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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260111T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260111T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251022T230431Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T230456Z
UID:2193462-1768140000-1768147200@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Chamber Music at the Clark presents: Escher Quartet
DESCRIPTION:Within months of its inception in 2005\, the Escher Quartet came to the attention of key musical figures worldwide. Championed by the Emerson Quartet\, the Escher Quartet was invited by both Pinchas Zukerman and Itzhak Perlman to be Quartet-in-Residence at each artist’s summer festival: the Young Artists Program at Canada’s National Arts Centre\, and the Perlman Chamber Music Program on Shelter Island\, NY. \nThe Escher Quartet has received acclaim for its profound musical insight and rare tonal beauty. A former BBC New Generation Artist and recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant\, the quartet has performed at the BBC Proms at Cadogan Hall and is a regular guest at Wigmore Hall. In its home town of New York\, the ensemble serves as season artists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. \nThe 2023–2024 season found the Escher Quartet embarking upon a major project: performances of the complete cycle of quartets by Bela Bartók\, culminating in a single concert performance of all six at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. \nThe Escher Quartet takes its name from the Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher\, inspired by Escher’s method of interplay between individual components working together to form a whole. \nFurther details and the full program are on our website.  \n\nTickets for the Escher Quartet concert will go on sale at 12 noon on Tuesday\, December 9\, 2025. \n 
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/escher-quartet-2025/
LOCATION:William Andrews Clark Memorial Library\, 2520 Cimarron Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90018\, United States
CATEGORIES:Center for 17th & 18th Century Studies,Concerts,Humanities,William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo1_Escher_no-photo-credit.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260112T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260112T130000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251216T212951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T205611Z
UID:2194037-1768215600-1768222800@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Bilingual Lecture Series: Panel on Afghan Refugees in Iran
DESCRIPTION:Panel on Afghan Refugees in Iran\nJanuary 12\, 2026\n11:00am Pacific Time\nOnline via Zoom\nIn Persian and English\nRegistration Required\nRegistration Link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hcYEa8i_QB6EIvQRBb9YEw \nMunazza Ebtikar\nPANEL MODERATOR \nDr. Munazza Ebtikar recently completed her PhD (2025) in Politics\, History\, and Anthropology at the University of Oxford. She was a 2024-2025 Peace Fellow at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and currently serves as Co-Principal Investigator of Stanford’s Sonic Resistance Archive\, documenting Afghan cultural production. She holds an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from Oxford and completed her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley with degrees in Peace and Conflict\, Middle Eastern Politics\, and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures. Dr. Ebtikar is co-editing “Civil Resistance in Afghanistan” and brings multilingual research capabilities in Persian\, Arabic\, and Pashto to her work on Afghanistan’s contemporary political and cultural transformations. \n  \n  \nAshraf Haidari\nAfghan Refugees in Iran: Precarious Protection\, Forced Returns\, and Pathways Forward \nAmbassador Ashraf Haidari is a distinguished diplomat and humanitarian leader\, serving as the Founder and President of Displaced International (DI). From 2018 to 2022\, he was Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Director-General of the South Asia Cooperative Environment Program (SACEP)\, leading initiatives on regional security\, economic cooperation\, climate resilience\, and sustainable development. At Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs\, he held key roles\, including Director-General of Policy and Strategy and Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the Afghan Embassies in Delhi and Washington\, D.C. His leadership is deeply shaped by his personal journey as a former refugee. He earned a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Wabash College\, followed by a Master’s in Security Studies at Georgetown University and a graduate certificate in Refugees\, Migration\, and Humanitarian Emergencies. \n  \n  \nMejgan Massoumi\nLives in Transit: Afghan Cultural Producers Navigating Precarity and Policing in Iran \nMejgan Massoumi is an Assistant Professor of History at Carnegie Mellon University. Her current book project examines the history of radio in Afghanistan\, revealing how music and sound shaped politics\, culture\, and everyday life at the crossroads of Asia and the Middle East. Her research has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)\, the Social Science Research Council (SSRC)\, and the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS)\, and her dissertation received the World History Association’s 2023–24 Best Dissertation Prize. Dr. Massoumi earned her PhD in History from Stanford University in 2021. She also holds degrees in Architecture (B.A.) and City Planning (M.C.P.) from the University of California\, Berkeley\, grounding her scholarship in a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective. \n  \n  \nMitra Naseh\nIncreasingly Restrictive Migration Policies for Afghans in Iran \nMitra Naseh is a forced migration scholar\, currently serving as an Assistant Professor and the Founding Director of the Forced Migration Initiative (FMI) at the Brown School\, Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on the multidimensional social and economic integration of forcibly displaced populations\, shaped by her interdisciplinary academic training\, lived experience as an immigrant\, and extensive fieldwork with non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies\, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. She is the co-author of the widely recognized book Best Practices in Social Work with Refugees and Immigrants\, published by Columbia University Press in 2019. \n  \n  \nZuzanna Olszewska\nBeyond Dorr-e Dari: The Global Literary Ripples of a Pioneering Refugee Cultural Institution in Iran \nZuzanna Olszewska is Associate Professor in the Social Anthropology of the Middle East at the University of Oxford and a fellow of St. John’s College\, Oxford. She is an anthropologist with a particular interest in the literary and cultural production among the Afghan diaspora. She is author of award-winning monograph The Pearl of Dari: Poetry and Personhood among Young Afghans in Iran (Indiana University Press\, 2015) and numerous articles. She is also a translator of Persian-language poetry from Afghanistan.
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/bilingual-lecture-series-panel-on-afghan-refugees-in-iran/
LOCATION:Online Via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Humanities,Iranian,Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-01-12_Afghan-Refugees-Panel-web-image-Pa42j2.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="UCLA Iranian Studies":MAILTO:iranianstudies@humnet.ucla.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260113T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260113T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20260108T205715Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260113T204803Z
UID:2194317-1768320000-1768327200@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Screening of award-winning short documentary “Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy” directed by Erin Trahan and Jeff Schmidt
DESCRIPTION:Screening of award-winning short documentary\nDukakis: Recipe for Democracy\ndirected by Erin Trahan and Jeff Schmidt \nPanel discussion to follow with:\nRusty Bailey (former Mayor of Riverside\, California); Daniel J.B. Mitchell (Professor Emeritus\, UCLA Anderson School of Management and Luskin School of Public Affairs); Erin Trahan (Co-Director); and Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks (President & CEO of ECOS) \nPresented by the UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture\nand the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs \nSponsored by the Aris Anagnos Family Chair in Hellenic Studies \nJanuary 13\, 2026\n4:00 P.M.\n314 Royce Hall\, UCLA Campus\nReception immediately after the panel \n[Film length is 28 minutes] \nWe are at capacity. Click here to join the waitlist and be notified when space becomes available. \nUpon accepting the Democratic nomination for president in 1988\, Michael Dukakis tells his fellow citizens that when they see an image of the White House\, he wants them to feel pride. He pledges to serve in a White House that “sets high standards not just for the American people\, but high standards for itself.” “Dukakis” catches up with the unflappable three-term Massachusetts governor three decades later. On a snowy afternoon\, in the same Brookline\, Massachusetts duplex he bought with his wife Kitty more than 50 years ago\, he pulls a frozen turkey carcass from the freezer and starts chopping onions. \nWhile soup broth simmers\, “Dukakis” takes viewers on a journey along his long arc of leadership\, reflecting on his formative years as the son of Greek immigrants up to the present. At age 85\, he mentors budding public servants as a college professor. He also chairs a commission to connect Boston’s North and South rail stations – a project he has backed since the 1970s. Meanwhile a crop of new leaders – including Northeastern University undergraduate Juan Gallego\, also a son of immigrants – carries Dukakis’ legacy forward all the way to the governor’s office. \n“Democracy is a work in progress\,” says Dukakis as he fills a bowl with steaming soup. “A precious gift that needs constant nurturing.” Amidst unprecedented uncertainty in American politics\, “Dukakis” offers a reason to pause\, take stock in the past\, and look forward with renewed faith in what’s possible when people believe in democracy\, and each other. \nVIEW FILM WEBSITE \nPLAY TRAILER \nParking for Royce Hall is available in Parking Structure 5 located at: 302 Charles E Young Dr N\, Westwood\, Los Angeles\, CA 90095. Parking Structure 5  is accessible from Royce Drive\, south of Sunset Boulevard\, and west of Hilgard Ave. (in the northeast section of the campus). \nNo parking attendants will be on-site at the parking structure\, and Pay-By-Space/Visitor Parking is extremely limited in this lot\, so we highly encourage you to purchase a parking permit in advance: \n\nTo save time\, you may purchase your parking permit for $17 in advance using Bruin ePermit: https://bruinepermit.t2hosted.com/pnw2/selectevent.aspx. Select “UCLA Royce Hall\,” then “Dukakis Film Screening” With the advanced parking permit\, you can park anywhere in Parking Structure 5 EXCEPT in the Pay-by-Space section. For instructions on how to use this portal\, please click here.\nTo purchase a permit when you arrive at Parking Structure 5\, please park ONLY in the Pay-By-Space/Visitor Parking area on the rooftop of this structure\, and proceed to the Self-Service Pay Station machine to pay by credit card (the parking on this level is very limited).\nGuest drop/Ride-share drop off is closest at the turnaround at the front of Royce Hall located at: 10745 Dickson Court\, Los Angeles\, CA 90095.\nAccessible parking: If you have accessibility needs\, you may park in the Pay-By-Space/Visitor Parking area on the rooftop (level 6) of this structure\, and proceed to the Self-Service Pay Station machine to pay by credit card.  Please visit our Campus Accessibility Map to view related information.\n\nFor inquiries\, please contact hellenic@humnet.ucla.edu
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/screening-of-award-winning-short-documentary-dukakis-recipe-for-democracy-directed-by-erin-trahan-and-jeff-schmidt/
LOCATION:Royce Hall\, 314\, 314 Royce Hall\, 10745 Dickson Plaza\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90095\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2025-10-21-at-4.02.05-PM-cA0Lc3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260117T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260117T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20260108T205717Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260117T204756Z
UID:2194319-1768644000-1768647600@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:West Coast Hellenic Book Club: Hecuba by Euripides
DESCRIPTION:John Gibson\, RAUlysses Forcing Polyxena from Hecuba to be SacrificedPhoto courtesy of the Royal Academy of Arts\, London \nWest Coast Hellenic Book Club: \nHecuba by Euripides \nDiscussion led by Professor Kathryn Morgan\, Joan Palevsky Professor of Classics at UCLA\, Professor Sharon Gerstel\, Director\, UCLA SNF Hellenic Center and Dr. Eirini Kotsovili\, Senior Lecturer\, Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University \nSaturday\, January 17\, 2026 \n10:00 A.M. Los Angeles / 8:00 P.M. Greece \nVia Zoom \nRSVP Here \nHecuba takes place after the Trojan War and centers on the former queen of Troy\, Hecuba\, who is a prisoner. First\, Hecuba is devastated by the sacrifice of her daughter Polyxena to honor Achilles. Then she learns that her son Polydoros has been murdered by King Polymestor\, who was supposed to protect him. In response\, Hecuba takes matters into her own hands\, blinding Polymestor and killing his sons. The play is a powerful look at grief\, revenge\, and how war strips people of their humanity. \nThis program is made possible thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). \nLinks to purchase book: \nhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hecuba-euripides/1136993799 \nhttps://www.vitalsource.com/products/hecuba-euripides-v9781585104345?duration=perpetual&srsltid=AfmBOoo17vpDTJoW5rheNJ_VvzWMFQ1K5Q8-F792_HdNeZQRnQnPtQuuNR4&gQT=1 \nFind out more about the West Coast Consortium of Hellenic Studies Programs
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/west-coast-hellenic-book-club-hecuba-by-euripides/
LOCATION:by Zoom
CATEGORIES:Hellenic,Literature,Modern Greece
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Hecuba-Image-v34PYb.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251104T194802Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T194802Z
UID:2193582-1768989600-1769004000@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:World Languages Day 2026
DESCRIPTION:World Languages Day\, a cherished UCLA tradition\, returns to spotlight the university’s diverse language programs. \nOpen to all UCLA students\, World Languages Day offers opportunities to explore UCLA’s language offerings\, engage with faculty and peers and learn about the academic and professional benefits of multilingualism. \nWhether you’re curious about studying a new language or deepening your existing knowledge\, World Languages Day invites you to discover the many ways languages shape our understanding of the world. \nJoin us on January 21 to enjoy interactive activities\, cultural experiences\, performances and opportunities to win prizes!
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/world-languages-day-2026/
LOCATION:Wilson Plaza
CATEGORIES:Humanities Division
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/World-Languages-Day-1400-x-936-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260121T173000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251201T165351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T203322Z
UID:2193802-1769011200-1769016600@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:A Tattered Leaf Covers the Torn: Class Dynamics of Buddhist Charity in Vietnam
DESCRIPTION:Professor Sara Ann Swenson (Dartmouth College) presents new research on how global trends in humanitarianism are enacted at the local level through the everyday ethics and informal practices of low-income and middle-class Buddhist volunteers in Vietnam. \nStudies of humanitarianism tend to focus on the large-scale. They analyze disaster relief\, international diplomacy\, development politics\, and privatized welfare. These studies highlight trends and policies that suggest generosity is becoming homogenized into “industrialized philanthropy.” Yet when global trends actualize in local communities\, diverse ethics and interpretations of care reemerge. Differences flourish and conflicts arise over how to best care for others.  \nSara Ann Swenson’s research examines the point at which national trends toward philanthropy are enacted on the ground by focusing on the role of low-income and middle-class Buddhist volunteers in Vietnam. Informal giving and “random acts of kindness” are difficult to quantify\, meaning they are often overlooked among large-scale studies of humanitarianism. Yet these everyday ethics of care are also a major way that citizens—particularly low-income earners and middle-class workers—transform ethics of care into civic engagement and moral citizenship. Moreover\, as volunteers draw on Buddhist teachings and practices to explain care in Vietnam\, their religious ethics permeate secular and public institutions such as hospitals\, universities\, and social service programs. Close qualitative research shows how—even as processes of giving are increasingly globalized—the motivations\, experiences\, and relationships that arise from giving can vary greatly by context\, depending on intersectional dynamics between donors and recipients. Researchers must always attend to questions of who is giving to whom and why for a comprehensive understanding of how social service needs are being met amid high-speed development and privatization in late socialist countries like Vietnam. \nRegister here. \nSara Ann Swenson is an Assistant Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College. She researches contemporary Buddhism in Vietnam. She holds a PhD and MPhil in Religion from Syracuse University\, an MA in Comparative Religion from Iliff School of Theology\, and a BA in English from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her book Near Light We Shine: Buddhist Charity in Urban Vietnam is forthcoming with Oxford University Press. \nSponsor(s): Center for Buddhist Studies\, Center for the Study of Religion\, Center for Southeast Asian Studies
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/a-tattered-leaf-covers-the-torn-class-dynamics-of-buddhist-charity-in-vietnam/
LOCATION:Royce 243
CATEGORIES:CSR
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Header_multi-image_Sara-Ann-Swenson-event-gIeBA5.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260125T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260125T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251216T212954Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260125T214832Z
UID:2194039-1769356800-1769364000@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Bilingual Lecture Series: Ali Gheissari
DESCRIPTION:Hasan Pirnia and Constitutional Experience: Articulation of Public Law and the Prospects of Modern State in Iran\, 1905-1925\nAli Gheissari\nUniversity of San Diego\nSunday\, January 25\, 2026 \nLecture in Persian \nRoyce Hall 314\, 4:00pm \nZoom link for hybrid online viewing both days: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92182697630 \nThe topic of this presentation will be an assessment of the role of Hasan Pirnia (Moshir al-Dowleh) in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and his contribution to articulating a theory of public law and the institutional requisites of the modern state in Iran. Given the limitations of time—and setting aside biographical details and the extensive accounts of the political events of the period—we shall focus specifically on two interrelated topics concerning the theoretical aspects of Pirnia’s political thought that also reflect the experience of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran. First\, the question of public law; and second\, the institutions necessary for the creation of a modern state. The Constitutional Revolution in Iran was not merely a political event but a transformation in the political mindset of Iranian society. A society that had lived for centuries under the notion of autocratic monarchy was\, at the beginning of the twentieth century\, attempting to experience the idea of a state governed by law and accountable to the nation. In this process\, there were a few statesmen—such as Hasan Pirnia—who\, under Iran’s circumstances at the time\, sought to open a challenging path between traditional structures and the creation of a modern state in Iran. \n  \n  \nAli Gheissari studied law and political science at Tehran University and history at Oxford and later taught at the University of San Diego. He has held visiting appointments at St. Antony’s College\, Oxford\, Brown University\, and the University of California\, Irvine\, and has written extensively in Persian and English on the intellectual history and politics of modern Iran and on modern philosophy and social theory. More recent publications include Iranian Studies: Selected Writings (Brill\, 2026); “Lost and found in translation: Kant in Persian Philosophical Prose” (Sophia Perennis\, Iranian Institute of Philosophy\, 2025); “Fruits of the Gardens: Ethics\, Metaphysics\, and Textual Pleasures in late Qajar Iran” (Journal of Persianate Studies\, 2024); and “Unequal Treaties and the Question of Sovereignty in Qajar and early Pahlavi Iran” (Ann Lambton Memorial Lecture\, 2023). Professor Gheissari has been the Editor-in-Chief of Iranian Studies; is on the Editorial Board of Iran Studies book series (published by Brill); and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Persian Heritage Foundation. His current research is on aspects of legal and constitutional history of modern Iran.
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/bilingual-lecture-series-ali-gheissari/
LOCATION:314 Royce Hall\, 10745 Dickson Ct\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90095\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iranian,Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-01-25_Gheissari-web-image-PNVnDc.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="UCLA Iranian Studies":MAILTO:iranianstudies@humnet.ucla.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260126T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260126T130000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251216T212957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260126T214750Z
UID:2194041-1769425200-1769432400@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Bilingual Lecture Series: Ali Gheissari
DESCRIPTION:Hasan Pirnia and Constitutional Experience: Articulation of Public Law and the Prospects of Modern State in Iran\, 1905-1925\nAli Gheissari\nUniversity of San Diego\nMonday\, January 26\, 2026 \nLecture in English \nBunche Hall 10383\, 11:00am \nZoom link for hybrid online viewing both days: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92182697630 \nThe topic of this presentation will be an assessment of the role of Hasan Pirnia (Moshir al-Dowleh) in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and his contribution to articulating a theory of public law and the institutional requisites of the modern state in Iran. Given the limitations of time—and setting aside biographical details and the extensive accounts of the political events of the period—we shall focus specifically on two interrelated topics concerning the theoretical aspects of Pirnia’s political thought that also reflect the experience of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran. First\, the question of public law; and second\, the institutions necessary for the creation of a modern state. The Constitutional Revolution in Iran was not merely a political event but a transformation in the political mindset of Iranian society. A society that had lived for centuries under the notion of autocratic monarchy was\, at the beginning of the twentieth century\, attempting to experience the idea of a state governed by law and accountable to the nation. In this process\, there were a few statesmen—such as Hasan Pirnia—who\, under Iran’s circumstances at the time\, sought to open a challenging path between traditional structures and the creation of a modern state in Iran. \n  \n  \nAli Gheissari studied law and political science at Tehran University and history at Oxford and later taught at the University of San Diego. He has held visiting appointments at St. Antony’s College\, Oxford\, Brown University\, and the University of California\, Irvine\, and has written extensively in Persian and English on the intellectual history and politics of modern Iran and on modern philosophy and social theory. More recent publications include Iranian Studies: Selected Writings (Brill\, 2026); “Lost and found in translation: Kant in Persian Philosophical Prose” (Sophia Perennis\, Iranian Institute of Philosophy\, 2025); “Fruits of the Gardens: Ethics\, Metaphysics\, and Textual Pleasures in late Qajar Iran” (Journal of Persianate Studies\, 2024); and “Unequal Treaties and the Question of Sovereignty in Qajar and early Pahlavi Iran” (Ann Lambton Memorial Lecture\, 2023). Professor Gheissari has been the Editor-in-Chief of Iranian Studies; is on the Editorial Board of Iran Studies book series (published by Brill); and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Persian Heritage Foundation. His current research is on aspects of legal and constitutional history of modern Iran.
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/bilingual-lecture-series-ali-gheissari-2/
LOCATION:10383 Bunche Hall\, 11282 Portola Plaza\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90095\, United States
CATEGORIES:Iranian,Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-01-25_Gheissari-web-image-PNVnDc.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="UCLA Iranian Studies":MAILTO:iranianstudies@humnet.ucla.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260127T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260127T153000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251211T125922Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T213308Z
UID:2193888-1769522400-1769527800@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Prelude to the Holocaust: The Anti-Jewish Pogroms of Summer 1941 – Jeffrey Kopstein
DESCRIPTION:This lecture examines a particularly brutal wave a violence that occurred across hundreds of predominantly Polish and Ukrainian communities in the aftermath of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. The dominant explanations for pogrom violence center around three most frequently cited causes: endemic antisemitism in Eastern European societies\, a desire for revenge for alleged Jewish involvement in Soviet crimes during the occupation of 1939–1941\, and opportunistic appropriation of Jewish property. But a difficult question needs to be posed: why did pogroms occur in some places and not in others? Situating pogroms within the long history of local intercommunal relations sheds light on the sources of mass ethnic violence and the ways in which such gruesome acts might be avoided. \nJeffrey Kopstein is Dean’s Professor of Political Science at the University of California\, Irvine. In his research\, Professor Kopstein focuses on interethnic violence\, voting patterns of minority groups\, antisemitism\, and anti-liberal tendencies in civil society. These interests are central topics in his latest books\, Intimate Violence: Anti-Jewish Pogroms on the Eve of the Holocaust (Cornell University Press\, 2018)\, Politics\, Memory\, Violence: The New Social Science of the Holocaust (Cornell University Press\, 2023)\, and The Assault on the State: How the Global Attack on Modern Government Endangers our Future (Polity\, 2024). Professor Kopstein’s writings also appear in outlets like The Atlantic\, The New York Times\, The Globe and Mail\, and The Washington Post. \n  \nTuesday\, January 27\, 2026 • 314 Royce Hall • 2 PM\nPrelude to the Holocaust: The Anti-Jewish Pogroms of Summer 1941 \nJeffrey Kopstein (UCI)\nModerator: Jared McBride (UCLA) \nThe 1939 Society Program in Holocaust Studies \nRSVP
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/prelude-to-the-holocaust-the-anti-jewish-pogroms-of-summer-1941-jeffrey-kopstein/
LOCATION:Royce Hall\, 314\, 314 Royce Hall\, 10745 Dickson Plaza\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90095\, United States
CATEGORIES:1939 Society Program in Holocaust Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kopstein_Jeffrey_tile-USQ8TK.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies":MAILTO:levecenter@humnet.ucla.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260127T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260127T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20260107T205545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T203302Z
UID:2194269-1769524200-1769531400@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Satellite Ministries: The Rise of Christian Television in the Middle East
DESCRIPTION:In this book talk\, Febe Armanios (Middlebury College) will present on her recently-published monograph Satellite Ministries\, which explores how modern expressions of faith\, technology\, and political power intersected and clashed across the Global South and beyond through the analysis of sixteen Christian television channels in the Middle East. In 1981\, a satellite television station called Star of Hope began broadcasting from Israeli-occupied South Lebanon. Later renamed Middle East Television (METV)\, its programming included American soap operas\, sports\, and evangelical content alongside innovative Arabic Christian televangelism. METV spurred the growth of competing Christian broadcasters and reshaped the Middle East’s media and religious landscape over the next four decades. Through extensive fieldwork and archival research\, Febe Armanios explores how Western evangelicals and indigenous Christians harnessed terrestrial and satellite technologies to promote Christian television in the Middle East. \nThis is a hybrid event   \nIn- person RSVP – click here. \nRegister here to attend online. \nCo-sponsor: Center for Near Eastern Studies
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/satellite-ministries-the-rise-of-christian-television-in-the-middle-east/
LOCATION:Bunche Hall 10383
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/header-image_Febe-Armanios-talk-UDEHN2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260129T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260129T170000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251209T180640Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260129T214754Z
UID:2193872-1769702400-1769706000@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:After the Catastrophe: Ezra-Nehemiah and the Rebuilding of Community and Identity – Tamara Cohn Eskenazi
DESCRIPTION:The deaths and deportations that accompanied the destruction of the Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 BCE mark the turning point in the arc of biblical narrative. The book of Ezra-Nehemiah describes the reconstruction of life in Judah in the aftermath that catastrophe. It is the only book in the Hebrew Bible to depict this period. For over a century\, scholars neglected Ezra-Nehemiah and the period it describes. But the pendulum swung at last\, and in recent decades the book became a focal point for several reasons; among them is the growing consensus that the Pentateuch received its decisive shape during this period. Additionally\, as a story about a return from exile to an ancient homeland\, Ezra-Nehemiah has been embroiled in current political discourse linked with the return to Israel in the 20th century. Detractors and admirers alike concur that its messages had an enduring significance in the past and important messages for the present. This session will explore the book’s contribution to its own time as well as its relevance to today’s challenges. \nTamara Cohn Eskenazi\, Ph.D. is the Effie Wise Ochs Professor Emerita of Biblical Literature and History at Hebrew Union College. She is an award-winning scholar who specializes in writings from the Persian Period (538-333 BCE)\, with special focus on Ezra-Nehemiah. Her book\, In an age of Prose: A Literary Approach to Ezra-Nehemiah (1988) set the study of Ezra-Nehemiah on a new foundation. See also her recent Ezra: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Yale Bible Series (2023). Prof. Eskenazi is the first woman professor appointed to the Rabbinical School at Hebrew Union College and a major contributor to Women’s Studies. Her publications include\, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary\, a 1400 page volume (2007) which won “The Book of the Year Award” granted by The Jewish Book Council\, and her JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth (2012\, authored with the late Tikva Frymer-Kensky) which won the award for Women’s Studies. \nModerator: Catherine Bonesho (UCLA) \nRSVP
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/after-the-catastrophe-ezra-nehemiah-and-the-rebuilding-of-community-and-identity-tamara-cohn-eskenazi/
LOCATION:Royce Hall\, 306\, 306 Royce Hall\, 10745 Dickson Plaza\, Los Angeles\, 90095\, United States
CATEGORIES:Bible and the Ancient World Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Eskenazi_Tamara_tile-l83dHZ.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies":MAILTO:levecenter@humnet.ucla.edu
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260131T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260131T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251114T223423Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260131T203307Z
UID:2193693-1769851800-1769875200@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:California Medieval Seminar (Winter 2026)
DESCRIPTION:Participation in the Seminar consists of group discussion of pre-circulated papers\, typically drafts of articles\, book chapters\, or dissertation chapters (with complete apparatus). Two of the papers are ordinarily by emerging scholars (including PhD students) and the other two are by established scholars. We allocate one hour per paper and presenters should anticipate substantial\, and substantive\, feedback. Calls for presenters are circulated via e-mail from the Center approximately two months prior to each meeting and papers are accepted on a first-come basis. \nFaculty\, postdocs\, and grad students from across California are welcome to participate. Register to attend in person or on Zoom by January 20 to receive the papers. \nRegister to attend in Royce 306\nRegister to attend via ZOOM \nEmail Events Manager Thi Nguyen (tnguyen@humnet.ucla.edu) if you are registering after January 20. \nThe papers will be discussed at the seminar in the following order: \n\n“When is a Document Lost? Interrogating Archival Silence in Early Medieval Italy\,” Maya Maskarinec (University of Southern California)\n“Homo legum: The Making and Classification of Legal Experts in Montpellier\, 1200-1380\,” Shahrouz Khalifian (Mount Saint Mary’s University)\n“How Medieval Judaism Became a System: Dogma and Principles of Faith in Fifteenth-Century Sepharad\,” Bénédicte Sère (Institut Universitaire de France / University of Paris-Nanterre / EHESS-Paris)\n“The Politics of Failure in late medieval Iceland\,” Basil Arnould Price (State University of New York\, Oneonta)\n\nMore information can be found here.
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/california-medieval-seminar-winter-2026/
LOCATION:Royce 306
CATEGORIES:California Medieval History Seminar,Humanities
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ceilings-of-the-cappella-palatina-in-palermo-jKzxKH.tmp_.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260131T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260131T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T040944
CREATED:20251114T223423Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251114T223423Z
UID:2193694-1769851800-1769875200@humanities.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:California Medieval Seminar (Winter 2026)
DESCRIPTION:Participation in the Seminar consists of group discussion of pre-circulated papers\, typically drafts of articles\, book chapters\, or dissertation chapters (with complete apparatus). Two of the papers are ordinarily by emerging scholars (including PhD students) and the other two are by established scholars. We allocate one hour per paper and presenters should anticipate substantial\, and substantive\, feedback. Calls for presenters are circulated via e-mail from the Center approximately two months prior to each meeting and papers are accepted on a first-come basis. \nRegister to attend in Royce 306\nRegister to attend via ZOOM \nMore information can be found here.
URL:https://humanities.ucla.edu/event/california-medieval-seminar-winter-2026-2/
LOCATION:Royce 306
CATEGORIES:California Medieval History Seminar,Humanities
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ceilings-of-the-cappella-palatina-in-palermo-jKzxKH.tmp_.jpg
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END:VCALENDAR