Spring 2018  | Mar 12 - Mar 16 | e-Weekly Archive

Wednesday, Mar 14 | 11:00 am
507 E. Green St., Rm. 411
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Conversations On Europe connects top experts from around the United States and Europe to discuss contemporary issues facing Europe and the Transatlantic relationship. Using both personal and institutional video conference technology, panelists take questions and interact with audiences at the University of Pittsburgh and at remote sites in the US and Europe.

This video conference will discuss the May 1968 general strike and civil unrest in France and its legacy. (Wikimedia image credit: George Garrigues.)

The Conversations on Europe Videoconference series is sponsored by European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh, along with the European Union Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Jean Monnet Center of Excellence at Florida International University.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Wednesday, Mar 14, 2018   1:00 - 3:00 pm  
Center for Nonviolence, Auditorium A011-Lower Level, College of Lake County
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The European Union Studies Program and the U.S. Department of Education, the College of Lake County, Center For Nonviolence is privileged to present Adam Michnik, renowned Polish activist, Solidarity leader, advocate of nonviolent direct action, newspaper editor, and author. Mr. Michnik who was imprisoned for 6 years by Communist authorities in Poland during the 1980s will discuss his Letter From Gdansk Prison published by the New York Review of Books.

The winner of numerous international awards for his promotion of human rights (including the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, the Erasmus Award, the Ion Raitu Democracy Award from the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Goethe Medal from the Goethe Institute among others), Mr. Michnik will reflect on the influence of Dr. King's Letter From Birmingham Jail and the impact of Kingian nonviolence on the struggle for freedom and just societies in central and eastern Europe live from Warsaw, Poland via WebEx.

Q and A to follow.

Students, faculty and community members are encouraged to attend this event.

Sponsored by European Union Studies Program, Jan Karski Educational Foundation, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Peace Exchange, Addie Wyatt Center for Nonviolence Training

Friday, Mar 9 - Thursday, Apr 5 | Various times
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State Street, Chicago
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This Chicago film festival runs from March 9-April 5, exclusively featuring films from nations of the European Union. Films will screen throughout the week. See the Siskel Film Center website for details.

Sponsored by European Union Center, Gene Siskel Film Center (Art Institute of Chicago)

Mar 19, 2018   4:00 - 6:30 pm  
Huis Bethlehem, Aula Wolfspoort (BETH 00.08), Schapenstraat 34, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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This event will feature two roundtable panel discussions, the first on Contestation, Cooperation, and Global Threats in the Transatlantic Security Community, and the second on Transatlantic Competition, Cooperation and Contestation in the Area of Trade and Sustainability. The discussions will be followed by a reception beginning at 6:30pm. Participation is free, however due to a limited number of seats, registration is required. To register, email registrations@kuleuven.be by March 15. Note that this event takes place in Belgium.

Discussants include Prof. Patrick Pasture (Director "Master of European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives", KU Leuven); Prof. Stephen Keukeleire (Co-Director "Master of European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives" and Leuven International and European Studies, KU Leuven); Mr. Richard Tibbels (Head of Division "United States and Canada Division", MD "Americas", European External Action Service); Mr. Alexandros Papaioannou (Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO); Prof. Michael Smith (University of Warwick and Guest Professor KU Leuven); Prof. Simon Duke (European Institute for Public Administration, Maastricht); Dr. Neil Vander Most (Visiting Coordinator of Academic Programs, European Union Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign); Mr. Jan Vandenberghe (Senior Coordinator for EU-US Relations, DG Trade, European Commission); Prof. Katja Biedenkopf (Leuven International and European Studies, KU Leuven); Prof. Jan Wouters (Director, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, KU Leuven).

Sponsored by the European Union Center and the KU Leuven European Studies Programme

Wednsday, Mar 27 | 11 am  
507 E. Green St, Rm 411
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This video conference will address populism in Italy, and will take place in Italian.

The Conversations on Europe Videoconference series is sponsored by European Studies Center and European Union Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh, along with the European Union Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Jean Monnet Center of Excellence at Florida International University.

Wednesday, Mar 28 | 4 pm
Foreign Languages Building, Rm. 1080 (Lucy Ellis Lounge)
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States and banks have traditionally maintained close ties. At various points in time, states have used banks to manage their economies and soak up government debt, while banks enjoyed regulatory forbearance, restricted competition, and implicit or explicit guarantees from their home markets. The political foundations of banks have thus been powerful and enduring, with actors on both sides of the aisle reluctant to sever relations.

The central argument of this lecture, however, is that in the world’s largest integrated market, Europe, the traditional political ties between states and banks have been transformed. Specifically, through a combination of post-communist transition, monetary union, and economic crisis, states in Europe no longer wield preponderant influence over their banks. I explain why we have witnessed the radical denationalization of this politically vital sector, as well as the consequences for economic volatility, policy autonomy and the future of the euro. The findings in Europe have implications for other world regions, which, to varying degrees, have also experienced intensified pressure on their traditional models of domestic political control over finance.States and banks have traditionally maintained close ties. At various points in time, states have used banks to manage their economies and soak up government debt, while banks enjoyed regulatory forbearance, restricted competition, and implicit or explicit guarantees from their home markets. The political foundations of banks have thus been powerful and enduring, with actors on both sides of the aisle reluctant to sever relations.

Rachel A. Epstein is Professor of International Relations and European Politics at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. Her publications include In Pursuit of Liberalism: International Institutions in Postcommunist Europe (Johns Hopkins 2008) and a special issue of the Review of International Political Economy entitled "Assets or Liabilities? Banks and the Politics of Foreign Ownership versus National Control" (2014). Her research and teaching examine the relationship between economic trends and national security outcomes, the dynamics of postcommunist transition, the role of international organizations in global politics, and economic crises and financial reform.

Organized by the European Union Center

Thursday, Mar 29 | 7:30 pm
210 Levis Faculty Center (Music Room)
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The keynote address for the Joint Area Centers Symposium (JACS) will be delivered by Tariq Ali, Writer, Filmmaker, and Editor of New Left Review. He will be speaking on "The Broken Ladder: The Global Left Fifty Years After 1968." 

Friday, Mar 30 | 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
208 Levis Faculty Center (Music Room)
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At the end of the Cold War, the notion of revolution seemed to have been placed among the relics of history. Francis Fukuyama’s “end of history” and Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” emerged as bold, alternative frameworks to imagine the course of history after the age of political revolutions had come to an end. Then, the so called Arab Springs and the re-emergence of radical narratives of transformation, from Ukraine to Venezuela, have forced intellectuals and politicians to reconsider the actuality and the meaning of revolutions in the age of globalization. As part of the year-long initiatives to discuss the history and the legacy of the Russian Revolution of 1917, this year’s Joint Area Centers Symposium will reflect on today’s legacy and significance of the concept of revolution.

The symposium will be articulated around 4 themes: 1) religion and revolution, 2) anti-colonialism, 3) violence and transformation, and 4) gender, race, minorities and revolution. The goal of the symposium is to bring experts from different disciplines and different geographical areas to articulate the productiveness or the anachronism of the concept of revolution in multiple cultural contexts. Our goal is to contribute to the debate on radical transformations today from a multilateral perspective that abandons the parochialism of a Western-centric understanding of the world. Scholars from and experts on China, India, Latin America, Europe and Africa will provide a truly transnational perspective to the symposium.

Sponsored by: Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center; Center for African Studies; Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies; Center for Global Studies; Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies; Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; European Union Center; Department of French and Italian; Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures; Department of Linguistics; Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures; Program in Comparative and World Literature; School of Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics; Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory; Women and Gender in Global Perspectives

Spring 2018 Semester
Instructor: Neil Vander Most 

The EU Center is happy to announce a new course in its course, the European Union for Professionals. This eight-week asynchronous online course is intended serve as an introduction to the European Union, with a particular focus on providing its students with enough information to allow them to competitively apply for European Union grants and funding opportunities. This course is intended for working professionals in the business, education, media, non-profit, and think-tank sectors. The first two weeks will introduce students to the European Union, laying out its institutional contours and frequent challenges. The next three weeks then focus on the issues associated with American international education and international recruitment more broadly. The course concludes with a practical and focused discussion about the details of European Union funding opportunities and where to find all of the required application materials on the internet.

This course will be primarily done asynchronously, with students being able to take the course at a pace that works best for their busy schedules. The one exception will be a week where students will have the opportunity to talk with the EU Center Director, Carla Santos and ask her questions about creating European related programming. This course is free and is not being offered for credit this semester.

Interested? Seats are still available! Please visit this page for more information and for the online course application. Questions? Please email the course administrator, Dr. Neil Vander Most at vanderm1@illinois.edu.

As one example of course content, students will watch Kedi (2016) a world-famous documentary about hundreds of thousands of stray cats that live side by side with humans in Istanbul.

Fall 2018 Semester
TR 2-3:20PM | 3 CREDITS
Instructor: Ayşe Özcan

TURK 490 will explore language and culture dynamics in Turkey within an interdisciplinary framework through its history, literature, art,cinema, media, music, and religion from the pre-Islamic era to the  present day, with a focus on modern Turkey (20th-21st centuries). This course will pay special attention to the complexities of Turkish modernity by examining the politics of secularization and modernization along with the implications of current trajectories to better understand how cultural continuities and transformations gave birth to modern Turkish language.

Open to graduates and undergraduates! This course may be of interest to students who are pursuing studies on and/or are interested in the concepts of culture, language, identity, diversity, nationalism, and migration in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Taught in English with no prior knowledge of Turkey or Turkish is required.

Please feel free to contact the instructor at aozcan@illinois.edu if you have any questions about the course.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Calling all foodies!

In celebration of International Week, we are turning our tastebuds global. The European Union Center will be compiling a cookbook of delicious dishes from around the EU and hosting a campus-wide potluck to celebrate. If you have a recipe for a meal native to an EU country, we are on the hunt for the best pierogi, paella, and other tasty dishes, so please submit them now! The potluck will be held on April 2nd from 12-2 pm in ISB 101 to showcase these recipes. We invite you to show us how it's done and cook up your famous dish to share with the campus! The winner of the tastiest dish will receive a printed copy of the EU Cookbook and some official EUC swag. All submissions can be submitted here by March 23rd. Bon appetit! 

If you would like to announce your conversation tables & coffee hours, please send the information to Paul Myers

Mondays | 4-6 pm
Caffe Paradiso, 801 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana

Kaffeestunde is open to all interested parties who want to practice their German, no matter their German level. This event is sponsored by Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Schwenk.

Mondays | 4 PM
Espresso Royale, 1117 W Oregon St, Urbana

Interested in learning more about Turkish culture and language? Come to the Turkish table! All levels are welcome! For more information, see the University of Illinois Turkish Circle or email Dr. Ayse Ozcan

Mar 13 | 4 - 5 pm
Foreign Languages Building, Rm 1080 (Lucy Ellis Lounge)

Every one is welcome to this event sponsored by the Arabic Language Program and Less Commonly Taught Languages Program. Contact Dr. Eman Saadah for additional information. 

Wednesday, Apr 4 | 5-6 PM
La Casa Cultural Latina, 1203 W. Nevada St

Bate Papo is conducted by instructors in the Portuguese Language and Brazilian Studies Program at the University of Illinois. Here, students can practice the language, learn about the cultures of Portuguese speaking countries, and make new friends! Visit this Facebook page for additional information. 

If you would like to announce your movie nights, please send the information to Paul Myers

Thursday, Mar 15 | 6 pm
Foreign Languages Building, Rm. 1080 (Lucy Ellis Lounge)

The Department of French and Italian presents Italian Movie Night. This series continues with Una Giornata Particolare (Scola, 1977). Priority seating is given to students registered for Italian classes. Contact Pierpaola Spagnolo for more information. 

Drs. Feldman-Savelberg and Gottlieb

This week, we highlight Dr. Alma Gottlieb, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, African Studies, and Gender and Women's Studies, though an interview she just published with Dr. Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg in EuropeNow, a publication of the Council of European Studies at Colombia Univeristy  

The article, found here, discusses the dire and always timely issues of immgrants' lives, statuses, and images as they move in and across Africa and to Europe and elsewhere. It is a part of the larger series "Beyond Eurafrica: Encounters in a Globalized World".

If you would like to announce an event through the EUC e-Weekly, please send the information by no later than the prior Thursday of the event to the EUC Visiting Outreach Coordinator Paul Myers at psmyers2@illinois.edu.