a writer. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/Another_Day_of_Life.html.
Sunday, March 24
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Rafiki
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
The first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes & banned in its home country, RAFIKI bursts onto the screen with fresh energy. “Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,” but Kena and Ziki long for something more. A tender tale of forbidden first love told in an electric, colorful Afropop style, RAFIKI tells the story of the touching, but illegal romance between Kena, a skateboarding tomboy, and Ziki, the charismatic daughter of a conservative local politician. When rumors begin to swirl about the nature of their relationship, the young lovers find themselves in great jeopardy. Combined with the charming leads, Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, RAFIKI is another highlight in esteemed director Wanuri Kahiu’s filmography. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/rafiki.html.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: What is Democracy?
Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? reflects on a word we often take for granted. This philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens’ groundbreaking experiment in self-government, to modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse, and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor. This urgent film connects the past and the present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in democracy, we must first ask what the word even means. WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? asks the right questions. More information and tickets can be at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/whatisdemocracy.html.
Monday, March 25
Roadmap to Model African Union
Final preparation and review of your country's position, policies and aspirations leading up to the MAU Conference.
International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade: Meditations on Historical Truth-Telling
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Location: 330 (African Heritage Room) Cathedral of Learning
For over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims of the tragic transatlantic slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history.
Every year on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The International Day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today.
Critical Research on Africa Series
Citizenship Crises Among Second and Third Generation Fulanis' in Ghana
Presenter: Dr. Mary B. Setrana
Location: 4130 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Dr. Mary B. Setrana is a lecturer at the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, Legon. She was appointed the first female lecturer at the Centre for Migration Studies by the University of Ghana. Dr. Setrana applies her multidisciplinary background of sociology, political science, linguistics and migration in her teaching and research that uniquely distinguishes her output. Published both nationally and internationally, Dr. Setrana is the 2019 winner of the US Department of state Award to represent Ghana in Delaware on the “National Security & Policymaking” program.
Peace Corps Application Workshop
Presenter: Kaitlin Powers
Make your application stand out from the rest. Attend this workshop to learn how to browse Volunteer openings, find the right program, and strengthen your application. You will have an opportunity to ask questions about service, learn steps you can take to improve your chances, and gain valuable tips to guide you through the application process.
Register to Attend: https://www.peacecorps.gov/events/19_vrs_app_pitt_20190325/
Russian Conversation Table
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Come to 201D Hillman and have an informal conversation in Russian with other Russian program students and the facilitator, Katya Kovaleva.
Tuesday, March 26
After Suburbia: Research and Action in the Suburban Century
Urbanization is at the core of the global economy today. Yet, the crucial aspect of 21st century urban development is suburbanization - defined as an increase in non-central city population and economic activity, as well as urban spatial expansion. It includes all manner of peripheral growth: from the wealthy gated communities of Southern California, to the high rise-dominated suburbs of Europe and Canada, the exploding outskirts of Indian and Chinese cities, and the slums and squatter settlements in Africa and Latin America.
Professor Roger Keil (York University), author of Suburban Planet, presents the current strands of global research on suburbanization, and discusses the consequences of the suburban century for scholars, activists, and citizens.
Russian Tutoring with Katya Kovaleva
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Meet with our Russian tutor Katya Kovaleva in 201D Hillman Library if you need help with your homework or want to prepare for your tests and exams.
Global Migration and Labor Activism: Perspectives from Asia and Latin America
Presenter: Eni Lestari, Natividad Obeso
This panel discussion will feature Eni Lestari, Chairperson of International Migrants Alliance, and Natividad Obeso, President of the Association of United Migrant and Refugee Women in Argentina. The speakers will discuss the work of their respective organizations and how the work of scholars and activists can most productively intersect around the issues that matter for migrant women workers.
Wednesday, March 27
From Leo Frank to Tree of Life: A History of Antisemitic Violence in America
Time: 12:00 pm to 12:50 pm
Presenter: Rachel Kranson
Location: 1502 Posvar Hall
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Obscuro Barroco
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
OBSCURO BARROCO tows the line between documentary and fiction as it tackles the dizzying heights of gender and metamorphosis. It is also a cinematographic homage to a land of extremes: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Following the path of iconic transgender figure Luana Muniz, the film explores different quests for the self through her own gender identity, Carnaval, and political struggle. A poetic film, OBSCURO BARROCO asks questions about one’s desire for transformation of the body, whether intimate or social, paired with beautifully vibrant, and mesmerizing footage of Rio de Janeiro’s colorful population and cityscapes. More Information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/obscurobarroco.html.
Thursday, March 28
Exhibit Talk, Travelers Along the Silk Roads: 10th Century to the Present
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Location: Hillman Library, Ground Floor Lobby
Join us for an Exhibit Talk on the current Hillman Library exhibit, Travelers Along the Silk Roads: 10th Century to the Present. This talk is part of a series of events including faculty and guest speakers and films. The Exhibit Talk will begin in the Ground Floor Lobby of Hillman Library then move to the Second Floor.
Let's Talk Africa: Why Peacekeeping Fails: Experiences from Angola & Mozambique
Presenter: Dr. Dennis Jett
Dr. Dennis Jett will give a presentation on why peacekeeping succeeded in Mozambique at the same time it failed in Angola. He will go over perspectives on how conflict has evolved, how peacekeeping has changed as a result and why in most cases today peacekeeping is making no contribution to peace.
Dr. Jett served as the Ambassador to Mozambique, the Senior Director for African Affairs on the National Security Council, and the Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d'Affaires in Malawi and Liberia.
From Komsomol to NGO: Experts, Activists, and Changing Paradigms of Development in Central Asia and Beyond
Silk Roads Rising Guest Speaker Series
Presenter: Artemy Kalinovsky
Location: Hillman Library, First Floor - Thornburgh Room
Presented by Artemy Kalinovsky, Senior Lecturer, East European Studies, University of Amsterdam.
This event is a part of the Guest Speaker Series of Silk Roads Rising: Globalization and Exchange from the 10th Century to the Present
Peering Under the Rug: Sources of Information about Russia
Presenter: Mark Galeotti, Maxim Trukolyubov, Kevin Rothrock
Location: 4130 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Mark Galeotti, Senior Associate Fellow at Royal United Services Institute
Maxim Trudolyubov, Vedomosti, Kennan Institute
Kevin Rothrock, Meduza
A popular meme about Russian politics is that it’s like “bulldogs fighting under a rug.” Namely, it’s opaque, shadowy, full of rumors, and driven by conspiracies. This image have become more common in the West over Putin’s long reign, and intensified since Russia’s interference in the 2016 US Presidential election. Where can we turn for clearer vision given the supposed murkiness of Russian politics? This moderated roundtable discussion with Mark Galeotti, Maxim Trudolubov, and Kevin Rothrock will explore media and human sources of information about contemporary Russia and its many promises and roadblocks.
Four Evenings: Min Jin Lee, Pachinko
Location: Hillman Library 171B (Latin American Lecture Room)
Min Jin Lee, Pachinko
March 28 | 6-7pm | Hillman Library 171B
Conversation with Seung-hwan Shin, Assistant Professor in East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Pittsburgh
April 1 | 7:30pm | Carnegie Music Hall
Lecture by Min Jin Lee
In conjunctions with the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures program's "Ten Evenings" series, GSC is hosting "Four Evenings," pre-lecture discussions that put prominent world authors and their work in global perspective. Open to series subscribers and the Pitt Community, these evening discussion, conducted by Pitt experts, provide additional insight on prominent writers and engaging issues. A limited number of tickets to the author's lectures are available.
Co-sponsored by the Global Studies Center, National Consortium for Teaching About Asia - University of Pittsburgh, University Library System, and Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Working Woman
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
Orna is the mother of three young children with a husband struggling to start his own restaurant. To help support her family she returns to the workplace, landing a job with a former army superior, Benny, who is now a successful real estate developer. While Orna embraces her new position and tries to balance its demands with her home life, she begins to experience escalating sexual harassment from her boss. WORKING WOMAN is a strikingly relevant and global tale in the midst of today’s #MeToo movement, all of which comes out through the empowering performance of Liron Ben Shlush and calculated direction of Michal Aviad. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/workingwoman.html.
Friday, March 29 to Saturday, March 30
Symposium | Soyuz Research Network for Postsocialist Cultural Studies
The Soyuz Research Network for Postsocialist Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary forum for exchanging work based on field research in postsocialist countries, including Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Africa, East and Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Soyuz is an interest group of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and an official unit of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). The Soyuz symposium has met annually since 1991 and offers an opportunity for scholars to interact in a more personal setting. More information on the Soyuz Research Network can be found at http://soyuz.americananthro.org/symposium/.
Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference
Location: University of Pittsburgh
23rd Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference
March 29 - 30, 2019
The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at the University of Pittsburgh welcomes faculty and students to the 23rd Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP) Conference. At the conference, researchers can present their scholarly work related to social and public policy in Latin America.
Our team is focused on assuring a high-quality and open environment for the exchange of ideas and the improvement of works in progress. Following the multidisciplinary tradition of CLAS, we are interested in facilitating dialogue across disciplines, theoretical perspectives, and methodologies. In that spirit, we encourage the organization of panels around problems, rather than disciplines, and welcome submissions from the social sciences, arts, humanities, and cultural studies.
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Friday, March 29th, 2019
12:30 p.m., Location TBA
The Seventeenth Carmelo Mesa-Lago Distinguished Latin American Social and Public Policy Keynote Speaker for this year is:
Dr. Aníbal Pérez-Liñán (Professor of Political Science and Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame; Editor-in-Chief, Latin American Research Review; and Co-editor, Kellogg Series in Democracy and Development)
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Saturday, March 30th, 2019
12:30 p.m., Location TBA
Special Roundtable: The Challenges of the Policy Cycle in Brazilian Politics
Carlos Pereira: Full Professor at the Brazilian Public and Business Administration School, Getulio Vargas Foundation
Barry Ames: Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Pittsburgh
B. Guy Peters: Maurice Falk Professor of American Government at the University of Pittsburgh
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Relevant dates:
Deadline for abstract submission: January 18, 2019 - click here to submit abstracts
Deadline for full paper submission: March 1, 2019
Conference: March 29 and 30, 2019
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For more information, visit: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/laspp
Friday, March 29
Upwardly Mobile Women in Urban China
(Re)Negotiating Marriage and Gender Norms
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Presenter: Arianne M. Gaetano
Location: 2432 Posvar Hall
China's economic growth and urbanization have created new opportunities and roles for women, such as through education, migration, and employment. But with these changes, new challenges arise, especially as these impact on gender norms and relations. In this lecture, Dr. Arianne M. Gaetano, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Women's Studies Program at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama will consider women of different socioeconomic status in the metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai, particularly unmarried and newly married rural migrant workers and educated urban professionals in their 20s and 30s.
Dr. Arianne M. Gaetano is a cultural anthropologist, her research focuses on contemporary Chinese society.
Keynote Speaker: Soyuz Symposium
Presenter: Manduhai Buyandelger
Location: 5317 Sennot Square
Keynote Address by Manduhai Buyandelger, Associate Professor of Anthropology at MIT, Author of Tragic Spirits: Shamanism, Gender and Memory in Contemporary Mongolia, "Self-Polishing and Electoral Selves: Elections and The New Economies of Democratization in Postsocialist Mongolia"
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Dogman
Location: Regent Square Theater
Based on a true crime story that fascinated Italy in the 1980s, DOGMAN follows Marcello, a small and gentle dog groomer. When Marcello is not devoting himself to his dogs or beloved daughter, he sells cocaine on the side. The money helps, but he fears his biggest customer, Simoncino, a former violent boxer who terrorizes the entire neighborhood. After a double-crossing, Marcello will be pushed to his limits and submit to an unexpected act of vengeance. Set in a seedy beachside wasteland, DOGMAN shines a light on the grimy reality of the Italian underworld through bleak directing from Matteo Garrone (GOMORRAH), intimate cinematography, and an empathetic performance from Marcello Fonte. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/dogman.html.
Saturday, March 30
Serbian Movie Festival: The Great War 1914-1918
Presenter: Irinej Dobrijevic and Krinka Vidakovic
Location: Cathedral of Learning, Room 232
Book presented by Bishop Irinej and Krinka V. Petrov. Pizza and light refreshments will be served.
The book is dedicated to the Great War, an event that shook the world one hundred years ago. Within this vast historical frame-work, this book focuses on the relationship between two Allies—the Kingdom of Serbia and the United States of America, including the role of the Serbian American Diaspora. The chapters in this book deal with general issues regarding Serbia’s role in the Great War, beginning with the event that would trigger the war and put the small town of Sarajevo on the world map. This book offers a wealth of information as well as a fascinating narrative of the human urge to resist, survive, and be free to live and love.
Serbian Movie Festival
Location: Cathedral of Learning 232 and Cathedral of Learning 324
A film series promoting the rich cultural heritage of Serbia.
1:00 p.m.- The Great War 1914-1918
2:30 p.m.- The Long Road to War
4:45 p.m.- Twice Upon a Time
6:00 p.m.- Tesla Nation
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Liyana
Location: Rangos Giant Cinema, Carnegie Science Center
Under the guidance of acclaimed South African storyteller, Gcina Mhlophe, a group of orphaned children in the Kingdom of Swaziland confront past trauma through the collaborative creation of their own fictional story depicted through vivid animation. Their young heroine, Liyana, must embark on a dangerous quest to save her brothers after their home is violently attacked and her siblings are stolen away. Confronting painful memories, profound insights are revealed as the children shape Liyana’s mythic journey and parallels are drawn between her fate and that of the young storytellers. Named one of the Best Family Movies of the Year by HuffPost, LIYANA is for storytellers of any age. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/liyana.html.
Serbian Movie Festival: The Long Road to War
Location: Cathedral of Learning, Room 232
This film screening is part of the Serbian Film Festival. The Long Road to War directed by Milos Skundric. Pizza and light refreshments served.
What was a real cause and trigger of World War I? World War I began a month after the Sarajevoassassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in 1914. But this stake had been prepared decades before. The Long Road to War is a feature-length cinema documentary about the origins of WWI. Leading European intellectuals from Oxford, Cambridge, Sorbonne, and other universities present their views about the causes and trigger of World War I. The movie leads the public through the political games behind the scenes and presents details when the decision was made about the future of Europe. The documentary utilizes film and photographs from some fifteen archival houses
around the world, so it is “more action – less talking heads on screen.” Milos Skundric, Director, says that he was shocked to learn how little he and his generation knew about the reason behind this “seminal catastrophe of the 20th century.”
Serbian Movie Festival: Twice Upon a Time
Location: Cathedral of Learning, Room 232
This event is part of the Serbian Movie Festival. Pizza and light refreshments will be served.
Twice Upon a Time, directed by Vojin Vasovic.
All children for the cartoon will receive a gift from the SNF.
This is an amusing and educational cartoon for children and adults. Once upon a time, in some distant world lived two kings: King of Warrior and King of Poet. In fact, it is about the dual nature and split personality of one king. One half of his personality represents a Nordic barbaric king from the early Middle Ages, a crude but fearless warrior. The other half is from late Baroque, a man of graceful poise and manners. They share their conscience, but have opposing wishes and desperately want to get rid of each other. This story brings us a noble message which can enrich our lives. The cartoon was screened at 60 international movie festivals and won more than 20 international awards.
Serbian Movie Festival: Tesla Nation
Location: Cathedral of Learning, Room 232
This film screening is a part of the Serbian Film Festival. Pizza and light refreshments will be served. Tesla Nation directed by Zeljko Mirkovic.
This marvelous documentary leads us through the Serbian-American history which spans more than 200 years. Serbian-American history began in a symbolic way with Djordje Sagic aka George Fisher who arrived through the port of Philadelphia at the beginning of the ninetieth century. After him, Serbian immigrants came in several waves and helped shape American history. The movie describes Serbian-American contributions
in building the United States and the world and the importance of preserving the Serbian heritage. Zeljko Jack Dimich, the Serbian-American Actor from New York, plays Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American Scientist and Inventor, and is the narrator of the movie. The movie was sponsored by the Serb National Federation among others, and produced by Optimistic Film and Radio Television of Serbia.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Blindspotting
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
BLINDSPOTTING is a landmark film that blends poetry, rap, buddy comedy, and social commentary to depict life in the increasingly “hip” Oakland. Collin, played by Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, faces his final three days of probation and needs to stay clear of trouble. Miles, his troublemaking childhood best friend, can’t stay out of it. When Collin witnesses a police shooting, the two men’s friendship is tested as they grapple with identity, racism, and changed realities in the rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood they grew up in. This bold and thought-provoking film bursts with energy, style, and humor while also providing a relevant examination of Black America through the use of hip/hop and rap poetically performed by the two likeable leads. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/Blindspotting.html.
Afropop Ensemble: Spring Concert
Sonic Migrations Recital & Workshop
Presenter: Pitt Afropop Ensemble
Location: Bellefield Hall
Announced by:
on behalf of
Cost: FREE to Pitt students w/ ID; $5 for non-Pitt students and seniors; $8.50 for General Admission
In 1988, a radio series called Public Radio International (PRI) coined the term “Afropop” to refer to a cross section of traditional and urban music styles that originated or had roots in Africa. At their recital On 30 March 2019, the Pitt Afropop Ensemble will perform Afropop music that has either been influenced or has influenced other music styles from the Americas and Europe. The performance on March 30 will have the Pitt Afropop ensemble students expose Afro-reggae, highlife, Afrobeat and Afro-jazz, genres that have resulted from the fusion of African and Western musics. The performance will specifically focus on exposing what I refer to as sonic migrations between Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean. “Sonic Migrations” is an exploration of how sound has traveled from Africa to other locations of the world and back to Africa. The event will expose connections between rumba of Cuba and soukous from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Jamaican reggae and Afro-reggae.
Dr. David Aarons, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, will give a talk on the connections between Jamaican reggae and Afro-reggae. Dr. Aarons has studied the migrations of Jamaican people and their music to Ethiopia. He joined the faculty at UNCG in 2018 and currently teaches such courses as “American Music” and “Music of World Cultures”.
Admission:
Tickets are available through the University of Pittsburgh Stages Box Office, by calling 412-624-7529, or visiting music.pitt.edu/tickets. Tickets in advance: general admission is $8.50; non-Pitt students and seniors are $5. At the door: general admission is $12; non-Pitt students and seniors are $8. Pitt students: free with valid ID.
Sunday, March 31
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Fugue
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
Alicja has no memory and no knowledge about how she lost it. In two years, she manages to build a new, independent self, away from home. She doesn't want to remember the past. When her family finds her, Alicja is forced to fit into the role of mother, daughter and wife, surrounded by what seem to be complete strangers. But Alicja sees them as strangers, and whatever ordeals she experienced while she was missing has eradicated the cheerful, compliant personality they remember. As Alicja learns more about the woman she supposedly was, the more fractured her precarious sense of self becomes. FUGUE is a psychological journey of self-realization through the darkest parts of humanity, accomplished with unsettling cinematography and truly striking direction from Agnieszka Smoczynska. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/fugue.html.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Girls Always Happy
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
Wu is in her mid-twenties and lives with her mother in a traditional one-story house in one of Beijing’s hutongs. Both consider themselves to be writers, but success has so far eluded them. Their unhealthily close relationship is characterised by reproaches and quibbling; only during meals do they appear to lay down their verbal weapons. The situation escalates when both Wu and her mother hit an emotional low. Often compared to the fellow mother-daughter film, LADYBIRD, GIRLS ALWAYS HAPPY is both a funny and dramatic depiction of a complicated parent-child relationship, elevated by the charming performances of the two leads: An Nai and director Yang Mingming herself. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/girlsalwayshappy.html.
African and Greek American Women Visionaries of the Civil Rights Struggle
Presenter: Greek Nationality Room Committee and the African Heritage Room Committee
Location: Rodman Stree Missionary Baptist Church 6111 Rodman St., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
The African-American and Greek communities are coming together with the Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church in poetry, song, and historical inspiration to celebrate the unsung heroes. women in the African-American and Greek-American communities, who challenged and responded to the hate and intolerance at the turn of last century leading to the historic events in Selma in 1965, Through unique and shared experiences, these everyday women heroes inspired their communities in different ways to "Serve One Another, Serve the People, Serve America, and Serve Humanity."
Movie: Girls Always Happy (Rou Qing Shi)
Presenter: Directed by Yang Mingming
Location: McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon University
"Girls Always Happy is unflinching in its exploration of a difficult parent-child dynamic, benefitting from intricate performances from the two leads." -Sarah Ward, Screen Daily
Wu is in her mid-twenties and lives with her mother in a traditional one-story house in one of Beijing's hutongs. Both consider themselves to be writers, but success has so far eluded them. Their unhealthily close relationship is characterized by reproaches and quibbling; only during meals do they appear to lay down their verbal weapons. The situation escalates when both Wu and her mother hit an emotional low. Often compared to the fellow mother-daughter film, LADYBIRD, GIRLS ALWAYS HAPPY is both a funny and dramatic depiction of a complicated parent-child relationship, elevated by the charming performances of the two leads: An Naiver and director Yang Mingming herself.
Awards:
Chinese Young Generation Film Forum, 2018, Best New Screenwriter
Five Flavors Asian Film Festival, 2018, Special Mention
Hong Kong International Film Festival, 2018, FIPRESCI Prize, Golden Firebird Award in Young Cinema
International Women's Film Festival Seoul, 2018, Best Director
Seattle International Film Festival, 2018, China Stars Award
Shanghai International Film Festival, 2018, Media Choice Award for Filmmaker
Monday, April 1
Fulbright Opportunities for Faculty and Students in the Visegrad Countries and Beyond
Presenter: Dr. Károly Jókay, Executive Director, Fulbright Hungary
Location: Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Room 3911
Join us for this information session to learn about Fulbright program grants for students and faculty in Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Bulgaria.
An expert in municipal finance and bankruptcy, Jókay taught municipal finance, public budgeting and public management in the Department of Public Policy at Central European University between 2005 and 2017. Jókay has extensive experience in Central and Eastern European countries, including Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia, completing projects on municipal bond disclosure standards, public utility transformation and regulation in the municipal services sector, as well as municipal debt regulation. He was born in Chicago to Hungarian parents, earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan and has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Illinois. Jókay moved to Hungary in 1994, became active in several civil society organizations, and established a family foundation to support the education of poor, rural children in the High School of the Reformed Church in Pápa.
Russian Conversation Table
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Come to 201D Hillman and have an informal conversation in Russian with other Russian program students and the facilitator, Katya Kovaleva.
Tuesday, April 2
Roadmap to Model African Union
Model African Union 2019 Conference is here!
High School Model African Union Conference 2019
Location: William Pitt Union
It is with great pleasure that the African Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh is hosting the 9th Annual High School Model African Union (MAU) Conference. The simulation of the African Union, brings together high school students to take on the roles of African leaders working to tackle issues affecting or influencing the continent. The Model African Union Conference is a wonderful educational opportunity for students to gain firsthand knowledge about African issues while assuming the role of delegates responsible for debating and resolving issues of African and global significance.
Shaping National Memory: Ukrainian Secret Police Archives and WWII
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Location: Alcoa Room, Barco Law Building
Jared McBride, University of California, Los Angeles
Following the Maidan Revolution, the Ukrainian government opened the former KGB archives after years of ambiguous policies. The impetus was mostly political: to show the Ukrainian nation as a victim of Russian/Soviet aggression and to valorize controversial Ukrainian nationalist movements. Former police archives, however, make for poor political props. This live interview with Jared McBride will discuss these archives, the ways scholarly work has often been at odds with the archive as a tool to remake civil society, and place of police archives in the larger contexts of post-Soviet Eastern Europe.
Russian Tutoring with Katya Kovaleva
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Meet with our Russian tutor Katya Kovaleva in 201D Hillman Library if you need help with your homework or want to prepare for your tests and exams.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Rafiki
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
The first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes & banned in its home country, RAFIKI bursts onto the screen with fresh energy. “Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,” but Kena and Ziki long for something more. A tender tale of forbidden first love told in an electric, colorful Afropop style, RAFIKI tells the story of the touching, but illegal romance between Kena, a skateboarding tomboy, and Ziki, the charismatic daughter of a conservative local politician. When rumors begin to swirl about the nature of their relationship, the young lovers find themselves in great jeopardy. Combined with the charming leads, Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, RAFIKI is another highlight in esteemed director Wanuri Kahiu’s filmography. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/rafiki.html.
Glass Half Empty: Architecture and the European Imagination
Presenter: Caspar Pearson
Location: Humanities Center, 602 Cathedral of Learning
The future of the European Union (EU) is currently the subject of heated debate. Over the last decade,
the organization has struggled to contain the effects of a severe economic crisis and an ongoing migration
crisis. With elections to the European Parliament looming in May, the EU faces the threat of a rising tide of
nationalism and populism. Meanwhile, Brexit – the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union –
threatens to weaken the EU, even as it propels the UK towards potential disaster. These debates have
involved not only politicians, but also architects. A highly ‘Europeanised’ group of professionals, who are
especially concerned with issues of space, place, and program, architects have often demonstrated an
abiding interest in the EU – one that is mirrored in the organization’s own continual use of architectural
metaphors when describing its institutions and procedures. This paper will explore how architects have
intervened in, and contributed to, debates about the EU in recent years. Focusing above all on installations
at exhibitions, the paper will touch on the work of practices including OMA, Caruso St John, and Stefano
Boeri, among others. In so doing, it will consider the ways in which architects have participated in broader efforts to forge new national and European imaginaries.
Wednesday, April 3
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: My Friend the Polish Girl
Location: Carlow University, Gailliot Center
MY FRIEND THE POLISH GIRL borrows from cinema verite and video bloggers to create a rare naturalism in style and performance. Katie, a young, rich American, decides to make a documentary film about Alicja, an impulsive Polish actress living in London. During the making of the film, the interference of Katie in the life of her character proves to have serious consequences, both in their relationship and the film’s narrative. Set in a post-Brexit-vote London, Katie’s colonizing, disruptive presence in Alicja’s life mirrors the treatment of migrants in the UK: Welcomed, used, then discarded. MY FRIEND THE POLISH GIRL is a raw, sexual, and visually brash film exploring the abusive power and control over someone’s intimacy. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/myfriendthepolishgirl.html.
Thursday, April 4
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Pause
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
Elpida has reached a critical juncture in her life: menopause. Unquenchable desires, the longing for love, her own body, even time itself all seem to conspire against the routine existence she had been enduring as wife and mother. As her tenuous hold on reality begins to crumble, Elpida finds herself uncertain as to what is real and what is her imagination, leading her to the brink of catastrophe. In its bleak tone, Pause provides a depressingly accurate account of the domestic abuse thousands of Cypriot women face each year. More information can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/pause.html.
Screening: Mom and Other Loonies in the Family
Presenter: Dr. János Kenyeres, University of Toronto
Location: David Lawrence Hall 121
This film presents the story of four generations of Hungarian women in the 20th century--“loonies” who are led by the character of a mother who lived 94 years and moved 27 times in her life. Moving seems to have been her only way of confronting troubles, dangers, and conflicts. In reality, it was major historical events that chased her throughout Hungary and made her go through a terrible century. At the incredible age of 94, Mom tells the story of these events to her daughter, nearly 100 years of often mischievous and heart-warming but also sometimes painful episodes.
Dr. János Kenyeres (University of Toronto) will introduce the film before the screening.
Bio: János Kenyeres graduated from Eötvös Loránd University in English and Hungarian literature in 1991 and earned his doctoral degree in literary studies from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2000. He is currently Visiting Professor of Hungarian at the University of Toronto, where his work focuses on Hungarian literature, cinema and culture. At his home institution, the Eötvös Loránd University, he is Director of the School of English and American Studies and teaches English and Canadian literature, Canadian cinema, and literary theory.
Thursday, April 4 to Saturday, April 6
American Hungarian Educators Association - 44th Annual Conference
Friday, April 5
Keynote Speaker: American Hungarian Educators Association Conference
Presenter: János Kenyeres
Location: Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Room 5604
Keynote Address by János Kenyeres, (Eötvös Loránd University, Director of School of English and American Studies): Manifestations of Hungarian Identity in Literature.
This event is part of the American Hungarian Educators Association Conference April 4 - 6, 2019.
Wazobia
Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Presenter: African Students Organization (ASO)
Location: William Pitt Union, Assembly Room
Announced by:
on behalf of
A cultural extravaganza that features fashion, entertainment, comedy and dance through African Perspectives. The group uses African culture as inspiration for creative and innovative designs. The goal is to educate, create more awareness and understanding of African cultures.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: The Chambermaid
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
Director Lila Avilés's compelling debut follows Eve, who works long hours as a maid at a luxurious hotel in Mexico City. A young, single mother who travels far to get to her place of work, Eve has aspirations for the future and hopes that her diligence will get her a coveted spot as the cleaner on an executive floor. She enrolls in the hotel's adult education program in her quest for a better life, but quickly discovers that it's not necessarily the most hard-working who get noticed for advancement. Employing striking documentary-style cinematography, coupled with a meditative tone and intimate direction, THE CHAMBERMAID takes us through Eve's daily routine and path to self discovery, which humbly reflects the everyday struggles of laborers in Mexico City. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/thechambermaid.html.
Saturday, April 6
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Short Film Competition
Location: Regent Square Theater
Our Short Film Competition buzzes and hums under the umbrella of the Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival. But we bring a lot of excitement to the Festival season on our own! Our annual competition event unites local and international filmmakers with professionals and with in-house audiences. All the eyes a filmmaker could ask for under one roof. We will shine the spotlight on those who present a unique vision and create poignant conversation through their films. Each year, the festival chooses a theme that focuses on a current social issue or idea. This year’s theme is WO/MEN. Selected submissions will be screened at the festival’s Short Film Competition night on Saturday, April 6 at 2:00 pm at Regent Square Theater. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/shortfilmcompetition.html.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: 3 Faces
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
3 FACES is Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s fourth completed feature since he was officially banned from filmmaking. The film follows well-known actress Behnaz Jafari--playing herself--as she becomes distraught after watching a provincial girl’s video plea for help. Through tears, the girl laments she is oppressed by her family, who will not let her pursue her studies at the drama conservatory in Tehran. Behnaz, fearing for the young girls life, abandons her shoot and turns to filmmaker Jafar Panahi--playing himself--to help solve the mystery of the young girl’s troubles. They travel by car to the rural northwest where they have amusing encounters with the charmingS folk of the girl’s mountain village, but the city visitors soon discover that the protection of age-old traditions may make their impromptu quest more difficult than they thought. Jafar’s intimate portrait of Tehran life in the mountains provides an insightful, and surprisingly humorous, portrayal of village culture. 3 FACES is a road trip worth taking. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/3_faces.html.
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: Four Springs
Location: McConomy Auditorium, CMU
After the popularity of his online diary, “My Father,” filmmaker Lu Qingyi decided to turn a camera on his parents’ everyday life in a remote town in Guizhou. Over four springs, we see the flow of life: chores, singing, hikes, celebrations, funerals, reunions, and separation. After a family tragedy forces Qingyi from the role of participant to observer, he becomes more deeply moved by the open-minded, pristine life philosophy his parents reveal through their everyday interactions with people and nature. Using cinema as a tool, Lu crafts a profound visual diary of family in southwest China that will have the viewer calling their family to say “I love you” as soon as the screen goes dark. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/foursprings.html.
Four Springs
Location: McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon University
After the popularity of his online diary, "My Father," filmmaker Lu Qingyi decided to turn a camera on his parents' everyday life in a remote town in Guizhou. Over four springs, we see the flow of life: chores, singing, hikes, celebrations, funerals, reunions, and separation. After a family tragedy forces Qingyi from the role of participant to observer, he becomes more deeply moved by the open-minded, pristine life philosophy his parents reveal through their everyday interactions with people and nature. Using cinema as a tool, Lu crafts a profound visual diary of family in Southwest China that will have the viewer calling their family to say "I love you" as soon as the screen goes dark.
Event includes an exclusive Q&A with Director Lu Qingyi moderated by Pitt Professor Jinjing Li.
Sunday, April 7
FACES OF WO/MEN Film Screening: What is Democracy?
Location: Kelly-Strayhorn Theater
Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? reflects on a word we often take for granted. This philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens’ groundbreaking experiment in self-government, to modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse, and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor. This urgent film connects the past and the present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in democracy, we must first ask what the word even means. WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? asks the right questions. More information and tickets can be found at https://www.cmu.edu/faces/2019/whatisdemocracy.html.
Monday, April 8
Russian Conversation Table
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Come to 201D Hillman and have an informal conversation in Russian with other Russian program students and the facilitator, Katya Kovaleva.
Tuesday, April 9
Faculty Networking Opportunity: The Global Salon
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Presenter: The Year of Pitt Global Research Initiatives Subcommittee
Location: William Pitt Union, Lower Lounge
All University of Pittsburgh faculty, tenure stream and non-tenure stream, are invited to a special series of networking opportunities made possible by the Year of Pitt Global. This Global Salon series brings together faculty and researchers from across the University to build relationships and share proposed or ongoing research. The Salons are organized around the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in five themes: People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnership.
Goals for the Global Salon:
1. Increase local networks, build new relationships, form working groups
2. Encourage open dialogue across disciplines and develop common research agendas
3. Highlight efforts Pitt faculty undertake to address global issues
Additionally, Global Salon participants may be eligible for seed grant funding to advance multi-disciplinary research projects.
The Global Salons are free of charge, and lunch is provided, but registration is required. Register here: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6hZGlhwSyLx5DM1
Each Global Salon allows faculty to enjoy lunch while discussing their research informally through conversation groups. All faculty, regardless of full-time, part-time, or tenure status, are welcome to register.
Faculty Luncheon Series: The Global Salon
February 19 and 28, March 5 and 19, and April 9
Noon – 1:30 p.m.
William Pitt Union, Lower Lounge
PEOPLE
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Salon focus: Research on strategies and technologies to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, to ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential in dignity and equality and in healthy environments.
PROSPERITY
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Salon focus: Research on strategies and technologies to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.
PLANET
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Salon focus: Research on strategies and technologies to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change to support present and future generations.
PEACE
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Salon focus: Research on strategies to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies that are free from fear and violence, and directed toward an understanding that no sustainable development can occur without peace and no peace can occur without sustainable development.
PARTNERSHIP
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Salon focus: Research on strategies to mobilize and implement global partnerships for sustainable development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, and focused on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.
Russian Tutoring with Katya Kovaleva
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Meet with our Russian tutor Katya Kovaleva in 201D Hillman Library if you need help with your homework or want to prepare for your tests and exams.
Wednesday, April 10
The Silk Road on Screen: The Orator
Location: Hillman Library, First Floor - Latin American Lecture Room
This film is about a young man recalling his grandfather, who during the days of the revolution became the leading political speaker in Uzbekistan even though he retained all three of his wives.
Running Time: 81 minutes
Introduction by Olia Kim, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Pittsburgh
Thursday, April 11 to Saturday, April 13
Representations of Afrolatinidad
Time: 4:30 pm to 12:00 pm
Location: University of Pittsburgh
Representations of Afrolatinidad
University of Pittsburgh
April 11-13, 2019
Conference Convened by the Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies Initiative
About the Conference:
The intersections of race, ethnicity, and representation have shaped historical and contemporary articulations of Afrolatinidad. As an expression of multivalent identity, both shared and unique, Afrolatinidad informs the experiences of over 150 million Afro-Latin Americans and millions more within diasporic communities in the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond. The conference seeks to foster an international dialogue that addresses regional, national, and transnational links among the ways Afro-Latin Americans and Afro-Latinxs create, sustain, and transform meanings surrounding blackness in political, social, and cultural contexts.
This two-day symposium aims to engage multiple depictions of Afro-Latin Americans and Afro-Latinxs – whether self-fashioned or imposed. The varied portrayals in the past and present reflect the ongoing global realities, struggles, vibrancy, and resiliency of Afro-Latin diasporas throughout the Americas and elsewhere. The symposium will feature keynote addresses by Dr. Juliet Hooker, Professor of Political Science at Brown University, and Dr. Nancy Mirabal, Associate Professor of American Studies and Director of the U.S. Latina/o Studies Program at the University of Maryland-College Park. Their work on Afro-descendant politics in Latin America and Afro-Latinx discourses of race, gender, and territoriality, respectively, will spark broader exchanges around Afrolatinidad and representation among presenters and attendees.
Co-Sponsors: University of Pittsburgh Office of the Chancellor, Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies Initiative, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Year of Pitt Global, Humanities Center, Center for Latin American Studies, and the Department of Africana Studies
For questions or additional information, contact Dr. Michele Reid-Vazquez, University of Pittsburgh, mbr31@pitt.edu
Friday, April 12
European & Eurasian Undergraduate Research Symposium 2019
The Undergraduate Research Symposium is an annual event since 2002 designed to provide undergraduate students, from the University of Pittsburgh and other colleges and universities, with advanced research experiences and opportunities to develop presentation skills. The event is open to undergraduates from all majors and institutions who have written a research paper from a social science, humanities, or business perspective focusing on the study of Eastern, Western, or Central Europe, the European Union, Russia, or Central Eurasia. The Symposium is held on the University of Pittsburgh-Oakland campus. After the initial submission of papers, selected participants are grouped into panels according to their research topics. The participants then give 10- to 15-minute presentations based on their research to a panel of faculty and graduate students. The presentations are open to the public.
Emerging Latino Communities Reading and Publishing Group
Time: 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Location: 1154 Public Health
Emerging Latino Communities Reading and Publishing Group
1154 Public Health
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
April 12
The Center for Health Equity, with the support of the Center for Latin American Studies, invites you to explore 1) the problems Latinos in small yet rapidly growing populations face, and 2) how to solve those problems. We will read articles and offer feedback to those who are writing manuscripts. We hope to get new writing and research collaborations going!
Open to all interested: students, faculty, staff, and practitioners from Pitt and beyond. We will meet over coffee and light snacks in a relaxed atmosphere. If you want to get extra network time, we will be there 30 before and after the meeting time.
For more information, visit healthequity.pitt.edu or e-mail Chantel Durrant cjd13@pitt.edu
Artist in Residence Showcase
Location: Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
Showcase featuring music, films, artwork, and literature created in collaboration with the Astrophysics and Cosmology Department at Pitt.
Elizabeth Brown will perform a new work by Devon Osumu Tippled for shakuhachi and fixed media
A Night of Gamelan
Presenter: Devon Osamu Tipp
Location: Bellefield Hall Auditorium
PA premiere of Elizabeth Brown's "Cloudrest" for gamelan and shakuhachi. Shakuhachi will be performed by Devon Osamu Tipp.
Saturday, April 13
The 39th Latin American & Caribbean Festival
Time: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Presenter: Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS)
Location: Wesley W. Posvar Hall, galleria and patio
PITTSBURGH—The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at the University of Pittsburgh’s University Center for International Studies will be hosting the 39th Annual Latin American and Caribbean Festival from noon to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2019 in the Galleria, and Patio of Wesley W. Posvar Hall, 230 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.
Beginning at noon, the festival will feature Latin American and Caribbean food, arts, crafts, and information on local and regional organizations. Latin American vendors also will offer handmade and authentic Latin American products. Music and dance performances from Latin America and the Caribbean will take place throughout the day.
Since its inception, the festival has showcased the diversity of Latin American and Caribbean cultures by combining the resources of CLAS with people of Latin American heritage. The growth of Pittsburgh's Latin American and Latino populations has made the festival one of the largest gatherings of these communities in Western Pennsylvania.
Sunday, April 14
Composers Concert
Presenter: Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
Elizabeth Brown will give a repeat performance of Tipp's new work "Pale Blue Dot"; the concert will feature works by Pitt composers Jason Belcher, Laura Schwartz, Marco Guisto, Emerson Voss and Karen Brown.
The concert is free and open to the public
Where: Frick Fine Art Auditorium
Monday, April 15
Russian Conversation Table
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Come to 201D Hillman and have an informal conversation in Russian with other Russian program students and the facilitator, Katya Kovaleva.
Tuesday, April 16
Conversations on Europe: EP Elections: What's at Stake?
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Location: 4217 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Russian Tutoring with Katya Kovaleva
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Meet with our Russian tutor Katya Kovaleva in 201D Hillman Library if you need help with your homework or want to prepare for your tests and exams.
Thursday, April 18
The Stories Polish Secret Police Files Tell Us
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Location: 4130 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Anna Krakus, University of Southern California
Police files tend to catalog a suspect’s crime. Police files in communist countries, however, go much further and document a suspect’s biography. This was the case in Polish police files where genres of biography and criminal surveillance blurred, turning the cop into a kind of literary author. Communist police files, therefore, told stories—not just about the factual and fictive biographical characteristics of a subject, but also intimate aspects of their personal lives and relationships. This live interview with Anna Krakus will delve into the police as author and the ways police files reflected literary elements that intersected with literary genres found in communist Poland.
The Rediscovery of Sogdian: The Lingua Franca of the Medieval Silk Road
Silk Roads Rising Guest Speaker Series
Presenter: Nicholas Sims-Williams
Location: Hillman Library, First Floor - Thornburgh Room
Presented by Nicholas Sims-Williams, Emeritus Professor of Iranian and Central Asian Studies, SOAS University of London.
This event is part of the Guest Speaker Series of Silk Roads Rising: Globalization and Exchange from the 10th Century to the Present.
Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21
On Trial
Presenter: University of Pittsburgh Stages
Location: Studio Threatre, Cathedral of Learning
Written by Mairead Ni Ghrada and Directed by Nic Barilar
Monday, April 22
Russian Conversation Table
Location: Hillman Library, Room 201D
Come to 201D Hillman and have an informal conversation in Russian with other Russian program students and the facilitator, Katya Kovaleva.
Thursday, April 25
Global Issues Through Literature: GraceLand
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall
Graceland by Chris Albani
This reading group for educators explores literary texts from a global perspective. Content specialists present the work and its context, and together we brainstorm innovative pedagogical practices for incorporating the text and its themes into the curriculum. Sessions usually take place in 4130 Posvar Hall (unless otherwise noted) from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Books, Act 48 credit, dinner, and parking are provided.
To register, visit https://goo.gl/forms/ZQV71iZMJBpZJ2Hv1
For more information, contact Maja Konitzer (majab@pitt.edu)
Friday, April 26
REEES Graduation Celebration
Location: 229 Alcoa Room, Barco Law Building
Students graduating in Spring and Summer 2019 from the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures are invited with their families to join this ceremony celebrating the completion of their various degrees and credentials.
UCIS Graduation
Location: O'Hara Student Center Ballroom/Dining Room
Saturday, April 27
Co-Sponsored Community-Based Workshop
Location: Location still to be determined
The African American Program section of the Heinz History Center and the AAHGS will be sponsoring a community-based workshop on DNA testing and African American genealogy. This workshop will highlight the significance of the global migration of Africans to the Americas, and the possibilities and challenges that DNA testing enables for understanding genealogy. With Samuel Black, Director of the African American Program at the Senator John Heinz History Center and Marlene Bransom, President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, AAHGS.
Monday, May 6 to Saturday, May 11
Shadow Empire: Russian Film Symposium
The twenty-first annual Russian Film Symposium will focus on the consequences of Muscovite Russia’s by-passing the stages of nation formation in favor of a leap directly into empire as a consequence of its conquest under Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) of the Khanate of Kazan in 1552 and Astrakhan in 1554. The sudden expansion of ethnicities, nationalities, language groups, as well as territory necessitated the formation of a strong central state (Moscow) and administration to control and oversee the numerous polities that constituted the newly emerged empire. From Ivan IV through Peter I (the Great), and Nicholai II, the state and its constantly expanding apparatus exercised autocratic control over a sixth of the planet, several hundred language speaking communities and ethnicities. While this control was always maintained in the name of (Holy) Russia, Russia as a nation was singularly absent.
Even during the seventy years of Soviet rule, “Russian” was conspicuously absent: while each of the other fourteen Soviet republics had their own Union on Writers or Union of Composers (or unions of the other arts), there was never a Russian Union of Writers or Filmmakers; while each of the republics had its own Academy of Sciences, there was never a need for a Russian Academy of Sciences. The umbrella group was always Soviet Union of Writers or Soviet Academy of Sciences. Whether Romanov or Soviet—the “anti-imperial empire”—nation formation was never an issue. Instead, the imperial state was the dominant (if often concealed or simply assumed) model for thinking about issues of “Russianness.”
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 quickly led to the establishment of corresponding organizations (of writers, filmmakers, academics, etc.) this time labelled Russian. Existence de facto, however, does not translate into existence de jure. All of these organizations are merely extensions of the ever-consolidating Russian state under President Putin. The entire budgets for each of these organizations is allocated directly by the state, which closely monitors their adherence to state policy and practices, including limiting print and stage runs, banning films (especially those that deal with Russo-Soviet atrocities committed to other ethnicities within the empire), imprisoning directors (film and theater) on patently false charges, etc. In effect, Russia’s struggle with nationhood has not yet broken out of the iron fist of the state.
The Symposium will screen twelve films (four in subtitled DCP prints and eight on subtitled DVD), will host eight panels with film scholars from Russia, the UK, and the US, and two roundtables for the participants to continue debating the issues raised during the post-screening discussions at the film panels and to examine the overall topic for that year’s Symposium.
Sunday, October 6
Gandhi Day
Consul General of India Sandeep Charkravorty, Special Guest)
2-3 pm Activities and Chai
3-5 pm Program
