Friday, February 29, 2008

March 27: Program on Burma

Join Foreign Correspondent
Evan Williams
in
A candid discussion about
the role of campus activism
in Burma’s fight for freedom
B U R M A
F R O N T A N D C E N T E R
Thursday, March 27
7:00 PM
Benedum Auditorium
univpittstand@gmail.com
U S E Y O U R L I B E R T Y T O P R O T E C T T H E I R S
ASIAN STUDENT ALLIANCE SHAC PITT GLOBAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT HILLEL BLACK ACTION SOCIETY FORGE IVOTE ONE

Summer Program in Israel: "Abrahamic Faiths"

Religious Studies Tour: The Abrahamic Faiths in the Holy Land.. July 14-24, 2008
The Martin Buber Institute For Dialogical Ecology invites students and faculty to participate in our 10 days organized tour of the three foundational faiths in Israel-Palestine: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The tour will comprise both the human and the institutional aspects of the three religions. We will meet with religious leaders and practitioners and visit ancient monasteries, religious communities, churches, synagogues and mosques. We will participate in religious ceremonies and hold conversations with monastics and mystics. We will visit religious sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, the Kabalistic city of Safed, the Sea of Galilee and Arab villages. Interwoven in the tour we will also enjoy musical and cultural presentations, city tours and free time to visit the old markets, worship, shopping. The Tour cost includes lodging for 10 days, two meals a day, all tours, all religious-studies activities, cultural events. Please call us at 914-833-7787, Hune@MartinBuberInstitute.org.
Hune Margulies, Ph.D.
The Martin Buber Institute For Dialogical Ecology
914-833-7787 / 914-439-7731
Hune@MartinBuberInstitute.org
http://MBIDE.blogspot.com
Email: hune@martinbuberinstitute.org
Visit the website at http://religiousstudiestour.blogspot.com

Summer Program in Berlin DEADLINE NOW

The LBSU is an annual six-week summer school in Jewish Studies at the Humboldt University, Berlin. Any advanced undergraduate or Master's student from the United States, Canada, Germany, Israel, or Eastern European may participate. As a transatlantic bridge and international meeting point for education and exchange, the LBSU focuses on postwar, post-Holocaust and contemporary Jewish life in Germany and its relationship to other Jewish communities worldwide. LBSU also recognizes, however, that the postwar period also requires an understanding of the long history of German Jewish life in Germany.
A central concern of the LBSU is the question of Jewish identity that illustrates important cultural as well as religious differences. This focus contributes to a better understanding of this key issue in Jewish life and in other religious traditions, such as in Christianity and Islam. In its many manifestations in the Diaspora and Israel, Jewish identity and the struggle to define it become paradigmatic, particularly in the context of migration and globalization. Consequently, LBSU challenges students to think critically about some of the most pressing and controversial issues we are facing today.

During the morning students are enrolled in a three hour academic seminar and in the afternoon, they attend professionally-led excursions, workshops, and lectures which complement the subjects presented in the seminar. The academic seminar is divided into three, two week modules, each taught by different faculty members. Regular assignments are required (readings, writing, short paper or exam) and each student receives a grade at the conclusion of each module. The modules are taught in seminar style and should encourage discussion among the students.

LBSU will take place from July 14 to August 22, 2008. Scholarships include transportation, housing, tuition, excursions, and Berlin city transportation. It does not include food and other travel.

Application deadline officially ends February 29, but we also accept some late applications till mid-March.

Find out more at www.lbsu.de
Application online at: www.lbsu.
de or e-mail to Anna Held at: held@lbsu.de

Anna Held
Leo Baeck Summer University
Executive Manager
Sophienstr.22 a
10178 Berlin
Phone: +49 (30) 20 93 82 70
Email: held@lbsu.de
Visit the website at http://www.lbsu.de

University of Pittsburgh Women’s Association Scholarship

University of Pittsburgh Women’s Association Scholarship

Criteria:

Must be a full-time undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh campus.

Must have had an interruption in pursuit of undergraduate education of at least three years before returning or transferring to the University of Pittsburgh.

Must have at least sophomore standing at the time of application.

Must be in good academic standing with at least a 2.5 quality point average in courses taken since returning to school at the University of Pittsburgh.

Must demonstrate financial need; and this scholarship in combination with other need-based scholarship and grant assistance will not exceed the cost of tuition.

Must have a defined career goal with a realistic expectation of graduating from the University of Pittsburgh within three years.

Process:

Complete application form.

Write a one-page letter of interest specifying degree sought, financial situation, family responsibilities, and professional goals. Tell how receipt of this scholarship will assist you in attaining your goals.

Submit a current copy of all of your transcripts.

Submit a letter of recommendation from a Pitt faculty or staff member.
Send your application, letter, and transcript(s) by March 15th to:

Applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee. Candidates meeting the criteria will be chosen for interviews in April. Final selection will be made in late April. One or more scholarships may be awarded in amounts up to $3000. Recipients will be presented at our May luncheon. Awards will be sent directly to the University. For more information contact Jackie Cain at cainjs@verizon.net

International Studies Grant

International Studies Fund (ISF) grant competition
The International Studies Fund (ISF) is intended to help students at the University of Pittsburgh to conduct research on international issues or in international settings. ISF grants may not be used for tuition, language study, internships and other non-research related expenses. Conference, workshop or symposium travel is not eligible for funding. Maximum award is $1,000. For info: www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/isf.html For more information, please see http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/events/ucisextra.pl?jid=2398

DEADLINE: MARCH 15, 2008

Fulbright Sessions reminder

MONDAY, MARCH 3

Fulbright U.S. Student Program - Two Info Sessions

12:00 pm and 4:30 pm

12:00 pm - Peter/McKenna Conference Rooms (University Center, 2nd fl)
4:30pm - McConomy Auditorium (University Center, 1st fl)

PRESENTER: Walter Jackson, Program Manager U.S. Student Programs, Institute of International Education (IIE)Refreshments served. No rsvp required. For more info contact Judy Zang, 412-268-1969; jzang@cmu.edu

March 7 Lecture: Pan-Islamism and Pan-Asianism

FRIDAY, MARCH 7

Lecture--East Asian Languages & Literatures Colloqium Series: Old Friendships: Exploring the Historic Relationship between Pan-Islamism and Japanese Pan-Asianism
2:00 p.m.
WWPH 4130

A lecture by Sadia Sattar, IDMA student. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Paula Locante - (412) 624-5568 plocante@pitt.edu
Sponsored by: Asian Studies Center, Dept. of East Asian Languages & Literatures

Thursday, February 28, 2008

March 17-18 Colloquium: Citizenship in the 21st Century

The Cultural Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh presents:

Citizenship in the 21st Century:

An International Colloquium

March 17-18, 2008

Étienne Balibar

Université de Paris X - Nanterre

Keynote Speaker

with noted international scholars,
Yves Citton, Université Stendhal - Grenoble
Antonella Corsani, Université de Paris I - Pantheon-Sorbonne
Todd May, Clemson University
James Swenson, Rutgers University
Philip Watts, Columbia University

In our transnational societies, where economic and cultural exchanges have led to massive phenomena of migration and social mutation, the very institution of national citizenship is coming under attack. A political response is being articulated worldwide, since traditional forms of democratic representation and the current understanding of national cultures may be nearing obsolescence. The conference will address new theories and practices of cultural and political intervention at the international level.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conference Program:

MONDAY, MARCH 17 2008, 2500 WWPH

8:00 – 8:30 am: Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:50am: Giuseppina Mecchia, Graduate Program for Cultural Studies, University of Pittsburgh: Welcome and Introductory Remarks

9:00-12:00 am: The Cultural Subject as Citizen

Yves Citton, Université de Grenoble III : “Citizenship and the Power to Scenarize”.

Alyssa DeBlasio, University of Pittsburgh: “Academic Citizenship and the Legacy of Marxism in Post-Soviet Russia”.

Dorcinda Knauth, University of Pittsburgh “Politics or Faith? Excursions in Islam through Indonesian Rock Music”.

James Swenson, Rutgers University: “Citizenship and Religion in Rousseau”

Chair and Respondent: Ronald Judy, University of Pittsburgh

12:00- 1:30: Lunch break

1:30- 3:30 pm: The Subaltern as Citizen

Sambriddhi Kharel, University of Pittsburgh: “The Struggle for Full Citizenship for Dalits in Nepal: Approaches and Strategies of Dalit Activists”.

Natalie Kimball, University of Pittsburgh: “Envisioning Incorporation: Campesino Citizenship and ‘Progress’ in the Bolivian National Revolution, 1952- 1964.

Todd May, Clemson University: “The Zapatistas: From Identity to Equality”

Chair and Respondent: Susan Andrade, University of Pittsburgh

3:30-4:00 pm: Coffee Break

4:30 – 6:00 pm: The Hybrid Subject as Citizen

Rahul Mitra, Bowling Green State University : “Examining Ruptures: An Ethnographic Study of Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India”.

Jungwon Park, University of Pittsburgh: “From Sovereign to Neighbor: Cosmopolitanism and Nation Across the US-Mexico Borderlands”.

Chair and Respondent: John Beverley, University of Pittsburgh

TUESDAY, MARCH 18 2008, 2500 WWPH

9:30 am-12:00 pm. The American Outsider as Citizen

Randolph Hohle, SUNY – Albany: “Symbolic Citizenship and Black Political Representation: Competing Black Political Projects and the Civil Rights Movement”

Courtney Helgoe, University of Minnesota: “Coming through Katrina: The Citizen-Refugee of New Orleans”.

Philip Watts, Columbia University: “Rififi and Democracy”

Chair and Respondent: Joshua Lund, University of Pittsburgh

12:00-2:00 pm. Lunch Break

2:00– 4:00 pm. The Neo-liberal Subject as Citizen

Antonella Corsani, Université Paris I – Pantheon-Sorbonne: “Are Capitalism and Democracy Compatible? The Dangerous Liaison between Cognitive Capitalism and Neo-Liberalism”.

Aysha Mawani, McGill University: “Emergent Forms of Citizenship: The Case of Multiculturalism in Canada”.

Katie Moriarty, University of Pittsburgh: “Nordic Citizenship in the 21st Century”

Chair and Respondent: Charles-Louis Morand-Métivier, University of Pittsburgh

William Pitt Union Ballroom
5:00 – 7:00 pm. Keynote Address: Etienne Balibar, University of California at Irvine: “Historical Dilemmas of Democracy and their Contemporary Relevance”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This conference is cosponsored by the following departments at the University of Pittsburgh:
The Graduate Program for Cultural Studies
The University Provost
The Deans of the School of Arts and Sciences
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences
University Center for International Studies
European Union Center of Excellence
Department of French and Italian

Congratulations to Amy Slagle

Those of you who have know Amy Slagle, one of our PhD students, may wish to offer her congratulations next time you see her around the department. She will be joining the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Southern Mississippi beginning fall 2008 as an assistant professor of religious studies. We wish her continued success.

March 5: "Women's Voices in the Arab Diaspora"

Women’s Studies Program

Brown Bag Lecture Series



“Women's Voices in the Arab Diaspora,

A Reading & Discussion”

Elmaz Abinader


Dr. Elmaz Abinader is author of Children of the Roojme, A Family’s Journey From Lebanon (University of Wisconsin, 1991), the first major memoir by an Arab-American, and a book of poems, In the Country of My Dreams (Sufi Warrior Publishing, 1999). In her capacity as Activist/Performer/Poet/ Writer /Educator, she has performed her one-woman plays in the USA and Middle East, and is co-founder (with Junot Diaz and Diem Jones) of the Voices of Our Nations Foundation, which run workshops for writers of color. A Pitt alumna, Abinader was raised in small-town Pennsylvania and studied with Toni Morrison. Dr. Abinader will read from her new memoir and poetry and discuss how our current political atmosphere has created a global community with writers in the Diaspora, particularly focusing on women’s works.
Sponsored by Women’s Studies, Global Studies, The Writing Program
and the English Department.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Noon
2201 Wesley W. Posvar Hall

For more information on this and other events on our calendar, please call: 412-624-6485, email: wstudies@pitt.edu
or visit our website: http://www.pitt.edu/~wstudies
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

REGISTRATION ADVISING MEETINGS

Sign-up sheets for advising appointments are now posted outside my office door (2603 CL).

Please sign-up for an appointment time.

Before your appointment: make sure to review the following information:

1) your own progress in the major using the checklists at the dept. web site;
2) your own progress in the general education requirements;
3) your own progress in other majors, minors, certificates--I will not be advising you on this, but you should have some sense of how many courses you need to take in these areas;
4) course offerings for the fall using both the A&S Course Descriptions site and Peoplesoft.

You will expedite the process if you have 5 digit (not 4 digit) unique course numbers (CRN) for each class, recitation, and lab that interests you.
Make sure to take note of any required recitations or labs while doing your searching.

Also: once again: FOR CROSS-LISTED COURSES:
--check the enrollment availibility of each cross-listed section
--for purposes of the major or gen ed requirements, it does not matter which section of a course you take: Medieval Jewish Civilization is the same course and counts for the same requirements no matter which course number (RELGST, HIST, or JS) appears on your transcript.

Ney (Reed Flute) classes

The Rumi Dialogue Club at Carnegie Mellon University and Pittsburgh Dialogue Foundation are offering "Ney (Reed Flute) Classes" for everyone interested. The classes will be given by a musician who plays on Ney for
8 years.

Ney is a very old eastern instrument which has been used since BC 5000.
Its sound is known to be the most similar to the human sound among the wind instruments. Ney also has a significant place as a symbol in Sufi teaching, especially in Rumi's writings, and in the Whirling Dervishes Ceremony.

As a tradition, how to play on Ney is not taught for money. The only cost expected is the responsibility of teaching how to play on Ney, as much as you can, if someone wants to learn. With this activity, we will try to continue this tradition.

WHERE: Carnegie Mellon University
WHEN: Every Friday at 6:30pm starting on February 29
FEE: Free

If you are interested, please reply to this e-mail. There are limited number of seats and instruments (plastic Neys for beginners) available.

In your e-mail, please provide the following information:

Name:
Age:
Occupation:
Musical Background:
Do you have your own Ney (Reed Flute)?

FBI Jobs for those with good language skills

AMERICA NEEDS YOUR FOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS!

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the War on Terrorism and needs Special Agents and Contract Linguists with specific language skills. Investigating financial crimes, drug trafficking, and national security matters may also be part of your challenging career as a Linguist with the FBI.

The FBI’s Pittsburgh Office will hold an "invitation-only" information session in March 2008, for those who meet the following qualifications:

SPECIAL AGENT : Applicants who speak and read the following languages with native fluency: ARABIC; CHINESE (ALL DIALECTS); FARSI; HEBREW; HINDI; JAPANESE; KOREAN; PASHTU; PUNJABI; RUSSIAN; SPANISH; URDU; and VIETNAMESE. Other languages will be considered.

CONTRACT LINGUIST/CONTRACT LANGUAGE MONITOR AND CONTRACT TESTER: Applicants who speak and read MIDDLE EASTERN, ASIAN, SLAVIC and SPANISH languages with native fluency will be considered. Applicants must possess fluency in a language deemed critical by the FBI. Applicants who are proficient in more than one foreign language are highly desired. All applicants must be willing to renounce any dual citizenship

All applicants must be US citizens and be able to pass a background investigation, drug test, polygraph examination and must speak and read English fluently. All applicants claiming fluency in a foreign language must pass the FBI’s Foreign Language Test Battery.

Special Agent applicants must be between 23 and 36, possess a four-year degree from an accredited institution, be in excellent health and physical condition, and be willing to relocate. Complete employment information is available at www.fbijobs.gov.

Please submit a detailed resume to jknights@leo.gov. Your resume must include citizenship, date of birth, educational background and professional work history, and indicate whether interested in the Special Agent or Contract Linguist/Contract Language Monitor/Contract Tester positions. Visit www.fbijobs.gov to review the FBI's drug policy. Those meeting these qualifications will be advised of the time and date of the information session.

The FBI is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Today: Philip Gourevitch

Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series

Presents


2007-8 William Block Sr. Writer









Philip Gourevitch






Wednesday, February 27th
8:30 p.m.
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium





Philip Gourevitch’s first book, We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: stories from Rwanda, was published by Farrar Straus & Giroux (FSG) in 1998, and won numerous prizes, including a National Book Critics Circle Award, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a George Polk Book Award, and in Britain, the Guardian First Book Award. His second book, A Cold Case, was published by FSG in 2001, and is being adapted for the screen by Tom Hanks and Universal Pictures. His books have appeared in translation in ten languages. A long time board member of the writers’ organization PEN, Gourevitch has written for numerous magazines, including The New Yorker, Harpers, and Granta . In 2005, he became the editor of The Paris Review.



Free and Open to the Public
For more information call 412-624-6506



Thanks to our cosponsor,

The University Book Store

Advising and Registration Technology Guide

A nice PDF version of this is posted outside my office (2603 CL).

ADVISING AND REGISTRATION
TECHNOLOGY GUIDE

HOW TO VIEW YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT TRANSCRIPT
 Log in to my.pitt.edu. Click on “Student Services.” Click on “Link to Student Center.” Click on “Self Service.” Under that click on “Student Center.” To the right underneath where it says Academic History, click on “Degree Progress.” Choose the Academic Institution (University of Pittsburgh) and Report Type (Academic Advisement Transcript ). Click “GO.”

HOW TO VIEW YOUR CLASS SCHEDULE
Log in to my.pitt.edu. Click on “Student Services.” Click on “Link to Student Center.” Click on “Self Service” along the left hand side. Click on “Enrollment” and then “My Class Schedule.” Select the term (2081 Fall, 2084 Spring, 2087 Summer).
There is an option for a “List View” and “Weekly Calendar View.”

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS (Arts and Sciences website)
Go to www.courses.as.pitt.edu. This is the Course Descriptions web page. You can search by Subject, General Education Requirement, Instructor or Title.
Note updates in upper right hand corner: new courses, changes in majors, minors, etc.
1. SUBJECT:
A. To find a specific course description:  Select the SUBJECT (department) and then click the TERM.
Hint: In order to scroll through this listing, click LIST ALL in upper right hand corner. Find a course and click the CLASS # [in blue].
Here you can access course information, including: description, requirements fulfilled, prerequisites, time, location, if a recitation is required, class and catalog numbers.
B. To find descriptions for ALL courses offered by a
department: Select the SUBJECT (department) and then click on the TERM (as above). At the top of the next screen click on the desired TERM to VIEW ALL DESCRIPTIONS. This will bring you to all the listings in that department, including: description, requirements fulfilled, time, location, if recitation is required, class and catalog/course numbers.
2. GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT (on the right hand
side under Announcements): Choose the REQUIREMENT (e.g. Literature) from the drop-down menu and click on the desired TERM. As above, you can either scroll through the list of specific Literature courses by title or view descriptions for all courses that satisfy the Literature requirement.
3. INSTRUCTOR or COURSE TITLE: Type in name of the instructor or title and click TERM

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES/CLASS SEARCH
Log in to my.pitt.edu. Click on “Student Services” along the top menu bar Click on “Link to Student Center” in the middle of the page Click on “Self Service” along the left hand side Click on “Class Search/Browse Catalog” underneath “Self Service” on the left hand side –OR- along the right hand side in the upper right hand corner Type in the term number (2087 for Summer 2008, 2091 for Fall 2008, and 2094 for Spring 2009) Make sure that the “Search for Classes” (NOT BROWSE CATALOG) circle is filled in, then click “GO”. In the “COURSE SUBJECT” field, type in the Departmental Subject Abbreviation (located on the back of this sheet) and then TAB down to the “COURSE NUMBER” field. Enter the 4 digit number, if known. To search all courses for that term in the chosen department, leave this portion blank. The system defaults to “SHOW OPEN CLASSES ONLY.” You can unclick this circle if you want to view all classes whether open or closed. Select the “CAMPUS” (the required field at the bottom of the search page) then click on “Search.” LEC stands for Lecture, REC stands for Recitation. Where applicable, you must select a REC that goes with the specific lecture section. Only 3 sections (including recitations) of a particular course come up at first, so be sure to click “View All” to see other sections. Always check Class Detail information. Click on the blue underlined information next to Section. This detail information notes if Department Consent is required for the class. Other information such as number of credits, special designations (e.g. Honors Course and Writing Requirement) and a course description is also available. (This course description does not note prerequisite courses, so always check the Arts and Sciences Course Description web page.)

February 28: Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer
New York Times best selling author Jonathan Safran Foer is coming to speak at the University of Pittsburgh about his book "Everything is Illuminated"
and other topics

Sponsor: Hillel Jewish University >

Co-sponsor: English Lit Department at Pitt and the Jewish Studies Program

02/28/2008 at 7:30pm
David Lawrence Hall,
Room 121

Cost: Free

Tuesday March 4: Adrienne Spillar "Tailgating as a Ritual Event?"

Tuesday March 4
9:30 am, Kurtzman Room, William Pitt Union

Adrienne Spillar speaking on "Tailgating as a Ritual Event? An Exploratory Study into the Structure and Dynamics of Football Tailgating."

This paper is presented as part of the 2008 Grad Expo (www.pitt.edu/~gradexpo/)

Monday, February 25, 2008

Reminder: Sara Lipton talk this Friday

The University of Pittsburgh Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program
presents


SARA LIPTON
Department of History
SUNY Stony Brook

"Jewish Eyes,
1140 - 1180"

Friday, February 29th
4:00 p.m.
Cathedral of Learning
Room 501

This paper examines a range of sources dating to ca. 1140 - 80
(hagiographical and devotional texts, liturgical objects and images, and
their accompanying inscriptions) to examine distinct changes in the
representation of Jews in Christian art and thought. It argues that images
often read as reflecting a heightened and increasingly "racialized"
anti-Judaism are, in the first instance, a by-product of how Christians
desired, feared, and used representations of God. Art and society are never
discrete, however, and images created to serve internal Christian purposes
eventually affected Christian perceptions of actual Jews, and influenced
Christian-Jewish social and legal relations.

Sara Lipton's work focuses on religious identity and experience,
Jewish-Christian relations, and art and culture in the high Middle Ages
(11th - 14th centuries). She is currently working on two projects. The
first, to be published by Metropolitan Books in 2009, examines how changing
concepts of vision and witness in medieval Christian society intersected
with the visual representation of the Jew. The second, entitled Art,
Preaching, and Piety in the High Middle Ages (1150 - 1300), seeks to
understand why and to what effect Christendom invested so much in worshiping
the ineffable Word through the material thing. Her publications include "The
Sweet Lean of His Head: Writing about Looking at the Crucifix in the High
Middle Ages," in the journal Speculum (2005), and Images of Intolerance: The
Representation of Jews and Judaism in the Bible Moralisée (Berkeley, 1999),
which won the John Nicholas Brown Prize for Best First Book.

An open reception will follow the talk.

This talk is generously co-sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies
and the Department of History

Questions? Please contact MRST Director Jennifer Waldron (jwaldron@pitt.edu)

Amizade Service Learning

Please take 5 minutes to view an Amizade Global Service-Learning course video at http://www.globalservicelearning.org/programs/video.html.

The video expresses Amizade's unique combination of values:
- Community-driven service
- Deliberate academic learning
- Intercultural immersion and exchange
- Consideration of Global Citizenship
- Reflective Inquiry

Amizade is proud of its long-standing commitment to these values and, as a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering communities and individuals through intercultural service and learning worldwide, we are pleased that our global service-learning courses are still among the most affordable comprehensive programming of their kind.

Space is still available on some of our summer courses, including:
Introduction to Global Studies in Ghana: http://www.globalservicelearning.org/summer08/ghana.html
Contemporary Issues in Native Communities in the Navajo Nation: http://www.globalservicelearning.org/summer08/navajo.html
Peace and Reconciliation Studies in Northern Ireland: http://www.globalservicelearning.org/summer08/ireland.html
Introduction to Social Documentary Film in Alabama: http://www.globalservicelearning.org/summer08/alabama.html

Additionally, spaces are still available on our Bolivia Fall Semester Program, http://www.globalservicelearning.org/programs/bolivia_semester.htm, which makes global service-learning experiences truly accessible and affordable.

Amizade Global Service-Learning courses are made possible through a partnership with West Virginia University's Office of International Programs and Center for Civic Engagement. Courses are open to students in good standing at any college or university.

--
Eric Hartman
Executive Director
Amizade Global Service-Learning
ph: 304.293.6049 f: 757.257.8358
PO Box 6894, 106-B White Hall
Morgantown, WV 26506

Visit Amizade online at www.amizade.org or see the courses we offer through partnership with West Virginia University at www.globalservicelearning.org.

Fulbright Information Sessions at CMU March 3

FOR MANY COUNTRIES, GRADUATING SENIORS CAN APPLY. IF YOU ARE GRADUATING In DECEMBER 08 OR APRIL 09 CONSIDER GOING TO ONE OF THESE SESSIONS:

On Monday, March 3rd, 2008, Walter Jackson, Program Manager of the
Fulbright U.S. Student Program, is coming to Pittsburgh to give TWO info
sessions on the Fulbright. The Carnegie Mellon Fellowships and
Scholarships Office and University of Pittsburgh Honors College are
hosting this visit.

*Fulbright U.S. Student Program - Two Info Sessions*
*DATE: Monday, March 3rd*
*TIMES: 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm *
*PLACE: 12:00 pm - Peter/McKenna Conference Rooms (University Center,
2nd flr), Carnegie-Mellon
* 4:30pm - McConomy Auditorium (University Center, 1st fl), Carnegie-Mellon
*PRESENTER: Walter Jackson, Program Manager U.S. Student Programs,
Institute of International Education (IIE)*
/Refreshments served. No registration required. For more info contact
Judy Zang, 412-268-1969; jzang@cmu.edu/
_Seniors, graduate students, or alumni (U.S. citizenship required) are
eligible_ for the Fulbright. Students can use the Fulbright in over 150
countries for/ *research, one year study at an institution, or to teach
English*/* *(the newest type of Fulbright).
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html

UNDERGRADS SHOULD ATTEND THE INFO SESSION TOO. A successful application
depends on early planning, preparation, and networking. Also Mr. Jackson
will briefly discuss the NSEP, Gilman, and Freeman Asia, three other IIE
scholarships for study abroad. These are open to undergrads.

University of Maryland course in Prague

From: Miriam Isaacs
Subject: Study abroad: Ghosts and Golems in Prague
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 11:01 AM

I am offering a 3 week study abroad course (upper level) for undergraduates,
(3 credits) from May 25-June 13th in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We will be based in Prague. Interested parties contact the Study Abroad Office, see following website for application information and costs

http://www.international.umd.edu/sparkplug/sites/studyabroad/content.cfm?id=4992
The deadline is soon so if you are interested apply in the next couple of weeks.

Miriam Isaacs
Jewish Studies
Yiddish Language and Culture

From the Dean re Algebra:

The Arts and Sciences Faculty approved a curriculum document in 2002 that includes the following policy that apply to all undergraduate students admitted to the School of Arts and Sciences:

“The Mathematical Proficiency of all incoming students will be assessed. Students who need additional mathematical preparation will be required by the end of the first two semesters of full time enrollment to take and pass, with a grade of C- or , a course in algebra.

Students will be exempt from the mathematics proficiency test if they have achieved a satisfactory grade on the Advanced Placement Examination in calculus in high school, have earned a C- or better in CAS calculus through College in High School, have completed a CAS approved equivalent of Algebra or another approved mathematics course, or have scored 600 or better on the Math SAT”

This policy is indeed different from the policy in vigor until 2002 that specifically mentioned “Successful completion of the Algebra Placement Test”. This possibility is not contemplated in the newer 2002 Curriculum Document.

Note that the Algebra skill requirement is waived for students for the various reasons detailed, and that these reasons do not include a predetermined level of performance in the Algebra placement test. On the other hand, students who take the placement exam are not exempted from the Mathematical Proficiency (Algebra) requirement, regardless of the score they get in the placement exam. They must take the course suggested by the placement exam.

Adam's interpretation of this:
If you have not placed out of the algebra skill requirement by the ways listed above, you should have taken the placement exam and then you must take and pass the course suggested by the exam in order to fulfill the algebra requirement.
If you score high on the test, you will be placed in a higher level course but you will not be exempted from this requirement.

Everyone--regardless of whether you have to take a math course to fulfill the algebra requirment--must take a "quantitative reasoning" course from the approved list as one of the general education requirements.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Saudi Students Open House February 22

The Saudi Students House in Pittsburgh would like to invite you, your
friends and family memebrs to an evening filled with joy and fun
activities for your entire family. Come and discover the rich heritage,
values, unique culture, traditions, distinctive customs and history of an
exotic and ancient land. Travel with us to all the geographical features
and terrains, from the coastal plains of the Red Sea and the Gulf through
oceans of sands in the desert all the way up to the mountains. Experience
the taste of Arabic coffee, Tea and dates

4th Annual Saudi Open House
Friday, February 22/2008
4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
William Pitt Union
University of Pittsburgh
www.saudinpitt.org



Activities include:
· Presentations about Saudi (the American brats, Americans who were born
and raised in Saudi)
· Presentation by an American family who lived in Saudi before,
· Impressions of Saudi professionals in US,
· Learn about people,
· Free Saudi food ,
· Traditional Crafts,
· Language,
· Henna for ladies,
· Development in Saudi,
· Saudi - US relations,
· Women in Saudi,
· Education, Industry, import and export,
· Cultural dances and music
· Food recipes
· & More .....
For pictures from previous open houses, visit
http://www.pitt.edu/~sorc/ssh/Activities/Nov_Oh/oh_nov.htm
Saudi Students House in Pittsburgh & 4th annual Saudi Open House Committee
for more information please contact Mr. Salem Al-Sulaiman (412-251-8551)
or through E-mail (Saudi_n_pitt@yahoo.com).

Honors College Lecture February 22

For those of you interested in modern and contemporary European religion and politics...

Pitt Now Holds Most Extensive Collection of European Union Documents in
North America

Phillip Wilkin, Ph.D.
Bibliographer for West European Studies
Collection Development, Hillman Library

Friday, February 22, 2008
3500 Cathedral of Learning
NOTE: 4:00 P.M.

In July 2007 Pitt's University Library System (ULS) received the entire
European Union depository collection?the most extensive collection of
public European Union documents and publications in North America?from the
Delegation of the European Commission to the U.S. in Washington, D.C. This
is essentially a "government documents" collection, containing over
16,000,000 pages published from the early 1950s to the present. The
collection reflects the activities and growth of the supranational European
Union over these years. It contains materials on most policy areas, such
as agriculture, education, energy, environment, external relations, public
health, transportation, etc. This collection is now available for use by
the public. The ULS is also digitizing a portion of this collection and
uploading it onto the ULS's Archive of European Integration, which is free
to all on the Internet.

This collection provides patrons with a very wide range of research
resources on the European community. Join today's lecture for an overview
of this development and its undergraduate implications. The lecture will
be complemented by appropriate afternoon refreshments!

Department Lecture March 5: Buddhism in Modern China

The Department of Religious Studies
University of Pittsburgh

presents


New Trends in Buddhism in Modern China


WEI Dedong

Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Renmin University of China
Visiting Scholar
Baylor University

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Noon
2628 Cathedral of Learning

–Refreshments served–

WEI Dedong specializes in the sociology of religion and the scientific study of religion. Among his publications in English are "The Cultural Experience of Chinese Buddhism Today" (2008), "The Social Science of Religion: Connotation and Value"
(2007), "Buddhist Ecological Ideas and Practices" (2005), and "The Bailin Buddhist Temple: Thriving under Communism" (coauthored, 2005).

Cosponsored by the Asian Studies Center and China Council of the University Center for International Studies, Program in Cultural Studies, and Departments of Anthropology, History and Sociology.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

February 28: E.P. Thompson Lecture

The XV Annual E.P. Thompson Memorial Lecture Working Class History Seminar/Department of History University of Pittsburgh

PETER LINEBAUGH
University of Toledo

"Magna Carta Manifesto"

Thursday, February 28, 2008, 7:30 PM
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
University of Pittsburgh Oakland Campus
Free and open to the public
Reception to follow

Peter Linebaugh is Professor of History at the University of Toledo. He studied with E.P. Thompson at the University of Warwick. He is author of *The London Hanged: Crime and Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century* (Allen Lane, 1991), *The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic* (Beacon Press, 2000). His most recent book is *Magna Carta Manifesto*, just published by the University of California Press.

"There is not a more important historian living today.
Period."

--Robin D.G. Kelley, author of *Freedom Dreams*

For more information: Marcus Rediker (412) 648-7452 or

February 29th Lecture: Jewish Eyes

The University of Pittsburgh Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program presents



SARA LIPTON
Department of History
SUNY Stony Brook

“Jewish Eyes,
1140 – 1180”

Friday, February 29th
4:00 p.m.
Cathedral of Learning
Room 501


This paper examines a range of sources dating to ca. 1140 – 80 (hagiographical and devotional texts, liturgical objects and images, and their accompanying inscriptions) to examine distinct changes in the representation of Jews in Christian art and thought. It argues that images often read as reflecting a heightened and increasingly “racialized” anti-Judaism are, in the first instance, a by-product of how Christians desired, feared, and used representations of God. Art and society are never discrete, however, and images created to serve internal Christian purposes eventually affected Christian perceptions of actual Jews, and influenced Christian-Jewish social and legal relations.
Sara Lipton’s work focuses on religious identity and experience, Jewish-Christian relations, and art and culture in the high Middle Ages (11th – 14th centuries). She is currently working on two projects. The first, to be published by Metropolitan Books in 2007, examines how changing concepts of vision and witness in medieval Christian society intersected with the visual representation of the Jew. The second, entitled Art, Preaching, and Piety in the High Middle Ages (1150 – 1300), seeks to understand why and to what effect Christendom invested so much in worshiping the ineffable Word through the material thing. Her publications include “The Sweet Lean of His Head: Writing about Looking at the Crucifix in the High Middle Ages,” in the journal Speculum (2005), and Images of Intolerance: The Representation of Jews and Judaism in the Bible Moralisée (Berkeley, 1999), which won the John Nicholas Brown Prize for Best First Book.
This talk is generously co-sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies and the Department of History
Questions? Please contact MRST Director Jennifer Waldron (jwaldron@pitt.edu)

February 18: Tell er-Rumeith

Lecture, February 18, 4 pm, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary:

Tristan Barako

"Tell er-Rumeith: a Fortified Settlement on the Israelite-Aramean Border"

Friday February 15: Progressive Loyalism

Progressive Loyalism in
the 1970s:
The Search for Common Ground


Tony Novosel, Ph.D.
Department of History


Friday, February 15, 2008
3500 Cathedral of Learning
2 P.M.

Professor Tony Novosel is an historian with specializations ranging among the history of Russia and the Soviet Union, modern European history, the origins of mass violence in the 20th century, and the conflicts in Northern Ireland, which is his subject today. The "accepted wisdom" about the "peace process" in Northern Ireland posits that the IRA, Sinn Fein and the "pan-Nationalist Front" (Irish-America, Bill Clinton, The Republic of Ireland, the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) and even the Pope), drove the Northern Ireland Peace process. One cannot understate what Republicanism meant to end the conflict, between 1988-2007. However, the Republican narrative is only part of the story. Another process if allowed to develop and find its own voice may have been able to transform Northern Ireland in the 1970s and end the bloodshed at least 20 years earlier. For reasons not always clear, Progressive Loyalism was not allowed to develop and in fact found itself under attack from all sides. This talk will focus on the Ulster Volunteer Force and its political representatives, the Volunteer Political Party, and the Progressive Unionist Party and examine their search for "common ground" and speculate on why that search failed in the 1970s.

Friday February 15: The Mother Goddess

The University of Pittsburgh Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program presents

EDITH BALAS
(Professor of Art History,
Carnegie Mellon University)

"The Mother Goddess in Italian Renaissance Art"

Friday, February 15th
4:00 p.m.
Frick Fine Arts Building
Room 202

In this paper, Balas examines the significance of the Mother Goddess and her cult in Renaissance culture. The Mother Goddess was one of the most popular cultic deities, and her colorful myths and exotic rites, described in detail by classical authors, became a rich source of imagery for Renaissance writers, antiquarians, and artists. After outlining key features of (and differences between) the classical and Renaissance versions of the Mother Goddess, Balas will offer detailed analysis of several canvasses from Andrea Mantegna's series, The Triumph of Caesar, in which Cybele appears as a national goddess and protector of the Roman state.

Edith Balas received her PhD in Art History from The University of Pittsburgh and has been teaching at Carnegie Mellon since 1977. Her main areas of interest are modern art (1890-1960), painting and sculpture, and the art of the Italian Renaissance. Her most recent publications include the second edition of Brancusi & Romanian Folk Traditions (2006); Michelangelo's Double Self-Portraits (2004); The Early Work of Henry Koerner (2003); and The Mother Goddess in Italian Renaissance Art (2002).
She has published over two dozen articles in the US, Holland, Hungary, Romania, Italy, and France. She has also curated shows in Pittsburgh, New York, Budapest, and Paris.

This talk is generously co-sponsored by the Women's Studies Program and the Department of History of Art and Architecture

Questions? Please contact MRST Director Jennifer Waldron (jwaldron@pitt.edu)

Grants from UCIS

International Studies Fund (ISF) grant competition
The International Studies Fund (ISF) is intended to help students at the University of Pittsburgh to conduct research on international issues or in international settings. ISF grants may not be used for tuition, language study, internships and other non-research related expenses. Conference, workshop or symposium travel is not eligible for funding. Maximum award is $1,000. Application deadline is March 15,2008. For info: www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/isf.html

For more information, please see http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/events/ucisextra.pl?jid=2398


Newman Award for International Intergenerational Project Initiatives
The Newman Award for International Intergenerational Project Initiatives is intended to partially support the expenses of international travel incurred by University of Pittsburgh undergraduate and graduate students involved in an academic project with an international intergenerational component. Applications accepted through March 21, 2008, for summer and fall 2008 projects. Info at: www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/newman.html

For more information, please see http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/events/ucisextra.pl?jid=2397

Conference at Pitt: "Interzone EU"

"Interzone EU: Crossroads of Migration"
http://www.pitt.edu/~rhalle/interzone/index.htm

February 22-23, 2008

Friday--1228 Cathedral of Learning
Saturday--232 Cathedral of Learning

Participants include:
Deniz Gokturk
B. Venkat Mani
Hamid Naficy
Patrice Nganang
Katrin Sieg
Phil Watts
Susan Andrade
Sabine Von Dirke
Randall Halle
Giuseppina Mecchia
Gregor Thum
Boryana Dobreva
Lina Insana
Lucien Nouis

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Study in Beijing

From the CIEE Study Center at Central University for Nationalities in Beijing:

"We have concluded another successful semester. We hosted students from a diverse background of universities and majors, bringing an exciting mix of intellectual interests and cultural perspectives to the program. I was very pleased to see their scholastic and cross-cultural competence grow, and am pleased to send you an update on the program.

"Courses included many experiential activities as an important and unique component of the Chinese Language and Ethnic Studies program. In addition to Chinese language courses, students took three area studies courses; The Sacred in China, The Chinese Identity and Ethnic Diversity in China, and Social and Cultural Transformations in Contemporary China. Many classes were taught outside of the classroom utilizing different locations of importance within Beijing. Professor Chen Xia, from the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences presented a lecture at the Temple of Heaven, directly connecting cultural concepts to the temple’s architecture for The Sacred in China class. In The Chinese Identity and Ethnic Diversity in China class, we visited Beijing’s Nationality Park, a park featuring ethnic restaurants and museums, allowing students to observe how different ethnic minority cultures are represented and commercialized in the public identity of China.

"The CIEE Study Center hosted guest speakers from the University’s Colleges of Ethnology and Sociology, Tibetan Studies, and Ethno-Musicology. Among them, students particularly enjoyed engaging in discussions with Professors Litip Tohiti (Uyghur Studies), Tsering Thar (Tibetan Bon religion), and Yang Shengming (Muslim Studies). Also, North American anthropologists Dru Gladney (a Chinese Muslim Studies specialist), and Charlene Makley (a Tibetologist), visited our program. Professor Maklay shared with us the news of her recent publication The Violence of Liberation: Gender and Tibetan Buddhist Revival in Post-Mao China, which I have selected as a textbook for the spring semester.

"With six years of personal academic background in the Tibetan regions of Qinghai and Gansu Provinces, I created the cultural mid-semester trip to be an integral part of the program’s academic work. Students stayed in homestays with Tibetan families and participated in local cultural activities while also conducting our own environmental and community-building projects, such as helping Tibetans clear the Qinghai Lake beach, the largest salt water lake in Tibet, of non-biodegradable trash left by tourists.

"Going forward, visual anthropology will be incorporated into classes even more, as we’ve discovered students are interested in working with images, documentaries, film, and art. Students will be exposed to both national and private visual productions on ethnic identity and have the opportunity to create their own visual projects. At Central University of Nationalities, we now have a gallery where CIEE students can display their visual anthropology artwork such as Chinese calligraphy and field photos. Our goal is to create as many platforms as possible for students to maximize their cultural immersion experience.

"If you have any questions about the program, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Dan Olds. If you would like to order additional program catalogs please contact the CIEE office at 1.800.40.STUDY or studyinfo@ciee.org.

Yours sincerely,

Dan Smyer Yu, Ph.D.
Resident Director
Chinese Language and Ethnic Studies
Beijing, China
dsmyeryu@ciee.org

Daniel Olds
Program Director
Asia Pacific
Portland, Maine
dolds@ciee.org"

Teach for America

Teach For America is the corps of recent college graduates who teach for
two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders
to expand educational opportunity for all.

We seek the most outstanding graduating college seniors - from all
majors such as business, medicine, politics, law, education, public
policy, and the sciences - who have the leadership skills to change the
prospects of students growing up today and, ultimately, to effect
fundamental changes in our society that will make it a place of
opportunity for all.

We urge you to apply to the 2008 Teach For America corps.

The FINAL application deadline is this Friday, February 15th, 2008
(11:59 p.m. PST, 2:59 a.m. EST).

Apply at https://www.teachforamerica.org/online/info/index.jsp

Seeking all academic majors. Full salary and benefits. No previous
education experience or coursework necessary.

To learn more, visit www.teachforamerica.org, contact
cailin.mcduff@teachforamerica.org, or subscribe to our e-newsletter at:
https://www.teachforamerica.org/online/request/subscribe.jsp.

Teach for America

Teach For America is the corps of recent college graduates who teach for
two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders
to expand educational opportunity for all.

We seek the most outstanding graduating college seniors - from all
majors such as business, medicine, politics, law, education, public
policy, and the sciences - who have the leadership skills to change the
prospects of students growing up today and, ultimately, to effect
fundamental changes in our society that will make it a place of
opportunity for all.

We urge you to apply to the 2008 Teach For America corps.

The FINAL application deadline is this Friday, February 15th, 2008
(11:59 p.m. PST, 2:59 a.m. EST).

Apply at https://www.teachforamerica.org/online/info/index.jsp

Seeking all academic majors. Full salary and benefits. No previous
education experience or coursework necessary.

To learn more, visit www.teachforamerica.org, contact
cailin.mcduff@teachforamerica.org, or subscribe to our e-newsletter at:
https://www.teachforamerica.org/online/request/subscribe.jsp.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Reminder: Eastern Religions Conference

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Conference--Eastern Religions Conference
8:00 p.m.- 11:30 p.m.
William Pitt Union Ballroom

This is a great opportunity to learn about Eastern religions in order to dispel common misconceptions and encourage tolerance among people of different religious backgrounds. The featured faiths include Theravada Buddhism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, and Sikhism. Each speaker will explain the main beliefs of the faith through a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation and will hit upon several points including: basics of the faith, living and learning according to the faith, how the faith deals with death and the afterlife, a common prayer of the faith, the speaker's own take on the faith, and what it means to him/her. After all representatives have presented about their faith, there will be a Q&A session with the audience. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Sudipta Devanath - sud16@pitt.edu
Announced by: Asian Studies Center, Hindu Students Council

Various Information Sessions This Week

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Information Session- Global Service Learning
Monday 1:00-3:00
Tuesday 10:00-12:00
Wednesday 5:00-7:30
Einstein's in Posvar Hall

Serve and learn around the world for university credit. Global Studies in Ghana, Intro to Social Documentary Film in Alabama, Native American Studies on the Navajo Nation, Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland, much more: www.globalservicelearning.org.

Information Session - Study Abroad's Professional Development Workshops- Resume Writing -
3:00-4:00pm
Union Dining Room A (1st Floor)

Lived abroad? Speak a foreign language? Studied international affairs? Get the most from your international education by learning to market what you've done! Hear from a seasoned career adviser about the most effective ways to market your experiences via resume writing strategies. Bring a copy of your updated resume to edit during the workshop!

Information Session -The Global Service Initiative
7:45 pm
Einstein's Posvar Hall
The Global Service Initiatives a new student group on campus dedicated to discussing and promoting awareness on global politics, global economy, global health, and much more. We are looking for committee chair officers - its a great way to get involved! Please email pitt.gsi@gmail.com for any questions or more information.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Roundtable--Study Abroad Brown Bag Luncheon - Europe
12:30 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
William Pitt Union, Dining Room A (1st Floor)
Hear from a panel of students and faculty who lived, studied and traveled abroad. Learn about the current events in world affairs and about opportunities to pursue regional interests at Pitt and abroad! Soda and coffee will be provided, but please bring your own "brown bag" lunch. For more information, contact Matthew Long - 412-648-7413 mcl37@pitt.edu
Sponsored by: Study Abroad Office

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Information Session: Undergraduate Research Community Research And Funding Opportunities
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Location: LRDC 9th floor (http://www.pts.pitt.edu/lrdc.html)
The Undergraduate Research Community is back this semester with yet another workshop where you can learn about various research and funding opportunities for undergraduate students. We will feature a couple of undergraduate students who will talk about specific funding opportunities that they have benefited from as well as a graduate student who will inform you of various funded summer research programs that you may qualify for (especially minority students).Feel free to bring questions and pass this along to anyone who may be interested! ** Lunch will be served **
If you plan to attend please RSVP by Tuesday, February 12th to this email address (lct5@pitt.edu).

Friday, February 08, 2008

Summer Research in Russian and the Ukraine

As with all non-Pitt study abroad programs, check with the Study Abroad office about whether Pitt has a relationship with this institutiona and about transferring credits:


HISTORICAL-ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES IN JEWISH STUDIES: THEORY AND PRACTICE
OF FIELD RESEARCH IN FORMER SHTETLS OF UKRAINE
The "Petersburg Judaica" Center of the European University at St.Petersburg,
Russia offers a summer program in the history and anthropology of East
European Jewry. The program is aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate
students with a serious interest in Jewish or Slavic studies and a working
knowledge of Russian, who wish to acquire skills of fieldwork and collect
materials relevant to their research topics. The language of instruction
will be Russian.

The program will consist of two parts:
1) three-week preparation for field research at the European University at
St.Petersburg, and
2) two-week field work in one or two former shtetls in Ukraine, as a part of
a larger research group.
The preliminary date of arrival in St. Petersburg is June 20; the
preliminary date of departure to Ukraine is mid-July, 2008. The first part
includes an introductory lecture course with the following components:

Introduction into research of oral history and culture of the former Pale of
Jewish Settlement;
Major directions and topics of research at "Petersburg Judaica" Center;
Methodology of field research;
Russian language skills for field research in the region studied;

Students will also be offered guided tours around St. Petersburg, including
"Jewish Petersburg."

Altogether, there will be 52 hours of class work in St. Petersburg and 72
hours of field work in Ukraine, 14 hours each of the three weeks on average.

At the end of the theoretical part of the course students are expected to
submit an essay which should include a rationale and a questionnaire for
their research topic.

More information can be found at the St. Petersburg Judaica website
http://www.eu.spb.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=272&Itemid=02
All participants will be accommodated in a home-style hotel, with two people
in a room (approximately $ 40 per day). During the expedition the group will
stay at a local hotel; kosher food will be available.

Successful participants of the program will earn 4 credits from the European
University at St. Petersburg. For additional enquiries please contact Dr.
Anna Kushkova at: kushka@eu.spb.ru.

Dr. Anna Kushkova: kushka@eu.spb.ru.
Petersburg Judaica Center
European University at St Petersburg
3 Gagarinskaya St.,
St. Petersburg 191187 Russia
Email: kushka@eu.spb.ru
Visit the website at
http://www.eu.spb.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=272&Itemid=02

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Eastern Religions Conference Thursday February 14

Conference--Eastern Religions Conference
8:00 pm - 11:30 pm
William Pitt Union Ballroom
Audience: Open to all members of the Pitt community
Cost: Free
Announced by: Asian Studies Center, Hindu Students Council

This is a great opportunity to learn about Eastern religions in order to dispell common misconceptions and encourage tolerance among people of different religious backgrounds. The featured faiths include Theravada Buddhism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, and Sikhism. Each speaker will explain the main beliefs of the faith through a 10-minute Powerpoint presentation and will hit upon several points including: basics of the faith, living and learning according to the faith, how the faith deals with death and the afterlife, a common prayer of the faith, the speaker's own take on the faith, and what it means to him/her. After all representatives have presented about their faith, there will be a Q&A session with the audience. Refreshments will be provided.
For more information, contact Sudipta Devanath - sud16@pitt.edu

Study Abroad Brown Bag Lunch February 13

Roundtable--Study Abroad Brown Bag Luncheon - Europe
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
William Pitt Union, Dining Room A (1st Floor)
Audience: Students, Faculty and Staff
Sponsored by: Study Abroad Office

Hear from a panel of students and faculty who lived, studied and traveled abroad. Learn about the current events in world affairs and about opportunities to pursue regional interests at Pitt and abroad! Soda and coffee will be provided, but please bring your own "brown bag" lunch.
For more information, contact Matthew Long - 412-648-7413 mcl37@pitt.edu

Funding Opportunities from UCIS

International Studies Fund (ISF) grant competition
The International Studies Fund (ISF) is intended to help students at the University of Pittsburgh to conduct research on international issues or in international settings. ISF grants may not be used for tuition, language study, internships and other non-research related expenses. Conference, workshop or symposium travel is not eligible for funding. Maximum award is $1,000. Application deadline is March 15,2008. For info: www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/isf.html

For more information, please see http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/events/ucisextra.pl?jid=2398


Newman Award for International Intergenerational Project Initiatives
The Newman Award for International Intergenerational Project Initiatives is intended to partially support the expenses of international travel incurred by University of Pittsburgh undergraduate and graduate students involved in an academic project with an international intergenerational component. Applications accepted through March 21, 2008, for summer and fall 2008 projects. Info at: www.ucis.pitt.edu/main/newman.html

For more information, please see http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/events/ucisextra.pl?jid=2397

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Call for Papers including Undergraduate Papers: Deadline February 29

International and Interdisciplinary Conference
Human Rights, Individualism and Globalization
April 10-12, 2008
Sponsored by the Center for Spirituality, Ethics and Global Awareness
And the Bethany College School of Arts and Sciences
Bethany College, Bethany, WV

Call for Papers
Some Suggested Topics: Cultural Narcissism; The Lonely Planet—Literature; Film and Art; Alienable Vs Inalienable Human Rights; Documenting Human Rights Abuse; Film; Art; Literature; Imagining a Human(e) Community; Common sense and Common Selves; Self Reflection and the Reflected Self; Global Orders Private Lives; The Law and Practice of Human Rights; Abolition of Slave Trade; Refugees and Forced Migration; Nationalism and Ethnicity; Diplomacy and Human Rights; Human Rights and Religious Expression ;Trafficking in Persons and Drugs; Human Rights and Globalization; Democracy; Political Rights and Human Rights; Democracy and Political Activism; NGOS and Human Rights; Rights of Women; Rights of Children; Human Rights and Diversity in the Workplace; Preventing Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace; Human Rights and Labor Exploitation; Human Rights and the Environment; War Crimes and Terror; Transnational Politics and Globalization; Gandhi's view on Globalization; Poverty and Globalization; Globalization as a Sophisticated Form of Colonization; Outsourcing; Capitalism and Worker's Union; Anti-terrorist Measures and International Human Rights; Gangs; Violent Crime and Security; Racism and the Multicultural Self; Social Responsibility and Labor Rights; Objectivist Framework of Individualism; Privacy Rights and Communications Technology; Genetic Engineering and Human Rights.
Selected papers from the conference will be published (subject to editorial review)

We will also have a session for undergraduate research paper competition. There will be an award for the best undergraduate paper.

Deadline for submission of 150 words abstract: February 29, 2008, Email to cchakrabarti@bethanywv.edu,cchakrabarti@yahoo.com
Please contact: Dr. Chandana Chakrabarti, Professor of Philosophy, Director Center for Spirituality, Ethics and Global Awareness, Phone: 304-829-7525

Lecture: "The Neo-Liberal Critique of American Evagelicalism" February 18

boundary 2, an international journal of literature and culture
presents

Jason Stevens
Assistant Professor of English
Harvard University

"Origins of an Ailing Polemic: The Neo-Liberal Critique of American Evangelicalism in its Cold War Context"

4:00 p.m., Monday, February 18, 2008
501 Cathedral of Learning

Jason Stevens received his Ph. D. from Columbia University in 2005. His current research and teaching interests include Twentieth Century American Literature; Religious Studies; American Intellectual History; Film and Mass Culture Studies; Native American Literature; Crime Fiction. He is particularly well-known for his expertise in the relations between American Christianity and Modern American Literature and Politics. His writings include the Introduction to the Signet edition of Sinclair Lewis’ Elmer Gantry, "The Bible and the Gun: Robert Penn Warren's Suspicion of Prophecy," “Should We Forget Reinhold Niebuhr,” (boundary 2), “Insurrection and Depression-Era Politics in Selznick’s Tale of Two Cities (Literature Film Quarterly), and “Bear, Outlaw, and Storyteller: American Frontier Mythology and the Ethnic Subjectivity of N. Scott Momaday” (American Literature).

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

National Security Agency Job Fairs

Event: NON-TECHNICAL AND ENGINEERING,SCIENCE & TECHNICAL JOB FAIRS

Date: 6 FEB 2008-NON-TECHNICAL, 7 FEB 2008-TECHNICAL

Time: 10 AM – 4:30 PM

Location: WILLIAM PITT UNION, MAIN FLOOR

State Department Employment deadlines

From: U.S. Department of State [mailto:careers@state.gov]
Subject: U.S. Department of State: Foreign Service Officer Test - Important Dates and Deadlines

Hello:

You have subscribed to the U.S. Department of State careers website list serve. We would like to inform you of the following important dates and deadlines for the March, 2008 test.

February 21: Deadline for candidates intending to test overseas to submit a completed Registration Package.
February 25: Deadline for candidates intending to test overseas to schedule a test seat.
February 27: Deadline for candidates intending to test in the U.S. to submit a completed Registration Package.
48 hours before start of test: Deadline for candidates intending to test in the U.S. to schedule a test seat — provided seats are still available at that test site. Keep time zone differences in mind.
It's best to give yourself plenty of time. Try to avoid crowding the deadlines.
You can also find this information on the website (http://careers.state.gov/officer/register.html).

We appreciate your interest in a career with the U.S. Department of State

Career Services Notice

Pittsburgh Non-profit Job and Internship Fair



On Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 10 am – 3 pm the first annual Pittsburgh Non-profit Job and Internship Fair will be held at the University of Pittsburgh’s William Pitt Union. The event is open to undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities in the Western Pennsylvania area, as well as interested parties from the general public. Nearly seventy nonprofit organizations will be on hand to speak with attendees about job and internship opportunities. The event is being co-sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Point Park University, Robert Morris University and the University of Pittsburgh, with generous funding from The Forbes Funds. There is no admission fee for job-seekers. Pre-registration is not required. Speakers include:



Keynote Address: Investing in the Next Generation Leadership

Diana Bucco, President, The Forbes Funds



Breakout Session 1: Growing or Building Your Career in the Nonprofit Sector

Peggy Outon, Executive Director

The Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management

Robert Morris University



Breakout Session 2: How to Find a Job/Internship in the Nonprofit Sector and Realistic

Compensation Expectations

R. Todd Owens, Manager, Dewey & Kaye



Breakout Session 3: Climbing the Career Ladder in the Nonprofit Sector: Experiences of Young Professionals

Erin Molchany, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project



For more information log onto: http://www.careers.pitt.edu/events/pittsburghnonprofit/index.html



Mon. 11 Feb.: “Resumé Writing.” Sponsored by the Study Abroad office. Hear from a seasoned career advisor about the most effective resumé-writing strategies. Bring a copy of your resumé so you can tailor it to best reflect your own international experiences. 3:00 – 4:00 pm in Dining Room A, William Pitt Union. Contact Lindsey at lsa2@pitt.edu to register.



Mon. 25 Feb.: “Interviewing.” Sponsored by the Study Abroad office. Learn about the best strategies for talking about international experiences in a professional or academic interview. Witness a ‘mock interview’ to learn the “do’s and don’ts” of interviewing. . 3:00 – 4:00 pm in Dining Room A, William Pitt Union. Contact Lindsey at lsa2@pitt.edu to register.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Reminder: Lecture on Burma

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Lecture--Global Issues Lecture Series: Musings on the Saffron Revolution: Is There Hope For Burma?
7:00 p.m.
4130 Wesley W. Posvar Hall

Burma, also called Myanmar, has been ruled by secretive, xenophobic military juntas since 1962. Last August and September, an overnight rise in fuel prices of up to 500% propelled a few brave citizens again to the streets. When the protestors were arrested, hundreds of thousands of monks took the helm, demanding the government address the country's ills. This time the world saw the protests and crackdown via images sent through the Internet by citizen journalists. In this primarily Buddhist country, the regime once again, had no compunction of using violence against its unarmed citizens, including highly revered monks. Ms. Aung-Thwin, director of the Burma Project/Southeast Asia Initiative of the Open Society Institute, will discuss the fall out of the so-called "Saffron Revolution" and the prospects for a genuine political transformation in Burma. For more information, contact Veronica Dristas - 412-624-2918 dristas@pitt.edu
Sponsored by: Global Studies Program, Global Solutions Education Fund; Asian Studies Center; Office of Cross Cultural and Leadership Development

Reminder: Summer Research Info Session

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Information Session— The Brackenridge Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship

4:00 p.m.

University Honors College- 35th Floor Cathedral of Learning

Are you interested in Summer Research opportunities? Can’t come? Check out the website: http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/opportunities/brackenridge.html

Summer Internships in Warsaw

2008 ADELPHI-CIVITAS SUMMER PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN WARSAW,
POLAND (June 1 - July 31, 2008) in ENGLISH
http://www.adelphi.edu/levermorescholars/adelphicivitas/

Internships (in English)
The program offers a unique opportunity for a limited number of students
to undertake full-time summer professional internships in various
profit, public and non-profit organizations in Warsaw, Poland that
focus, among others, on:
- arts & culture,
- human rights, migration, refugees,
- European Integration, international politics, foreign policy
- media, media advertising, journalism
- civil society and local community development, civic education,
- public health,
- Jewish history & culture,
- economics, business, finance
- domestic politics
- transparency in public administration, anti-corruption policies
- environment
A sample list of internship areas and organizations can be viewed at:
http://www.adelphi.edu/levermorescholars/adelphicivitas/location.php

ACADEMIC COURSE and CREDITS
During the internship program students take an academic seminar and
participate in the guest speaker series that help to contextualize
students' internship experience. Internships, academic seminar and guest
speaker series are all in ENGLISH. Interested students can take an
optional Polish language course. Students earn 5 credits for the
international professional and academic experience awarded by Adelphi
University.
For more information about the academic program visit:
http://www.adelphi.edu/levermorescholars/adelphicivitas/academic.php

APPLICATION
All students can apply: the program is opened to undergraduate and
graduate students from all US universities and colleges.
Application deadline: March 15, 2008 but early applications are
encouraged. Limited number of places available (25).
For more information about the program, application form and costs
visit: http://www.adelphi.edu/levermorescholars/adelphicivitas/

Inquiries about the program can be directed to Dr. Maciej Bartkowski,
Director of the Levermore Global Scholars Program at Adelphi University,
at bartkowski@adelphi.edu or 516-877-4190.

--
MACIEJ BARTKOWSKI, Ph.D.,
Director, Levermore Global Scholars Program
Adelphi University, SCI Room 122,
Garden City, NY 11530
tel: 516-877-4190; fax: 516-877-4191
LGSP website: http://www.adelphi.edu/levermorescholars/
Email: bartkowski@adelphi.edu

Friday, February 01, 2008

Conference on "Discourses of 'Jewishness'" at Pitt

The Jewish Studies Program
at the
University of Pittsburgh

presents

"Discourses of 'Jewishness'"
Sunday, March 30 and Monday, March 31, 2008

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Novelist DARA HORN
7:30 PM
W. W. Posvar Hall
Room 1501

“Do You Consider Yourself a Jewish Writer?”

Dara Horn is the Author of The World to Come. (W. W. Norton, 2006) and In the Image. (W. W. Norton, 2002).

This presentation is co-sponsored by the office of the Dean of the School of Arts and at the University of Pittsburgh in association with the
Giant Eagle Foundation

-----------------
SYMPOSIUM
Monday,March 31, 2008
2500 Posvar Hall

Session A: 8:30AM--10:00AM
“Fashioning Jewish Ethnicities”
Chair: DENNIS LOONEY, University of Pittsburgh

“Engaging America in Hebrew: Fashioning Jewish Immigrant Identities in American Hebrew Literature”
JILL AIZENSTEIN, New York University

“Marranos, Conversos, and Crypto-Latinos: Jewish and Hispanic Crossings in the American Southwest and the and the Boundaries of Ethnic Identity”
JONATHAN FREEDMAN, University of Michigan

“How the Jews Became Japanese in Brazil”
JEFFREY LESSER, Emory University

Session B: 10:30 AM--Noon
“Jewishness in the Cultural Imaginary”
Chair: GIUSEPPINA MECCHIA, University of Pittsburgh

“Convertible Subjects: Inquisition, Interrogation and Jewish Conversion in the Modern Luso-Brazilian Imaginary”
ERIN GRAFF ZIVIN, University of Pittsburgh

“The Mirror in the Window: Ferzan Ozpetek’s Jewish Rome”
LINA INSANA, University of Pittsburgh

“Italian Independence on the ‘Golden Wings’ of Jewish Emancipation”
SCOTT LERNER, Franklin and Marshall College

Session C: 1:30 PM--3:00 PM
“Reconstructing Jewish Presence”
Chair: ADAM SHEAR, University of Pittsburgh

“Sephardism and the ‘Regeneration’ of Spain: Ernesto Giménez Caballero’s Philo-Sephardic Crusade”
MICHAL FRIEDMAN, Columbia University

“Mahia: The Distillation of Moroccan/Jewish Identity”
OREN KOSANSKY, Lewis and Clark College

“’Shabbos Goyim’” and the Re-creation of ‘Jewish Space’ in present-day Poland”
ERICA LEHRER, Concordia University


Session D: 3:30 PM--4:30 PM
“Expressions: Conversations with Contemporary Jewish Artists”
Chair: KATHRYN SPITZ COHAN, Director, Pittsburgh Jewish-Israeli Film Festival

JANE BERNSTEIN, Author, Carnegie Mellon University

LESLIE GOLOMB HARTMAN, Artist; Director, American Jewish Museum

DAVID STOCK, Composer, Duquesne University













The symposium has been supported with grants from the Arts and Sciences Faculty Research and Scholarship Program, the Center for Latin American Studies, the Center for Russian and East European Studies, the European Union Center of Excellence, European Studies Center, the Department of French and Italian, and the Department of Religious Studies.

Present your research in Harrisburg...

The University of Pittsburgh will select 3 undergraduate students to participate in
Undergraduate Research at the Capitol, a poster conference in Harrisburg, PA,
on Tuesday, April 1, 2008. All expenses will be covered for the 3 students chosen to
participate. All participants are from universities and colleges in the Commonwealth.
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2008
(Students will travel to conference and stay overnight on Mar. 31)
Location: East Wing Rotunda, Capitol Building, Harrisburg
Time: 8:00am – 4:00pm
Activities: Poster Session, Recognition in the House Chamber, Presentation
on the Legislative Process, Meetings with Legislators.
Poster Size: 4-feet wide by 3-feet tall; a template will be provided.
To be considered for participation, submit requested information in a MS-Word file to
Professor Grabowski (joeg@pitt.edu) by Monday, February 11, 2008, 5:00pm.
(See requested information below.)
Students selected will be notified on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, and will work with Prof.
Grabowski to prepare their materials for submission to the conference by Fri., Feb. 15, 2008.
Interested students are encouraged to contact Professor Grabowski immediately, even if their
abstract and contact information are not yet prepared.
ABSTRACT FORMAT
Title (All CAPITAL letters, no italics except for
foreign words):
Name of Author(s):
Name of Advisor(s):
Department, Institution:
Research Sponsor (if different from
Institution):
Abstract (150-200 words, all in sentences, no
bold or underline, no references, no italics
except for foreign words):
CONTACT INFORMATION
(Main Student Presenter Only)
Name:
Phone:
Email Address:
Permanent Address:
Campus Mailing Address:
Academic Major:
Year of Study:
Special Needs:
Institution Name:
Name of Faculty Mentor or Advisor:
Advisor’s Phone:
Advisor’s Email Address:

Middle East Forum Simulation at Pitt

You are cordially invited to the 3rd Annual Session: Middle East Forum! This is a novel forum uniquely held at the University of Pittsburgh. This forum seeks to create an experiential, innovative, and objective way to simulate issues confronting countries and peoples of the Middle East. This forum is much like Model Arab League or Model UN, however it includes not only Arab countries and UN countries, but also, Israel, Iran, and the Palestinian Authority. Our forum is also unique because we will also have press agencies and scientific experts present during session. You will be receiving further instruction as to what you will be representing after you register. To register for our forum and for information on this year’s topic as well as any other questions you may have feel free to visit our website at: www.pitt.edu/~sorc/smeast.

Each delegate must download and fill out a registration form and send it via e-mail: session.middle.east@gmail.com or via postal mail: by February 23, 2008.

There is also a $20.00 registration fee per delegate to attend this conference. We hope you will consider participating as either an end-of-the-year activity, a way to include a simulation experience in your IR class, or as a simple academic distraction from the rest of your course work. If you have any further questions please e-mail Nicole Jokola at: nmj18@pitt.edu
 

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