What did Soviet empire look like in intimate terms—as experienced and perceived through the lens of interpersonal relations? Despite many decades of scholarship on Soviet society and subjectivity, we have very few neighborhood-level studies of sociability and materiality, although interpersonal experience and relations undoubtedly played a key role in defining belonging, identity, and/or alienation. In other words, to make sense of the legacies of Russian colonialism, we need to think not only of top-down policies and myths of the “friendship of peoples” (although these cannot be excluded, of course), but also of how people applied, adjusted, and lived within this system—something shaped, as this talk shows, by the very material, economic, and geographic conditions of their day-to-day lives.

Attendees are invited to join discussion afterwards 3:30-4:20 on neighborhoods of Soviet and post-Soviet Tbilisi “ with Heather DeHaan, Dr. Maria C Taylor and students in LA6930 course on Second World Urbanism.

Speaker

Heather DeHaan is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies Program at Binghamton University. Her research has focused on the making of Soviet cities, but whereas her first book (Stalinist City Planning, Professionals, Performance and Power [U. Toronto Press, 2013]) focused primarily on urban planning, her current research explores the contributions of ordinary urban denizens. This research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Fulbright, and the Kennan Institute.

Host

The Institute for European Studies, part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies

Join Einaudi Center experts for World in Focus Talks on global events in the news and on your mind. Our faculty's research and policy insights put the world in focus.

This year we’re hosting informal campus discussions on many Tuesday afternoons. This week’s topic:

Following a military buildup in the Caribbean, the U.S. government has confirmed multiple airstrikes on Venezuelan boats suspected of drug smuggling—killing at least 17 in September. The U.S. claims these actions are “armed conflict” against narcoterrorist organizations. The Venezuelan government condemns the attacks as illegal.

Is the U.S. violating international law? What may happen if tensions continue to escalate?

***

Featured Faculty

Oumar Ba (PACS) | Government Pedro M. R. Barbosa (LACS) | Visiting ScholarKen Roberts (LACS) | GovernmentDavid Bateman | GovernmentAleida Sandoval | Visiting Scholar

***

Conversations Matter at Einaudi

This conversation is hosted by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and its regional and thematic programs. Find out what's in store for students at Einaudi!

Cornell’s international community faces evolving questions about their rights and mobility. To help our students, faculty, and staff navigate these immigration policy changes, Global Cornell is sponsoring a webinar series featuring legal and immigration experts. These virtual sessions provide guidance on legal protections, recent policy updates, and Cornell-specific implications and include Q&A. The webinars are open to Cornell faculty, staff, and students. Registration is required.

***

Immigration Policy Updates: What Cornell’s International Community Should Know
Wednesday, October 8 | 3 p.m. | eCornell

A Cornell immigration law expert and International Services leader discuss current and proposed changes affecting students, faculty, and staff. Topics include student visas, social media vetting, travel and border crossing, know-your-rights guidance, and updates on the proposed duration of status rule and H-1B proclamation.

Panelists

Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, Cornell Law SchoolLaura Taylor, director of International ServicesModerator: Wendy Wolford, Vice Provost for International Affairs

***

Register for the October 8 webinar. Submit your questions anonymously.

***

Join us again on November 19.

Sponsored by Global Cornell and its Office of Global Learning.

Presented by Gopalaya & Gopal Yonjan Foundation

Dedicated to Peace, Unity & Harmony in Nepal

At a time when Nepal’s wounds are still raw and much remains to be rebuilt, the program turns to the enduring power of Gopal Yonjan’s songs through stories and compositions presented by his wife Renchin Yonjan and singers from Nepal.

Gopal Yonjan’s musical legacy is archived at the Rare & Manuscripts Division, Cornell University

Female spirit mediums unsettled the late imperial state and Confucian elite due to their access to unseen worlds. Yet these women remained vital to ritual life and popular in anecdotal literature. This colloquium examines two to three texts exploring how Ming-Qing scholars discussed the influence of female spirit mediums within and beyond the domestic space.

To join virtually: https://cornell.zoom.us/j/93897995492?pwd=atUpMapQEnBn8ULXGTSRgX7d7V3tT…

About Cornell Classical Chinese Colloquium
The group meets monthly during the semester to explore a variety of classical Chinese texts and styles. Other premodern texts linked to classical Chinese in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese have also been explored. Presentations include works from the earliest times to the 20th century. Workshop sessions are led by local, national, and international scholars. Participants with any level of classical Chinese experience are welcome to attend.
o At each session, a presenter guides the group in a reading of a classical Chinese text. Attendees discuss historical, literary, linguistic, and other aspects of the text, working together to resolve difficulties in comprehension and translation.
o No preparation is required; all texts will be distributed at the meeting.
o Refreshments will be served.