[POSTPONED. New date/time TBD] Register here  Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star general and the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). We will have a conversation with him about his recently released book, On Character: Choices that Define a Life, which draws on his lifetime of experiences to explore living with purpose and integrity. There will be time for audience questions.Virtues & Vocations is a social movement committed to individual and communal flourishing through the cultivation of character across the professions. This aspirational, cross-professional learning community understands thriving professions are the backbone of thriving societies and knows professional excellence requires both competence and character.Institute for Social Concerns

Slava Vakarchuk is Ukraine's biggest rock star and one of Europe's most fascinating artists and activists. As frontman of the legendary band Okean Elzy, he has brought the sounds of Ukrainian language and culture to stadiums and concert halls around the world. As a civic activist, he has fought for democracy, transparency, and the rule of law in Ukraine during times of struggle and revolution. And as a soldier in Ukraine's Armed Forces, he has worked tirelessly to defend and inspire his people since the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Join us at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 22, in 1050 Jenkins Nanovic Halls for an intimate discussion about the role of art and music in the fight against aggression and about the promise of hope in an increasingly perilous world. All Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars are invited to this special event coordinated by the Ukrainian Studies Hub. Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.

M. Victoria MurilloProfessor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs andDirector of the Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS)Columbia University Vicky Murillo presents a forthcoming volume co-edited with Gabriel Kessler that addresses the following question: Why are Latin Americans increasingly disillusioned with democracy, even as the region has made social progress? This book project examines the paradox of widespread political discontent amid improvements in poverty reduction, education, and expanded rights. It illustrates how rising expectations and broken promises have generated social frustration and political reactions, which manifest in two distinct forms: they can target all political elites (vertical discontent) or focus on opposing political coalitions (horizontal discontent). Each form poses unique challenges for democracy.M. Victoria Murillo is a professor of political science and international and public affairs at Columbia University, where she is is currently the Director of the Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS). She specializes in Latin American politics, distributive politics, and institutional weakness, with numerous influential books and articles on these topics. She holds a PhD from Harvard University and previously taught at Yale University. For more information, visit the event page. Sponsored by the Kellogg Institute at the Keough School of Global Affairs.  

Laura Gamboa, assistant professor of democracy and global affairs in the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, will talk about “Democratic Backsliding” at the first Pizza, Pop and Politics event of the fall 2025 semester. Pizza, Pop and Politics is hosted by the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights and ND Votes, a nonpartisan initiative that aims to foster conscientious engagement in political and civic life among students. The student-led initiative’s activities include promoting voter education, registration, and mobilization. Originally published at klau.nd.edu.

19th-Century Women’s Culture Through the Life and Work of Esmeralda Cervantes Discussion and Panel Join Rare Books & Special Collections from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a panel and discussion on the fascinating life of Catalan harpist Esmeralda Cervantes (born Clotilde Cerdá, 1861–1926), moderated by Latin American and Iberian Studies Librarian and Curator Payton Phillips Quintanilla. A child prodigy who toured the Americas in the 1870s, Cervantes meticulously documented her vast network of friends and acquaintances across Europe and the Americas in two personal friendship albums: scrapbooks filled with photographs, autographs, drawings, letters, poetry, and other keepsakes. One album resides at the Biblioteca de Catalunya, and the other is held by the University of Notre Dame. Our guest speakers, Lorena Fuster, University of Barcelona, Philosophy; Merli Marlowe, Barcelona-based film director; Vanesa Miseres, University of Notre Dame, Romance Languages & Literatures; and Erika Hosselkus, University of Notre Dame, Hesburgh Libraries, will use Cervantes’ unique case to explore broader themes of library archives, 19th-century women's sociability, the public and private conversations shaping women's lives, and the nascent stages of transnational feminisms. The panelists will also share how these remarkable albums brought them together for their ongoing academic and creative projects centered on Cervantes. Hands-On Workshop and Reception After the panel, attendees are invited to attend a reception from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Hesburgh Library Scholars Lounge to continue the conversation over light refreshments and engage in a hands-on activity to create their own album pages. Presenters:Lorena Fuster, University of Barcelona, Philosophy — Lorena Fuster is a professor of Philosophy and Feminist Theory at the University of Barcelona. Her research and publications focus on topics that link contemporary philosophy with cultural history. She currently directs the project "The Forgotten Legacy of Clotilde Cerdà/Esmeralda Cervantes: An International Avant-Garde Presence."Merli Marlowe, film director, Barcelona — Merli Marlowe is a singer and filmmaker, and has also written and directed television series and podcasts. She is currently working on a documentary about the harpist Esmeralda Cervantes in collaboration with Lorena Fuster. As a musician, she is the lead singer of the band Les Rencards, with whom she recently released the album Angles morts.Vanesa Miseres, University of Notre Dame, Romance Languages & Literatures — Vanesa Miseres specializes in the cultural and literary landscapes of 19th- and early 20th-century Latin America, with her research and teaching exploring diverse topics such as travel writing, war literature, women writers, and gender, cultural, and food studies. She is the author of Mujeres en tránsito: viaje, identidad y escritura en Sudamérica (1830–1910) (2017) and Gender Battles. Latin American Women, War, and Feminism (2025). She is also the co-editor of Food Studies in Latin American Literature. Perspectives on the Gastronarrative (2021).Erika Hosselkus, University of Notre Dame, Hesburgh Libraries — Erika Hosselkus is Associate University Librarian for the Distinctive and Academic Collections at Hesburgh Libraries. Her portfolio includes research collections, special collections and archives, metadata, and preservation. Prior to this appointment, Hosselkus served as the curator in Rare Books & Special Collections for Latin American and Iberian Studies, and developed a significant collection for this fast-growing area of study.Open to undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, postdocs, alumni, friends, and the public.  Sponsored byHesburgh LibrariesFranco Family Institute for Liberal Arts and the Public GoodKellogg Institute for International StudiesOffice of Undergraduate Studies (Teaching Beyond the Classroom Grant)

“What is the city but the people,” wrote Shakespeare. In this spirit, Christian Sottile, founding principal of Sottile & Sottile, will share his visions about why the city is human and buildings are faces of humanity. Register to attend online The Robert A.M. Stern Architects Lecture (in the Walsh Family Hall (Architecture)).  Originally published at architecture.nd.edu.

You are invited to the first conference of the Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab, focused on addressing structural barriers to equitable economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. Thursday, September 25 4:30 p.m. Welcome 4:45 Fireside Chat Introduction by Mary Gallagher, Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs Dean Karlan, Northwestern University, former chief economist, USAID in conversation with Lakshmi Iyer, BIG Lab Director and Professor of Economics and Global Affairs 6:00 Opening Reception Friday, September 26 8:30 a.m.  Gender, Norms and Work Alejandro Estefan, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Outsourcing Policy and Worker Outcomes: Causal Evidence from a Mexican Ban” Paul Novosad, Dartmouth College “Cultural Capital and Economic Opportunity in Rural India” Danila Serra, Texas A&M University “From Jobs to Careers: Understanding Aspirations, Opportunities, and Barriers Among Working Women in South Asia” Moderated by Brenda Samaniego de la Parra, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 10:00 Coffee 10:30 Keynote Address Introduction by James Sullivan, Professor of Economics & Director of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative Ted Miguel, University of California, Berkeley 11:30 Human Capital Jere Behrman, University of Pennsylvania “Starting Strong: Medium- and Longer-run Benefits of Mexico's Universal Preschool Mandate” Taryn Dinkelman, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Economic and Political Effects of Free Primary Education in Africa” Manisha Shah, University of California, Berkeley “Reducing bias among health care providers: Experimental evidence from Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan” Moderated by Rebecca Thornton, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 1:00 Keynote Address & Lunch Introduction by Eric Sims, Notre Dame Economics Department Chair Pete Klenow, Stanford University 2:30 Trade & Structural Transformation Rodrigo Adao, University of Chicago Booth School "From Heterogeneous Firms to Heterogeneous Trade Elasticities: The Aggregate Implications of Firm Export Decisions" Heitor Pellegrina, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab "Directed Innovation meets Economic Development: Embrapa and Brazil's Agricultural Revolution" Jing Zhang, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago “Deindustrialization and Industry Polarization” Moderated by Jeremy Majerovitz, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 4:00 Coffee 4:30 Political Economy Lakshmi Iyer, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Electoral Redistricting in the World’s Largest Democracy” Nancy Qian, Northwestern University “Chinese growth and support for reunification in Taiwan” Enrico Spolaore, Tufts University “Cultural Remittances and Modern Fertility” Moderated by Enrique Seira Bejarano, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab For more information, visit the event page. Sponsored by the Kellogg Institute at the Keough School of Global Affairs and the Franco Family Institute

The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to host a two day symposium in celebration of 30 years of the Devers Program in Dante Studies and the Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian Literature at Notre Dame:Global Dante: Translation and ReceptionA Dante Symposium Celebrating 30 Years of the Devers Program in Dante Studies and the Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian LiteratureDepartment of Special Collections, Hesburgh Library, University of Notre DameFeaturing the exhibition of worldwide translations of Dante's Commedia: “‘What through the universe in leaves is scattered’ (Par. 33.87): Mapping Global Dante in Translation” Selections from the John A. Zahm, C.S.C., Dante CollectionThe symposium explores the global translation and reception of Dante’s works, highlighting cross-cultural interpretations, regional adaptations, and evolving scholarly approaches. Through lectures and panels spanning Africa, East Asia, the Americas, and Europe, it examines how Dante’s Divine Comedy continues to inspire diverse literary, academic, and artistic traditions worldwide. Particpants: Marco Sonzogni (Victoria University of Wellington); Ted Cachey (UND); Clíona Ní Ríordáin (UND); Kathleen Boyle (UND), Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, Modern Language Association [retired]); Joseph Rosenberg (UND); Henry Weinfield (UND, emeritus); Kristina Olson (George Mason University); Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University); Jacob Blakesley (University of Rome, Sapienza); Vittorio Montemaggi (UND, London / Von Hügel Institute, Cambridge); Rebecca Bowen (UND), Valentina Mele (Marie Curie Fellow, UND/ University of Pavia); Aistė Kiltinavičiūtė (University of Manchester); Jonathan Noble (Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, UND); Silvano Mo Cheng (Peking University); Michel Hockx (UND); Chiara Sbordoni (UND Rome); Jieon Kim (UND), Inha Park (UND); Salvatore Riolo (UND); Daragh O’Connell (University College Cork). Download the program schedule here.Symposium Program Thursday, September 25 9:00–9:30 AM — Welcome 9:30–11:00 AM — Lecture“Whose Dante? Time and Place for Timelessness and Placelessness: A Transoceanic Testimony”Marco Sonzogni (Victoria University of Wellington) Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Devers Program in Dante Studies, University of Notre Dame)Respondent: Clíona Ní Ríordáin (Chair, Irish Studies, University of Notre Dame) 11:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Roundtable Discussion ofAmerican Dantes. Traditions, Translations, Transformations (Eds. Z. G. Barański & T. J. Cachey, University of Notre Dame Press, 2025) Panel:Kathleen Boyle (University of Notre Dame) Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, emeritus) Joseph Rosenberg (University of Notre Dame) Henry Weinfield (University of Notre Dame, emeritus) Kristina Olson (George Mason University)Chair: Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University) 1:00–2:20 PM — Lunch (B02 McKenna Hall) 2:30–4:00 PM — Lecture“Dante in Africa”Jacob Blakesley (University of Rome, Sapienza) Chair: Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, MLA, retired)Respondent: Kristina Olson (George Mason University) 4:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 4:30–6:00 PM — "New Directions” Panel IRebecca Bowen (University of Notre Dame)“Dantean Other Worlds: Crafting the Commedia for a Renaissance Readership”Valentina Mele (Marie Curie Fellow, University of Notre Dame / University of Pavia)“‘No, Kid, Don’t Enter Here’: The Berkeley Renaissance’s Californian Dante”Aistė Kiltinavičiūtė (University of Manchester)“Dante’s Translations and Reception in 20th- and 21st-Century Lithuania”Chair: Vittorio Montemaggi (University of Notre Dame, London / Von Hügel Institute, Cambridge) 6:30 PM — Reception and Celebration Dinner (Mahaffey Family Presidential Suite, 14th Floor, Hesburgh Library)Friday, September 26 9:30–11:00 AM — Lecture(Co-sponsored by the Dante in East Asia Working Group) “Becoming Dante: More on Dante Translation and Reception in China” Silvano Mo Cheng (Peking University) Chair: Jonathan Noble (Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, University of Notre Dame) Respondent: Michel Hockx (Director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, University of Notre Dame) 11:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Session on Dante in East Asia (Presentation and discussion of forthcoming volume, Dante in East Asia, eds. J. Blakesley, A. Brezzi, R. Pepin, C. Sbordoni)Jieon Kim (University of Notre Dame)“‘La 'Lingua Mentale Comune' a Dante e al Coreano: 단테의 시적 표현과 우리말의 관용적 표현”Inha Park (University of Notre Dame)“Teaching Dante in Korea: Translation, Reception, and Localization of Dante in Post-Korean War South Korea”Salvatore Riolo (University of Notre Dame)“‘Trasumanar Significar per Verba’: The Global Translations of The Divine Comedy in the Zahm Dante Collection”Chair: Chiara Sbordoni (University of Notre Dame Rome) 1:00–2:20 PM — Lunch (B02 McKenna Hall) 2:30–4:00 PM — “New Directions” Panel IIDaragh O’Connell (University College Cork)“‘Duppy Conqueror’: Lorna Goodison’s Jamaican Dante’s Inferno”Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University)“The Commedia as Transmedia Franchise? Dante in Convergence Culture”Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Devers Program in Dante Studies, University of Notre Dame) 4:00 PM — Exhibition Tour with Curators “‘What through the universe in leaves is scattered’ (Par. 33, 87): Mapping Global Dante in Translation” 7:00PM — Reception & Dinner at Rohr’s Bistro, Morris InnSaturday, September 27 9:00AM - 5:00PM — Dante Society of America Graduate Student Conference (136 De Bartolo Hall)Conference Organizer: Beatrice Rosso, Graduate Student Coordinator, University of Notre Dame Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.

Engage with the 2025 International Day of Peace by making time for a discussion about the meaning of strategic peacebuilding in a period of rising authoritarianism. The conversation will be moderated by Norbert Koppensteiner and will feature the following panelists:Abby CórdovaErnesto VerdejaCaroline HughesPeter Quaranto (B.A. '06), Visiting Professor of the Practice with the Keough School of Global AffairsOriginally published at kroc.nd.edu.

In 2002, the Medieval Institute inaugurated a lecture series in honor of Robert M. and Ricki Conway. Robert Conway was a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame and trustee of the University, He was (and his wife Ricki continues to be) a long-time friend and supporter of the Medieval Institute. The annual Conway Lectures bring senior scholars of international distinction to Notre Dame each fall to speak on topics across a variety of disciplines.   The first talk in the 2025 series will be given by Petra Sijpesteijn, professor of Arabic at Leiden University, on "Running the early Islamic Empire: the papyrological evidence."About the Talk In the dry Egyptian desert sands, tens of thousands of Arabic, Coptic and Greek papyri from the first three centuries of Muslim rule in the province (7th-9th century CE) were preserved. Containing tax demand notes, fiscal receipts, lists of agricultural properties, tax payers, converts, alms payments, prisoners with the crimes they committed, the fines assigned to them or the petitions they wrote requesting to be released, decrees issued by the authorities or petitions directed to them, the papyri form the written residue of the daily running of the early Islamic Empire. They show that Arab rule was characterized by a marked continuity of daily administrative routines but also by the introduction of striking new practices. In this presentation I will discuss what the papyri tell us about the Arab administrative practices in early Islamic Egypt, what changed and what remained the same after the Arab conquest and why this was. About the Speaker Petra Sijpesteijn holds the chair of Arabic at Leiden University. She uses documentary sources such as papyri, seals, coins, inscriptions and manuscripts to reconstruct the daily life of Muslims and non-Muslims living under Muslim rule. Currently she runs a five-year research project entitled 'Land, space, power: Landscapes of the early caliphate' financed by the Netherlands National Science Foundation.Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

In 2002, the Medieval Institute inaugurated a lecture series in honor of Robert M. and Ricki Conway. Robert Conway was a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame and trustee of the University, He was (and his wife Ricki continues to be) a long-time friend and supporter of the Medieval Institute. The annual Conway Lectures bring senior scholars of international distinction to Notre Dame each fall to speak on topics across a variety of disciplines.   The second talk in the 2025 series will be given by Graham Loud, Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at the University of Leeds, on "The Sicilian Chancery, from the Normans to Frederick II." About the Talk The paper traces the evolution of the chancery of the Norman rulers of Sicily, from the writing office of Count Roger I (d. 1101), which operated primarily in Greek, through to the trilingual documentation of the Sicilian monarchy after 1130. It looks at the emergence of a Latin chancery, at first as a subordinate section, but then as the increasingly dominant element within the royal administration. This led to the eventual abandonment of writing documents in Greek and Arabic. The paper concludes with an analysis of the greatly enhanced scale of the operations of the (by now monolingual) chancery of Emperor Frederick II as ruler of Sicily in the first half of the thirteenth century. About the Speaker Graham Loud is professor emeritus of medieval history at the University of Leeds, where he taught from 1978 to 2019. He is a leading authority on the history of southern Italy from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries, and has also written about Staufen Germany and the Crusades. His most recent books are The Social World of the Abbey of Cava, c. 1020-1300 (2021) and Frederick Barbarossa (2025). His translation of the Montecassino Chronicle of Leo Marsicanus, c. 529-1075, will be published in February 2026, and his chapter on 'Frederick II and the Crusades' will appear in The Cambridge History of the Crusades during the summer of 2026. Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

Carl Zimmer is an award-winning New York Times columnist and author of 15 books about science. His talk, "Science, science communications and science journalism today: Where do they fit in this age of mistrust and misinformation?" will be followed by a book signing in Jordan Hall Galleria. Zimmer writes the "Origins" column for The New York Times and has frequently contributed to The Atlantic, National Geographic, Time, and Scientific American. He has won the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Science Journalism Award three times, among other awards. He teaches science writing at Yale and has been a guest on NPR's RadioLab, Science Friday, and Fresh Air. His latest book is Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe. Sponsors: Glynn Family Honors Program; College of Science; Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy, and the Graduate School   Originally published at science.nd.edu.

You are invited to the first conference of the Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab, focused on addressing structural barriers to equitable economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. Thursday, September 25 4:30 p.m. Welcome 4:45 Fireside Chat Introduction by Mary Gallagher, Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs Dean Karlan, Northwestern University, former chief economist, USAID in conversation with Lakshmi Iyer, BIG Lab Director and Professor of Economics and Global Affairs 6:00 Opening Reception Friday, September 26 8:30 a.m.  Gender, Norms and Work Alejandro Estefan, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Outsourcing Policy and Worker Outcomes: Causal Evidence from a Mexican Ban” Paul Novosad, Dartmouth College “Cultural Capital and Economic Opportunity in Rural India” Danila Serra, Texas A&M University “From Jobs to Careers: Understanding Aspirations, Opportunities, and Barriers Among Working Women in South Asia” Moderated by Brenda Samaniego de la Parra, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 10:00 Coffee 10:30 Keynote Address Introduction by James Sullivan, Professor of Economics & Director of the Notre Dame Poverty Initiative Ted Miguel, University of California, Berkeley 11:30 Human Capital Jere Behrman, University of Pennsylvania “Starting Strong: Medium- and Longer-run Benefits of Mexico's Universal Preschool Mandate” Taryn Dinkelman, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Economic and Political Effects of Free Primary Education in Africa” Manisha Shah, University of California, Berkeley “Reducing bias among health care providers: Experimental evidence from Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan” Moderated by Rebecca Thornton, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 1:00 Keynote Address & Lunch Introduction by Eric Sims, Notre Dame Economics Department Chair Pete Klenow, Stanford University 2:30 Trade & Structural Transformation Rodrigo Adao, University of Chicago Booth School "From Heterogeneous Firms to Heterogeneous Trade Elasticities: The Aggregate Implications of Firm Export Decisions" Heitor Pellegrina, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab "Directed Innovation meets Economic Development: Embrapa and Brazil's Agricultural Revolution" Jing Zhang, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago “Deindustrialization and Industry Polarization” Moderated by Jeremy Majerovitz, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab 4:00 Coffee 4:30 Political Economy Lakshmi Iyer, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab “Electoral Redistricting in the World’s Largest Democracy” Nancy Qian, Northwestern University “Chinese growth and support for reunification in Taiwan” Enrico Spolaore, Tufts University “Cultural Remittances and Modern Fertility” Moderated by Enrique Seira Bejarano, University of Notre Dame & BIG Lab For more information, visit the event page. Sponsored by the Kellogg Institute at the Keough School of Global Affairs and the Franco Family Institute

We are excited to announce Dr. Han Xia as the keynote speaker for the 11th Annual Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Graduate Research Symposium. Han Xia earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2017. Following graduation, he joined the Chemical Hazard Laboratory at Eli Lilly and Company, where he became the technical lead in 2020. Under his leadership, the lab advances process safety by thoroughly characterizing and modeling the kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of chemical reactions, unit operations, and materials involved in the development of Lilly medicines. Han collaborates across R&D, internal and external manufacturing, global compliance, and HSE teams to ensure robust process safety assessments for Lilly’s laboratories, production facilities, and global supply chain assets. The Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering looks forward to seeing you at this year's symposium, featuring exciting events such as panel discussion, career fair, poster session, and student presentations.

The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to host a two day symposium in celebration of 30 years of the Devers Program in Dante Studies and the Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian Literature at Notre Dame:Global Dante: Translation and ReceptionA Dante Symposium Celebrating 30 Years of the Devers Program in Dante Studies and the Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian LiteratureDepartment of Special Collections, Hesburgh Library, University of Notre DameFeaturing the exhibition of worldwide translations of Dante's Commedia: “‘What through the universe in leaves is scattered’ (Par. 33.87): Mapping Global Dante in Translation” Selections from the John A. Zahm, C.S.C., Dante CollectionThe symposium explores the global translation and reception of Dante’s works, highlighting cross-cultural interpretations, regional adaptations, and evolving scholarly approaches. Through lectures and panels spanning Africa, East Asia, the Americas, and Europe, it examines how Dante’s Divine Comedy continues to inspire diverse literary, academic, and artistic traditions worldwide. Particpants: Marco Sonzogni (Victoria University of Wellington); Ted Cachey (UND); Clíona Ní Ríordáin (UND); Kathleen Boyle (UND), Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, Modern Language Association [retired]); Joseph Rosenberg (UND); Henry Weinfield (UND, emeritus); Kristina Olson (George Mason University); Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University); Jacob Blakesley (University of Rome, Sapienza); Vittorio Montemaggi (UND, London / Von Hügel Institute, Cambridge); Rebecca Bowen (UND), Valentina Mele (Marie Curie Fellow, UND/ University of Pavia); Aistė Kiltinavičiūtė (University of Manchester); Jonathan Noble (Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, UND); Silvano Mo Cheng (Peking University); Michel Hockx (UND); Chiara Sbordoni (UND Rome); Jieon Kim (UND), Inha Park (UND); Salvatore Riolo (UND); Daragh O’Connell (University College Cork). Download the program schedule here.Symposium Program Thursday, September 25 9:00–9:30 AM — Welcome 9:30–11:00 AM — Lecture“Whose Dante? Time and Place for Timelessness and Placelessness: A Transoceanic Testimony”Marco Sonzogni (Victoria University of Wellington) Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Devers Program in Dante Studies, University of Notre Dame)Respondent: Clíona Ní Ríordáin (Chair, Irish Studies, University of Notre Dame) 11:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Roundtable Discussion ofAmerican Dantes. Traditions, Translations, Transformations (Eds. Z. G. Barański & T. J. Cachey, University of Notre Dame Press, 2025) Panel:Kathleen Boyle (University of Notre Dame) Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, emeritus) Joseph Rosenberg (University of Notre Dame) Henry Weinfield (University of Notre Dame, emeritus) Kristina Olson (George Mason University)Chair: Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University) 1:00–2:20 PM — Lunch (B02 McKenna Hall) 2:30–4:00 PM — Lecture“Dante in Africa”Jacob Blakesley (University of Rome, Sapienza) Chair: Dennis Looney (University of Pittsburgh, MLA, retired)Respondent: Kristina Olson (George Mason University) 4:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 4:30–6:00 PM — "New Directions” Panel IRebecca Bowen (University of Notre Dame)“Dantean Other Worlds: Crafting the Commedia for a Renaissance Readership”Valentina Mele (Marie Curie Fellow, University of Notre Dame / University of Pavia)“‘No, Kid, Don’t Enter Here’: The Berkeley Renaissance’s Californian Dante”Aistė Kiltinavičiūtė (University of Manchester)“Dante’s Translations and Reception in 20th- and 21st-Century Lithuania”Chair: Vittorio Montemaggi (University of Notre Dame, London / Von Hügel Institute, Cambridge) 6:30 PM — Reception and Celebration Dinner (Mahaffey Family Presidential Suite, 14th Floor, Hesburgh Library)Friday, September 26 9:30–11:00 AM — Lecture(Co-sponsored by the Dante in East Asia Working Group) “Becoming Dante: More on Dante Translation and Reception in China” Silvano Mo Cheng (Peking University) Chair: Jonathan Noble (Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, University of Notre Dame) Respondent: Michel Hockx (Director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, University of Notre Dame) 11:00PM Coffee Break — Scholars Lounge, 106 Hesburgh Library 11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Session on Dante in East Asia (Presentation and discussion of forthcoming volume, Dante in East Asia, eds. J. Blakesley, A. Brezzi, R. Pepin, C. Sbordoni)Jieon Kim (University of Notre Dame)“‘La 'Lingua Mentale Comune' a Dante e al Coreano: 단테의 시적 표현과 우리말의 관용적 표현”Inha Park (University of Notre Dame)“Teaching Dante in Korea: Translation, Reception, and Localization of Dante in Post-Korean War South Korea”Salvatore Riolo (University of Notre Dame)“‘Trasumanar Significar per Verba’: The Global Translations of The Divine Comedy in the Zahm Dante Collection”Chair: Chiara Sbordoni (University of Notre Dame Rome) 1:00–2:20 PM — Lunch (B02 McKenna Hall) 2:30–4:00 PM — “New Directions” Panel IIDaragh O’Connell (University College Cork)“‘Duppy Conqueror’: Lorna Goodison’s Jamaican Dante’s Inferno”Elizabeth Coggeshall (Florida State University)“The Commedia as Transmedia Franchise? Dante in Convergence Culture”Chair: Theodore J. Cachey Jr. (Director, Devers Program in Dante Studies, University of Notre Dame) 4:00 PM — Exhibition Tour with Curators “‘What through the universe in leaves is scattered’ (Par. 33, 87): Mapping Global Dante in Translation” 7:00PM — Reception & Dinner at Rohr’s Bistro, Morris InnSaturday, September 27 9:00AM - 5:00PM — Dante Society of America Graduate Student Conference (136 De Bartolo Hall)Conference Organizer: Beatrice Rosso, Graduate Student Coordinator, University of Notre Dame Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.

In 2002, the Medieval Institute inaugurated a lecture series in honor of Robert M. and Ricki Conway. Robert Conway was a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame and trustee of the University, He was (and his wife Ricki continues to be) a long-time friend and supporter of the Medieval Institute. The annual Conway Lectures bring senior scholars of international distinction to Notre Dame each fall to speak on topics across a variety of disciplines.  The third and final talk in the 2025 series will be given bey Adam Benkato, the Bita Daryabari Presidential Chair of Iranian Studies, on "Reconstructing Sasanian and post-Sasanian Chanceries: Where do the Middle Persian documents fit in?" About the Talk This talk will consider the existing traces of official document production in the Sasanian Empire and in post-Sasanian/early Islamic Iran based on groups of seals, sealings, and documents that have been discovered over the 20th century at a variety of sites, and in comparison with observations from Islamic sources. It will attempt to discuss the notions of 'chancery', 'archive', and 'diwan' as they pertain to the material evidence of Sasanian and post-Sasanian administrative practices and will examine the existing groups of evidence with regards to their internal coherence. About the Speaker Adam Benkato is an associate professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, and holder of the Bita Daryabari Presidential Chair in Iranian Studies, at the University of California, Berkeley. His research investigates a wide variety of textual and audio sources through the lenses of material philology, sociolinguistics, and archive studies. His two main fields are (ancient) Iranian studies (particularly philology of Middle Iranian languages) and Arabic linguistics (particularly dialectology). He is the leader of two digital projects pertaining to sources in Iranian languages of late antiquity and the medieval period: the Open Archive of Middle Persian Documents, and Chorasmian Online.Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

The final event in the 2025 Conway Lectures is our speaker roundtable on this year's theme, "Medieval Political Thought and its Legacy," featuring our three speakers. About the Conway Lectures In 2002, the Medieval Institute inaugurated a lecture series in honor of Robert M. and Ricki Conway. Robert Conway is a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame and trustee of the University, and he and his wife are long-time friends and supporters of the Medieval Institute. The annual Conway Lectures bring senior scholars of international distinction to Notre Dame each fall to speak on topics across a variety of disciplines.Originally published at medieval.nd.edu.

The Chornobyl nuclear catastrophe of April 1986 shook the world. Its radioactive plumes defied borders and sowed fear across Europe. Yet in Soviet Ukraine, Chornobyl became more than a chilling site of ecological and human trauma: it resounded as a clarion call that galvanized new currents of resistance against the Kremlin. A figure long cast out of Soviet society emerged in Ukrainian culture to symbolise this union of hope and despair: the Madonna. Join Rory Finnin, professor of Ukrainian studies at the University of Cambridge and visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame during the 2025-26 academic year, to explore the immediate aftermath of the Chornobyl disaster in searing works of Ukrainian documentary film, poetry, and prose. He will show how Marian imagery invigorated a political movement for Ukraine’s independence and liberty — a movement that played a decisive role in the collapse of the Soviet empire and resonates in Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression today. This event is open to Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars. A short reception will follow. About the SpeakerRory FinninRory Finnin is professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge. He established the Cambridge Ukrainian Studies program in 2008. Finnin has curated and organized over 40 exhibitions and cultural events, advancing public understanding of Ukraine’s language, history, and society in the UK and beyond. His research focuses on the interplay between culture and identity in Ukraine, with particular attention to Crimea and Crimean Tatar literature, and his broader interests include nationalism studies, solidarity studies, and cultural memory in the region of the Black Sea. Finnin received his Ph.D. in Slavic languages and comparative literature from Columbia University. He is also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Ukraine, 1995-97). Finnin has published extensively, and his book, Blood of Others: Stalin’s Crimean Atrocity and the Poetics of Solidarity (University of Toronto Press), has received eight international awards, including the 2024 Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European Studies, administered by the University of Notre Dame’s Nanovic Institute for European Studies. Professor Finnin has also served as head of the Department of Slavonic Studies and chair of the Cambridge Committee for Russian and East European Studies. Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.

Across the Continent: Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (1868) by Frances Flora Bond Palmer. Lithograph published in New York by Currier and Ives. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-03213.Thomas A. Tweed (University of Notre Dame) will discuss themes of his new book, Religion in the Lands That Became America: A New History (Yale University Press, 2025). Those interested in continuing the discussion are encouraged also to join the Dolan Seminar in American Religion the following morning. Both events are free and open to all. From the Publisher A sweeping retelling of American religious history, showing how religion has enhanced and hindered human flourishing from the Ice Age to the Information Age Until now, the standard narrative of American religious history has begun with English settlers in Jamestown or Plymouth and remained predominantly Protestant and Atlantic. Driven by his strong sense of the historical and moral shortcomings of the usual story, Thomas A. Tweed offers a very different narrative in this ambitious new history. He begins the story much earlier—11,000 years ago—at a rock shelter in present-day Texas and follows Indigenous Peoples, African Americans, transnational migrants, and people of many faiths as they transform the landscape and confront the big lifeway transitions, from foraging to farming and from factories to fiber optics. Setting aside the familiar narrative themes, he highlights sustainability, showing how religion both promoted and inhibited individual, communal, and environmental flourishing during three sustainability crises: the medieval Cornfield Crisis, which destabilized Indigenous ceremonial centers; the Colonial Crisis, which began with the displacement of Indigenous Peoples and the enslavement of Africans; and the Industrial Crisis, which brought social inequity and environmental degradation. The unresolved Colonial and Industrial Crises continue to haunt the nation, Tweed suggests, but he recovers historical sources of hope as he retells the rich story of America’s religious past. Originally published at cushwa.nd.edu.

The Center for Italian Studies is proud to announce that the 2nd Annual Dante Society of America Graduate Student Conference will be hosted by the University of Notre Dame. "Dante’s Other Worlds: Art, Language, and Imagination," is the second in a series of conferences organized by graduate students working in the field of Dante Studies in America. This opportunity allows younger dantisti in the Americas to present their work and research among other scholars. The conference will take place on Saturday, September 27, 2025 following a two-day symposium dedicated to the conference "Global Dante Translation and Reception," hosted by the University of Notre Dame. The symposium will be open to speakers and participants of the DSA conference. In those days, participants are encouraged to visit the exhibit “Commedia: Mapping Global Dante in Translation.” The collection includes every major translation from more than 24 languages, including rare ones such as Japanese (the first edition of the first translation), Korean, and Bangla, along with approximately 120 of the 137 existing English translations. Organizers:Beatrice Maria Rosso (University of Notre Dame)Stefano Scandella (New York University)Evan Underbrink (The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA) The full program schedule is available here. Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.