Week of September 26, 2021 in UCIS
4:30 pm Lecture
The Fragmented Spectacle of Chinese Soft Power in Africa
211 David Lawrence Hall
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6cR0PT0rbZIu8G6wTD-PFPqnpXvfF1TpxRknw…
This talk presents the multifaceted story of China's soft power campaigns in Africa, with a special focus on Ethiopia—one of China's closest economic and political partners on the continent. Countering the claims of China's authoritarian export, the analysis of China's engagement with Ethiopian elites, youth and media audiences, showcases what I describe as a "fragmented spectacle" — a grand, but disjointed display of China's prowess. In particular, China's soft power appeal is rooted in generosity of scale or the large-scale access to its initiatives. And yet, when it comes to building relationships, it produces fragmented or contested Sino-African solidarities. I specifically highlight how performative, material and discursive solidarity works and the tensions that override these different Sino-African encounters. This talk, which draws on a larger book project, demonstrates that the idea of a moral competition is largely a product of the US insecurity about losing out to China, in what many US officials see as the last frontier, rather than an accurate depiction of Chinese activities in Africa.
To registerclick here
Brazil Nuts Bate-Papo
Global Hub - 1st Floor Posvar Hall
Center for Latin American Studies and Global Hub along with Department of Hispanic Languages & Literatures
Join Brazil Nuts for their weekly Portuguese conversation hour at all levels!
Pitt French Club Meeting
Join members of the French Club to and have casual conversation in French! All levels welcome.
7:00 pm Film
Vincent Who? Screening and producer Q and A.
William Pitt Union, Dining Room A or Online via Vimeo/Zoom
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfA4q6rZaXn3PelvsI2NiYc3gn-FQ9M90pWkFS1…
Asian Studies Center along with Screenshot: Asia and Pittsburgh Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA)
In 1982, a Chinese American named Vincent Chin was murdered in Detroit by two white autoworkers at the height of anti-Japanese sentiments arising from massive layoffs in the auto industry. They were given a $3000 fine and 3 years probation for the murder, but no time in prison. Outraged by this injustice, Asian Americans across the nation united to form a pan-Asian identity and civil rights movement. The film Vincent Who? explores this legacy within the larger narrative of Asian American History.
In partnership with the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans, we will be screening the film followed by a discussion with the producer Curtis Chin. The hybrid event will be held on the Pitt campus on Monday September 27 at 7:00 pm EDT with the option for joining us online as well. To register click here
7:00 pm Information Session
Global Studies Students Meet 'n Greet!
Global Hub, 1st Floor Posvar
Global Studies Center and Global Hub
It's time to connect! Drop by for snacks and interesting conversation. Meet fellow students in either the global health or global studies certificates. Exchange ideas and learn about opportunities! We'll have students representing several relevant clubs, too!
3:00 pm Reception
Asian Studies Center Welcome Reception
Schenley Plaza Tent
After a year of Zooming and virtual film screenings, we're excited to see our friends in person once more. Join us under the Schenley Plaza tent for our Welcome Reception on Tuesday, September 28 at 3 p.m.! There will be refreshments, chances to meet and hang out with other students and faculty interested in Asian Studies, and information about upcoming Asian Studies events. Catch a performance from one of our talented student groups and meet our Japan Studies post-doc, who will perform on the shamisen. Also, catch a sneak peek of the upcoming SCREENSHOT: ASIA film festival, with an introduction to the festival along with trailers of the films. We look forward to seeing you in person!
6:00 pm Panel Discussion
Preparing Competitive Graduate School Applications
Zoom Discussion
Asian Studies Center, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center and Global Studies Center
Preparing Competitive Graduate School Applications Panel
28th, 6pm-7pm, Virtual Format
Pitt graduate program experts and current graduate students from the School of Public Health, GSPIA, Economics, History, and Asian Studies share expertise in researching graduate programs and crafting strong applications. Learn tips on writing effective personal statements, securing letter writers, and submitting desired credentials. Ask individual questions at the breakout session.
Dr. Kevin Broom, Director of MHA and MHA/MBA Programs, Vice Chair, Associate Professor, Pitt Public Health
Dr. Daniele Coen-Pirani, Director of Graduate Studies, Professor of Economics
Dr.Michel Gobat , Director of Graduate Studies, Associate Professor of History
Ms. Kelly McDevitt, Admissions and Enrollment, GSPIA
Dr. Emily Rook-Koepsel, Asst. Director for Academic Affairs, UCIS Asian Studies Center
Accompanying Graduate Students
https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEuc-qsrj8uG9ZHyZhsVWeV6YftmvOBHyxC
Sponsored by: Asian Studies Center, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center, and Global Studies Center
10:00 am Reading Group
Book talk: Pax Transatlantica
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-talk-with-jussi-hanhimaki-pax-transatlantica-t…
European Studies Center along with American University Transatlantic Policy Center
Talk with Jussi Hanhimaki to discuss his latest book 'Pax Transatlantica' - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/pax-transatlantica-9780190922160...
12:00 pm Information Session
Pitt in London & GBI London Information Session
https://bit.ly/39gFiGo
Global Experiences Office
Come learn about Pitt in London & GBI: London; hosted in one of the most vibrant, exciting, and culturally rich cities in the world. Our programs offer a variety of courses across different disciplines and an optional part-time internship. Advance your intercultural communication skills and develop a deeper understanding of opportunities and challenges.
Register at https://bit.ly/39gFiGo.
CANCELLED: Laber Rhabarber: German Conversation Hour
Global Hub - Living Room
Join the German Department for Laber Rhabarber, a weekly German conversation hour that is open to all!
German Club Stammtisch
Global Hub - Conversation Table
A weekly conversation table for people interested in German culture and language, all proficiency levels are welcome!
11:00 am Lecture
Technology, Trade, and the Transatlantic Relationship
https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/event/61556
European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence along with Center for International Legal Education, Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, American University Transatlantic Policy Center, CUNY Graduate Center EU Studies Center, Miami-Florida Jean Monnet European Union Center of Excellence, Center for European and Transatlantic Studies at Georgia Tech University, Center for European Studies at the University of Florida, University of Colorado-Boulder Colorado European Union Center for Excellence, European Union Center at the University of Illinois, University of Miami Jean Monnet Chair/EU Center, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill European Union Center of Excellence, Virginia Tech Center for European Union and University of Wisconsin-Madison European Union Center of Excellence
Valdis Dombrovskis is the Executive Vice President of the European Commission for An Economy that Works for People and European Commissioner for Trade. On the heels of the EU-US Technology and Trade Council (TTC) meeting in Pittsburgh on September 29th, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will sit down with Pitt Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Erica Owens, for a conversation about the TTC, transatlantic trade, and the future of the EU-US relationship. Students and faculty are encouraged to participate. Audience questions are welcome. Students, please submit questions in advance to Iris Matijevic at irm24@pitt.edu to be sure they are included.
This event is co-sponsored by the network of Jean Monnet-funded Universities in the U.S. #JMintheUS
WATCH TALK HERE: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/event/61556
Protest as a Human Right in Hong Kong: A view from history
Online-Zoom- https://pitt.zoom.us/j/91630703699
Asian Studies Center, Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies, European Studies Center and Global Studies Center
In the summer of 2019, Hong Kong-- former British colony, current special administrative region of the People's Republic of China-- was swept up by a large, sustained protest movement. The spark that lit this "revolution of our time" as protestors have deemed it was an extradition treaty with China, but quickly evolved into a broader movement for a more democratically representative government and autonomy from the People's Republic of China. In a stunning backlash against the movement, the PRC government announced they would unilaterally enact a sweeping national security law, quickly marking much of the previous year's protest movement illegal. In the past year, activists, lawyers, elected officials have been arrested and NGOs and media outlets shuttered at a dizzying pace, fundamentally altering the civic, legal, and cultural landscape of the city. Drawing upon Hong Kong's long history of grassroots activism-- and backlash against it-- from the early twentieth century through the present, this talk will offer a historical view of how protest became a cherished human right and a locus of popular power in Hong Kong, using this history to discuss the implications of the national security law on human rights in the city today.
Cancelled: Irish Club Meeting
Global Hub along with Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages Center
The Irish Club at Pitt meets every two weeks during the semester to share Irish culture and language.
9:00 pm Conference
Global Horror Studies Conference
https://sites.google.com/view/japan-studies-at-pitt/j-horror-pitt
Asian Studies Center and Global Studies Center along with Office of the Provost, Horror Studies Working Group, University Library System and George A. Romero Foundation
The University of Pittsburgh and the Horror Studies Working Group invite you to join us for a two day conference exploring ways to connect J-Horror to Asia. This gathering continues the conversations started at SCMS 2021 and Kyoto July 2021 about Global Horror Studies.
Compiling and Presenting Cases
https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/healthcasecompetition
Global Studies Center along with Center for Bioethics and Health Law and Center for Global Health
The Global Studies Center, Center for Global Health and the Center for BioEthics and Health Law will host Pitt's 2nd annual Global Health Case Competition. Graduate and undergraduate students team up to address a global health scenario and present to a panel of experts. We will have three presentations from guest speakers for this session: Helena Vonville on Resources for Case Study, Elizabeth Van Nostrand on How to Prepare a Winning Case, and Students Eva Brady, Emily Crisan, Sophie Tayade, Haley Marra, Naomi Gurewitsch on Lessons Learned from the 2020 Emory Case Competition.
3:15 pm Lecture Series / Brown Bag
The Absence of Gender Awareness in Latin America and Sex Trafficking
https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0of-2qpzgsE90R5ir2Bz2cc6yhyw2AUn3L
Join the Panoramas team for their first roundtable of the semester. At this roundtable, Panoramas intern Luke Morales will discuss his article about how the absence of gender awareness in Latin America has exacerbated the sex trade and other forms of human trafficking. To read his article and learn more, visit Panoramas.pitt.edu.
Addverse+Poesia Meeting
Addverse+Poesia is a transnational and multilingual student organization dedicated to celebrating Black/Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ writers, poets, etc. Join us for your weekly meetings on Fridays from 4:30-6PM!
7:00 pm Festival
Latin American & Caribbean Festival
https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/festival
William Pitt Union--Lower Lounge and Outside
Center for Latin American Studies and International Week
The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh has celebrated Latin American and Caribbean cultures with a full-day festival on our Oakland campus since 1979. The Festival will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 7:00-10:00 P.M. in the William Pitt Union at the University of Pittsburgh.
The event features performances, food, arts, crafts, and information tables from Latin America and the Caribbean. Admission is free!
In order to abide by Pitt guidelines and good practice, we will hold a discrete celebration open only to students, faculty, and staff. However, we are hopeful that by Fall 2022 we can return to the wide-open community celebration we have grown accustomed to. Thank you once again for your support and patience as we sort through the challenges this pandemic imposes upon all of us.
For more information, email clasfestival@pitt.edu.