Campus Humanities Calendar

Dr. Nadim Bawalsa is a historian of modern Palestine. He holds a PhD in History and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies from New York University.

Musicologist Mackenzie Pierce examines the role of Polish Jewish musicians in shaping concert music amid antisemitism, Nazi occupation, and postwar rebuilding in his forthcoming book. Reconstructing their lives from the 1920s to the 1950s, he reveals how music became both a means of cultural preservation and a tool for reinvention.

Explore stories of cultural self-determination in societies around the world. Dr. Christina Gonzalez, co-curator of Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia Indígena del Caribe ¡Taino Vive!, will lead tours of the exhibit, and staff will share some of the museum's collections related to resistance and cultural identity in the face of oppression.

The RBML welcomes Justine Murison, editor of a new critical edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel. Murison will discuss the work’s historical and literary contexts, the revolutionary politics with which the novel engages, and the enduring questions it asks about American society. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. This event is free, and a

Join us for a panel featuring Mary Arends-Kuenning, “Government Policies and Their Impacts on Women’s Empowerment.” Vernita Pearl Fort, "Forging a Human Rights Economy within Planetary Boundaries: A Response to unprecedented ‘Glocal’ Crises and Opportunities." McKenzie Johnson, “The Work of Women Environmental Defenders in Extractive Economies”...

The speaker for the India Studies Lecture for 2025 is Vasudha Narayanan. She is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida and a past President of the American Academy of Religion. Her lecture will be on "Tamil Culture: More sweet than celestial nectar, more precious than one’s breath." It will be held at the Spurlock Museum...

Join us for a talk by recent CAS Associate Soo Ah Kwon (Asian American Studies) on moving beyond simple binaries such as reformist/radical, inside/outside, or status-quo/anti-establishment to better understand youth activism.

Join us on Friday, April 4th for a Graduate Student Lunch & Learn: Publishing on Gender Related Topics. Please rsvp at https://go.illinois.edu/GradLunchLearn

Join the RBML for a hands-on journey through history! Play historical board games that bring the past to life as you roll the dice, make your moves, and uncover the stories behind them. Perfect for all ages, this interactive in-person event invites families, students, and community members to connect, learn, and have fun. Don’t just study history—experience it through play

Work-in-progress talk and paper: “Little Tech on the Prairie" by Matthew Darmour-Paul, PhD candidate in Sociology at Australian National University and tutor in architecture at the University of Sydney. His research explores place-based computational practices and techno-nationalism in the American Midwest.

Dr. Maritza Paredes, Sociology Professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, will discuss the complexities of extractive frontier expansion and its intersection with global climate change policies in conservation areas, particularly within indigenous communities. Her research explores the redistributive and justice dimensions of these processes, shedding light...

This panel will feature Karen Flynn (Terrance & Karyn Holm Endowed Professor, UIC); Julie A. Pryde (C-U Public Health District Administrator); Lauren R. Aronson (Clinical Professor of Law and Immigration Law Clinic Director); and Jessica R. Greenberg (Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of EUC).

Between the late 1920s and mid-1960s, several Jewish social scientists and humanities scholars laid the theoretical groundwork for ethnic and immigration studies in the United States. The concepts these scholars developed – terms such as acculturation, urbanism, assimilation, and cultural pluralism – reshaped the understanding of America as a pluralist society of...

The Third Wave of the Asian American Studies Movement: Advocating for & Advancing Asian American Studies in K-12 Classrooms

We welcome you to join us at the iSchool for an in-person panel discussion and informal reception on Tuesday April 8th. Critical data studies takes on one of the most important issues facing society today: how do we build secure, accessible and equitable information infrastructures to support our communities? Join us for a conversation on the concepts, sites of study...

Join We CU Community Engaged Scholars & the Career Center to learn how you can translate your volunteer experience into a powerful resume or CV.

Dr. Bryce Henson is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication & Journalism and an Africana Studies Program Affiliate at Texas A&M University.

This will be a conversation with Tobias Brinkmann about his recent book, Between Borders: The Great Jewish Migration from Eastern Europe. It tells and contextualizes the stories of Jewish migrants and refugees from Eastern and Central Europe before and after the First World War. It explains how immigration laws in countries such as the United States influenced migration...

Please join us for a lecture by Herman von Hesse, an assistant professor of art history, titled "Love of Stone Houses: Anxious Transformations, Collateralized Ancestral Spaces and the Ambivalence of Security on the Gold Coast."

Join us for a free screening of Queendom (2023), followed by a discussion with producer Igor Myakotin. This documentary follows Jenna, a queer artist in Russia, who stages radical public performances to challenge perceptions of beauty and queerness while protesting government oppression. Myakotin, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, brings this powerful story to the screen.

Dr. Winful, a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology and a participant in the DRIVE Illinois Distinguished Postdoctoral Program, will discuss her research on the biological mechanisms linking stress to health, with a focus on inflammation.

Attendees will become familiar with the differences between a dissertation and first book manuscript, and will further learn about identifying points of revision, creating a revision plan/timeline, approaching editors/presses, writing a book proposal, and the publishing process at a glance.

The book explores how the centrality of sonic practices and experiences within Islamic traditions stems largely from the orality of the Qur’an and the importance of recitation, while arguing that sound can provide a productive point of entry to human cultures in general.

The Department of Asian American Studies welcomes Dr. Nayan Shah, Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity and History at the University of Southern California to present his talk "Mutual Aid and Resisting Carceral Power: Asian American Strategies".

Celebrate the exhibition opening of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR): Red Regalia Project created with Chicago-based Native artist Angel Starr (Omaha, Odawa, Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota) to call attention to violence against Indigenous Peoples. Part of the 2024–2025 Native North American Art Residency...

SPEAK stands for Song, Poetry, Art, and Knowledge. It’s an open-mic public performance space at Krannert Art Museum curated by local artist, Shaya Robinson, featuring guest performers and welcoming all to the mic.

The Center for Children's Books will be hosting a mini-book sale in the Main Quad consisting of Young Adult (YA) books! Funds will be used to support CCB staff and programs. This will be a touchless/card only sale. This book sale is open to all students of UIUC.

Calling all graduate students, how fast can you present your research? Join this event to meet other Illinois graduate students and share your research in 3 minutes or less. Light lunch available for all registered participants. Registration is Required at https://go.illinois.edu/LightningTalk25

Join us for a lecture titled "A Constructivist Account of Care Ethics" by Sarah Clark Miller, an associate professor of philosophy, bioethics, and women's gender, and sexuality studies at Pennsylvania State University.

The Constitution of Japan, the oldest unamended constitution in the world, has become the focus of renewed partisan debate, with government leaders increasingly advocating for revision. However, whether this elite-driven initiative aligns with public sentiment remains uncertain.

This talk examines the factors shaping civic support for and opposition to constitutional change by analyzing two key dimensions of constitutional legitimacy. Drawing on original surveys and experiments, this study sheds light on the evolving role of constitutionalism in Japan and its broader implications for democratic governance.

After a delayed impeachment process lasting over three months, South Korea faces a critical juncture. The Constitutional Court’s ruling on Yoon’s impeachment will be a decisive moment, shaping the trajectory of South Korean democracy or exposing systemic vulnerabilities. In this roundtable, four Korean experts from UIUC will discuss the ongoing political turmoil and...

The Interdisciplinary Sport Studies Research Cluster is pleased to host Dr. Letisha Brown, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Brown will give a guest talk on her upcoming book titled, Say Her Name: Centering Black Feminism and Black Women in Sport, with Rutgers University Press

Please join us to celebrate the book launch of LLS professor, Aja Y. Martinez's new book The Origins of Critical Race Theory: The People and Ideas That Created a Movement, co-authored with Robert O. Smith (University of North Texas). The book weaves together the many sources of critical race theory, recounting the origin story for one of the most insightful and...

Free lunch and informal talk for undergraduates of any major. With poet and essayist Ross Gay.

Join us for a lecture in the Illinois Forum on Human Flourishing in a Digital Age Speaker Series with Christine Rosen. Her lecture "Defending the Human in a Technological World" will explore what it means to be human in a world that promises near-endless opportunities for virtual, disembodied experience.

A public reading and book signing with award-winning poet and essayist Ross Gay.

Join us for a lecture from Dr. Robert O. Smith (Chickasaw), a professor at the University of North Texas, titled "Red Power, Black Power: Vine Deloria, Derrick Bell, and the Critique of Liberalism."

World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age. Guest speaker John M. Kinder, Professor of History and Director of American Studies at Oklahoma State University, discusses his new book just out from the Univ. of Chicago Press on zoos, animals, and war.

​From confrontation to engagement to rivalry, U.S.-China relations have undergone a dramatic transformation over the past seven decades. This talk traces key patterns and turning points leading to today’s tensions over trade, technology, security, and global influence. As the two superpowers navigate a new phase of strategic competition and mutual suspicion, what are...

Kang Endowed Lecture with Professor Dali Yang (Univ. of Chicago) traces the dramatic transformation of U.S.-China relations over the past seven decades, from confrontation to engagement to rivalry. It focuses on key patterns and turning points leading to current tensions over trade, technology, security, and global influence, and explores future prospects.

The SKY Happiness Retreat is an internationally acclaimed life-skills program that helps participants develop a relaxed, stress-free mind and an energetic, healthy body. The retreat teaches tools such as evidence-based meditation, yoga, breathwork and self-exploration in a fun and an experiential format.

Join us for a lecture by ethnomusicologist Olga Zaitseva-Herz on the role of music in Russia’s war on Ukraine. She explores how state-controlled and grassroots music scenes shape the war’s political and social dynamics. A postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta, Zaitseva-Herz examines music as a tool of resistance, diplomacy, and identity.

Join the Department of Philosophy for a lecture with John D. Norton, a distinguished professor at the University of Pittsburgh. His lecture "How the material theory of induction dissolves the problem of induction" will explore Hume's problem of induction and argues that attempts to revive the problem within material theory fail.

At Spurlock Museum in the Knight Auditorium, Japan House is pleased to welcome Japanese calligrapher Seiran Chiba for a performance and lecture. Chiba's performance will be interactive with the audience and features musical accompaniment from Ho Etsu Taiko. Doors to the Knight Auditorium will open at 12:45PM. Registration is strongly recommended and seating is first-come..

Japan House is pleased to partner with the Spurlock Museum to feature the exhibition opening of Kogei: Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts of Fukushima, Japan. The reception and artist meet and greet features Fukushima artists Seiran Chiba, Akie Hashimoto, and Ayako Hirai. There will be light refreshments served and visitors can mingle with the artists and view their...

Scholarly interest in British Black Power has grown over the last decade with the movement increasingly situated as a key conjuncture in modern British history and an important site in the global history of Black Power. Yet there is still more to know about how Black Power operated at the grassroots in communities across Britain.

Please join the EUC, History, and Political Science for a screening of the 2004 film Downfall (Der Untergang), which depicts the final days of Adolf Hitler during the Battle of Berlin.

Join us for a lecture in the Illinois Forum on Human Flourishing in a Digital Age Speaker Series with Paul Scherz. His talk will examine the emerging field of precision medicine, which uses AI to identify risk factors, and will explore the effects an intensive focus on risk has on medicine, doctors, and patients. He will also suggests ways to implement AI that avoids...

In this evocative conversation, MacArthur Fellow and award-winning artist Taylor Mac—a playwright, actor, songwriter, performance artist, director, and producer whose epic performance work, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, was nominated for a 2017 Pulitzer Prize...

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts presents a conversation with MacArthur Fellow and award-winning performer, Taylor Mac, on Tuesday, April 22nd at 7:30pm. Mac—a writer and performer—speaks about centering Queer stories, the future of the theatre in an uncertain world, and the power of transforming calamity into communion.

Join us for an event exploring the Jesuit archives at the Jesuit University in Beirut. The archive includes memoirs, diaries, letters, and other documents that detail various aspects of daily life during The Great Famine from 1915 to 1918. Featured speakers include Dr. Christian Taoutel (Saint Joseph University of Beirut) and Dr. Marc Abou Abdallah (Uof I)

This informal group aims to bring together graduate students from across campus to share their enthusiasm for the thought-provoking scholarship that animates them as people. Stop by to listen, chat, and share lunch! Light refreshments provided.

Darius and Catherine Brubeck discuss their pioneering jazz curriculum and performance program developed in apartheid-era South Africa that brought black and white musicians together to create a soundtrack to the freedom struggle and its aftermath. South African jazz scholar and performer Colin Miller joins this conversation.

Join a captivating presentation and Q&A with Dr. Taeghwan Hyeon, the director of the Center for Nanoparticle Research in the Institute for Basic Science at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea.

Photographers Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian will present a two-part art exhibit from their iWitness project at the Siebel Design Center in the spring culminating in a moderated talk at 5pm on April 24th at the Siebel Center.

Internationally known jazz pianist Darius Brubeck is joined on stage by University of Illinois students Adib Young (sax), Emma Taylor (bass) and Max Osawa (drums) in a two-set performance that showcases a wide range of jazz styles and offers the audience a chance to hear how jazz music has a universal connection and longevity.

At a moment that brings unprecedented threats to higher education and academic freedom 10 the US, coupled with existential challenges to institutions norms and democratic institutions, please join the AAUP Illinois Local Chapter to discuss how and why authoritarian programs seek to dismantle universities.

"Pansori Narrative and Cultural Contents" Sun Hyun Kim, Associate Professor, Sookmyung Women's University | "Reading activities for Chinese imperial examination scholars from the 14th to 17th centuries" Na An, Associate Professor of Chinese History, Jilin Jiangsu University

Japan House's annual Fall Open House resumes on Saturday, April 26 featuring Seiran Chiba, Akie Hashimoto, and Ayako Hirai to present on Fukushima traditional arts and crafts. Traditional Japanese tea ceremonies will be offered at 11am, 1pm, and 2pm. At 12pm, the artists will be giving a free presentation about their work.

“Tesseract,” the culminating thesis concert of the Bachelor of Fine Arts class of 2025 brings fresh perspectives from the creative mind/bodies of “soon to be” Dance at Illinois alumni.

This session gets into the technicalities of podcast distribution. We will cover library policies as well as ethical and legal guidelines for ownership and fair use, copyright, and ensuring the accessibility of your podcast.

Join us for a lecture from Jeff McMahan, the emeritus Sekyra and White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy from the University of Oxford, titled "Human Extinction and the Morality of Procreation."

Join the LAS Office of Research to learn more about grant support for faculty researchers in LAS. Our team will share information on pre-award services, such as budgeting, document review, and preparing for submission to SPA. This session will be particularly helpful for faculty without access to dedicated unit-based grant support staff.

This panel convenes energy researchers and activists to reflect on lessons learned from the fight against the Dakota Access Pipelines, and on present-day issues in our energy landscape. Panelists John Albers (Advanced Energy United), Emily Guske (UIUC Climate Jobs Institute), Richard Stuckey (Save Our Illinois Land), Tabitha Tripp (Public Rail Now campaign and SAFE: South

Join us for a powerful conversation with Peruvian women environmental defenders as they share firsthand experiences from the frontlines of climate activism in the Amazon. Learn about the challenges they face, the communities they protect, and the urgent realities of defending land, water, and life in one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems.