2019 INTERNATIONAL WEEK
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Global Trivia Night
Students competed with groups of up to five undergraduate students, and tested their knowledge in global categories like Global Current Afffairs, World Culture, World History, Geography, and more.
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International Speed Friending
If you've ever heard of 'Speed Dating,' this is similar. The onluy difference was the objective: to make friends. International students made American friends in Pittsburgh and native speakers of English met people from different cultures.
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International Food Trucks
Recipes and cuisine are one of the many things that migrant peoples can take with them and can serve as a reminder of that which has been left. Cultures from all over the world were represented by several of the most popular food trucks in the city.
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World Brew: A Global Tea Party
Teas, sweeteners and finger foods from around the world were enjoyed. Students created their own unique blends as take-a-ways.
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Employability (Made In) Germany
The University of Pittsburgh and UAS7 alliance of seven German Universities of Applied Sciences brought together a range of speakers to address career and student options with German universities and businesses. The theme was Employability (Made In) Germany (EiG). The goal was to provide information about carer options at German companies in Pennsylvanie and beyond, as well as study, internship and research opportunities in Germany for US students. The event gave students the opportunity to learn about select companies in an intimate setting and ask questions on the expectations of the respective companies, when hiring interns or fresh graduates. This included roundtable discussions followed by a networking hour. The event was made possible by "The Year of German-American Friendship" initiative.
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Brain Candy Podcast
A Sugar Rush for your intellectual side, the ladies from Brain Candy Podcast, Susie Meister and Sarah Rice mused about their experiences with reality television, travel abroad, and everything in-between. Though perhaps best known for her reality TV show stardom, Pitt alum Susie Meister is well-versed in the global and social issues surrounding displacement. She has felt this first hand while participating on the MTV television show Road Rules, where she spend months outside of her normal life and confined to adventures with strangers in a Winnebago. She completed her PhD in Religious Studies at Pitt in 2014, and now works as a diversity trainer and activist against prejudice. She brings that expertise to her podcast with fellow reality star Sarah Rice from MTV's The Real World: Brooklyn, as they explored themes ranging from global travel to social media and everything in-between.
2018 INTERNATIONAL WEEK
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UCIS Celebrates 50 Years
In 1968, the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) was created as the University of Pittsburgh’s encompassing framework for all its multidisciplinary international programs. To commemorate our 50th anniversary, we held a celebration open to both the University and larger Pittsburgh community.
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Brain Candy Podcast
A Sugar Rush for your intellectual side, the ladies from Brain Candy Podcast, Susie Meister and Sarah Rice mused about their experiences with reality television, travel abroad, and everything in-between. Though perhaps best known for her reality TV show stardom, Pitt alum Susie Meister is well-versed in the global and social issues surrounding displacement. She has felt this first hand while participating on the MTV television show Road Rules, where she spent months outside of her normal life and confined to adventures with strangers in a Winnebago. She completed her PhD in Religious Studies at Pitt in 2014, and now works as a diversity trainer and activist against prejudice. She brings that expertise to her podcast with fellow reality star Sarah Rice from MTV’s The Real World: Brooklyn, as they explore themes ranging from global travel to social media and everything in between.
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You Say Potato…
The potato has been a staple of South American cuisine since the time of the Incan Empire, but the story of its migration around the world is one of not just displacement, but conquest, exploitation, famine, intrigue, defamation, delicious dishes, and semantic confusion! At this event you could follow the path of the potato through history and learn about its impact on global cuisine, language, and culture, and get a taste of different potato dishes!
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International Food Trucks
Back by popular demand, the International Week Committee invited several of the most popular food trucks in the city to share their innovative and delicious cuisines with you. Cultures from all over the world were represented by several of the most popular food trucks in the city. Recipes and cuisine are one of the many things that migrant peoples can take with them and can serve as a reminder of that which has been left behind. Students learned about the problems facing these communities while sampling their innovative and delicious cuisines.
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Global Trivia Night
Students competed with groups of up to five undergraduate students, and tested their knowledge in global categories like Global Current Affairs, World Culture, World History, Geography, and more.
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Global Company Tour
Students experienced “meet and greets” with employerswith the opportunity to rotate in and out of different ones to get the most information and advice possible in regard to launching their global careers. There was also a ‘networking room’ with alumni and other organizations/employers to get more one-on-one time to discuss possibilities and interest.
2017 INTERNATIONAL WEEK
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Screening of the Broadway musical, "Allegiance," followed by a Q&A with Lorenzo Thione and Sam Tanabe.
Inspired by true events, Allegiance is the story of the Kimura family, whose lives are upended when they and 120,000 other Japanese-Americans are forced to leave their homes following the events at Pearl Harbor. Sam Kimura seeks to prove his patriotism by fighting for his country in the war, but his sister, Kei, fiercely protests the government’s treatment of her people. An uplifting testament to the power of the human spirit, Allegiance follows the Kimuras as they fight between duty and defiance, custom and change, family bonds and forbidden loves. Legendary performer George Takei ("Star Trek," “Heroes”), who was himself an internee as a child, stars alongside Tony® winner Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Mulan) in this enthralling and epic new musical. Lorenzo Thione, lead producer of Allegiance, as well as one of the cast members, Sam Tanabe, joined us for the screening. Mr. Thione is an experienced entrepreneur, a product and marketing expert, and is the co-founder and Chief Executive of The Social Edge, an innovative media & digital marketing company that spearheaded the marketing and social media reach for both George Takei’s brand and Allegiance. Mr. Tanabe is an actor, dancer, and performer who has starred in Red Eye for Love in New York and has appeared on CBS’s "The Good Wife." He is a graduate of Point Park University, so he rejoined us to celebrate both the Allegiance musical and The University of Pittsburgh’s International Week festivities.
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Brain Candy Podcast
A Sugar Rush for your intellectual side, the ladies from Brain Candy Podcast, Susie Meister and Sarah Rice mused about their experiences with reality television, travel abroad, and everything in-between. Though perhaps best known for her reality TV show stardom, Pitt alum Susie Meister is well-versed in the global and social issues surrounding displacement. She has felt this first hand while participating on the MTV television show Road Rules, where she spent months outside of her normal life and confined to adventures with strangers in a Winnebago. She completed her PhD in Religious Studies at Pitt in 2014, and now works as a diversity trainer and activist against prejudice. She brings that expertise to her podcast with fellow reality star Sarah Rice from MTV’s The Real World: Brooklyn, as they explore themes ranging from global travel to social media and everything in between.
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An Evening with George Takei
Though perhaps best known for his former role in Star Trek and his current social media stardom, Takei is also intimately familiar with the theme of this international week. During WW2, he and his family were forced out of their home to be interred in a Japanese internment camp. At An Evening with George Takei, he spoke of the racial discrimination he faced at that time, as well as his experience as a gay Asian man throughout his career as an actor.
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Hidden Children of the Holocaust
Renée L. Sachs was part of the only 5% of Jewish children in Europe who survived the Holocaust. Her legacy is one of educating future generations against the mistakes of the past. Today, her husband and Pitt alum Keith Sachs continues this legacy by telling Renée's story.
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Author Julissa Arce visits Pitt
Julissa immigrated to America from Mexico with her family at the age of 11 and was undocumented for almost 15 years. In that time, she built a successful career on Wall Street working for Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, and had seemingly achieved the American Dream. Now an American citizen, she works as an advocate for immigrant rights and education.
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Displacement Film Series
The University Center for International Studies presentED a carefully curated series of films focusing on the theme of displacement from a variety of different angles and contexts. The event included commentary, a lecturette, and/or question and answer session immediately following the screening.