Scholars have been thinking about the Roman empire for a long time, offering a variety of theories and explanations for Roman imperialism. Too often, however, they have taken the writings of the ancient historians simply at face value. The object of this conference is to examine the attitudes toward Roman imperialism on the part of Greek historians writing under the Roman empire, and to compare these views and their evolution over time with those found in Latin historical writing. The conference offers an innovative approach by integrating historiography with the study of Roman imperialism. Organizers: Christopher Baron (University of Notre Dame)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen) List of speakers: Sulochana Asirvatham (Montclair State University)Christopher Burden-Strevens (University of Kent)Jessica Clark (Florida State University)Cynthia Damon (University of Pennsylvania)Jon Davies (University of Copenhagen)Jennifer Gerrish (College of Charleston)Caitlin Gillespie (Brandeis University)Kyle Khellaf (UC Riverside)Mads Ortving Lindholmer (Danish Institute in Rome)Regina Loehr (Washington University in St. Louis)Jesper Majbom Madsen (University of Southern Denmark)Kit Morrell (University of Queensland)Josiah Osgood (Georgetown University)Antonio Pistellato (Università Ca’Foscari Venezia)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen)Andrew Scott (Villanova University)Kathryn Welch (University of Sydney)Liv Mariah Yarrow (Brooklyn College) Sponsors: Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Notre Dame Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) Department of Classics, Notre Dame Department of History, Notre Dame Originally published at classics.nd.edu.

Register here Join us for an engaging discussion on the groundbreaking Abraham Accords and their implications for national security, regional order, and popular representation in the Middle East. Signed on September 15, 2020, the accords normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and later Morocco, marking a major shift in regional dynamics. In this event, co-authors of The Abraham Accords: National Security, Regional Order, and Popular Representation (Lexington Books, 2025) will explore the motivations and impacts of this historic agreement. They will analyze how political consolidation, pluralism, and regional alliances have shaped normalization trends with Israel and could influence future developments, especially amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. Moderated by Asher Kaufman, John M. Regan, Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute for International Studies, the panel will provide key insights into Israel's relationships with the six Gulf Cooperation Council states—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and the UAE—as well as Iran. Don’t miss this opportunity to dive into the evolving dynamics of Middle Eastern politics and diplomacy. Panelists: Banafsheh Keynoush, scholar in residence, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre DameGuy Burton, visiting fellow, Sectarianism, Proxies and De-Sectarianisation Project, Lancaster University  Register here Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

A professor of music theory at Florida State University and recent past president of the Society for Music Theory, Michael Buchler will discuss the 1959 musical Gypsy (Styne and Sondheim) though an examination of Momma Rose’s music and how it reflects her increasing obsessiveness and decreasing relationship with reality. Originally published at music.nd.edu.

In this final teaching conference of the Organs and Origins series co-sponsored by the College of Science and the McGrath Institute for Church Life, scientists, philosophers and theologians will come together to consider the question of purpose and meaning in the universe. Is it merely a projection of human striving onto the cosmos? Or is there something more about it which can contribute to our understanding and to the dialogue between the sciences, philosophy and theology? Through generous funding from the John Templeton Foundation, 29 stipended fellowships are available for faculty and graduate students from across the disciplines who seek to enrich their teaching and research through this learning experience. Click here for more information and to register   Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

Scholars have been thinking about the Roman empire for a long time, offering a variety of theories and explanations for Roman imperialism. Too often, however, they have taken the writings of the ancient historians simply at face value. The object of this conference is to examine the attitudes toward Roman imperialism on the part of Greek historians writing under the Roman empire, and to compare these views and their evolution over time with those found in Latin historical writing. The conference offers an innovative approach by integrating historiography with the study of Roman imperialism. Organizers: Christopher Baron (University of Notre Dame)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen) List of speakers: Sulochana Asirvatham (Montclair State University)Christopher Burden-Strevens (University of Kent)Jessica Clark (Florida State University)Cynthia Damon (University of Pennsylvania)Jon Davies (University of Copenhagen)Jennifer Gerrish (College of Charleston)Caitlin Gillespie (Brandeis University)Kyle Khellaf (UC Riverside)Mads Ortving Lindholmer (Danish Institute in Rome)Regina Loehr (Washington University in St. Louis)Jesper Majbom Madsen (University of Southern Denmark)Kit Morrell (University of Queensland)Josiah Osgood (Georgetown University)Antonio Pistellato (Università Ca’Foscari Venezia)Anders Holm Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen)Andrew Scott (Villanova University)Kathryn Welch (University of Sydney)Liv Mariah Yarrow (Brooklyn College) Sponsors: Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Notre Dame Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) Department of Classics, Notre Dame Department of History, Notre Dame Originally published at classics.nd.edu.

As part of the Keough-Naughton Institute's spring 2025 speaker series, Professor John Morrison will deliver a lecture titled "Presbyterian Martyr John Brown of Priesthill and the Disruption." Lecture Abstract  In 1843 the presbyterian Church of Scotland split along ideological lines. The dispute centered on the question of 'patronage,' or who had the power to appoint any given individual minister: the congregation of the church he was being appointed to, or the principal local landowner. Around forty percent of all incumbent ministers walked out of the Church of Scotland over the issue and established the Free Church. This arcane piece of exclusively Scottish history was a major event in Scotland but not hugely significant (or, apparently, terribly interesting) However, it is more thought provoking than it initially appears. At the time, the 'Disruption' of the Kirk occasioned much literature and painting on and around the event, and the 1844 painting in the Raclin Murphy collection, Thomas Duncan’s sketch for The Death of John Brown of Priesthill relates directly, if metaphorically. Duncan’s subject is historical: depicting an event in the late 17th century, it is about sometimes extremist presbyterian belief, political power and revolution. In this lecture, Professor John Morrison will consider the painting, its 17th century subject, its relevance to its 19th century context, and its relationship to Ireland, Scotland and Notre Dame. Speaker Biography John Morrison took a Ph.D. in Art History at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Following a period at the Yale Center for British Art in Connecticut working on the success of the ‘Glasgow Boys’ in the USA in the late nineteenth century, Professor Morrison joined the Art History Department at the University of Aberdeen in 1992. He went on to be Head of the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy and Director of teaching and learning for Arts and Social Sciences. From July 2019 he became Head of the School of History and Heritage at the University of Lincoln. He has appeared regularly on radio and television and published several monographs on Scottish art and cultural history, including Painting the Nation (EUP), Painting Labour in Scotland and Europe 1850-1900 (Ashgate) and Land and Landscape (Sansom). He is currently working on a volume of historical sources for nineteenth-century Scottish painting for Routledge. This event is co-sponsored by the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. Originally published at irishstudies.nd.edu.

In this final teaching conference of the Organs and Origins series co-sponsored by the College of Science and the McGrath Institute for Church Life, scientists, philosophers and theologians will come together to consider the question of purpose and meaning in the universe. Is it merely a projection of human striving onto the cosmos? Or is there something more about it which can contribute to our understanding and to the dialogue between the sciences, philosophy and theology? Through generous funding from the John Templeton Foundation, 29 stipended fellowships are available for faculty and graduate students from across the disciplines who seek to enrich their teaching and research through this learning experience. Click here for more information and to register   Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

Classics in the BrowningDirected by Terrence MalickWith Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean PennRated PG-13, 139 minutes, DCPPanel discussion to follow!Terrence Malick took home the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for this impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950's. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick's signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life. GET TICKETS

Please note this lecture has been canceled. Victor Shih is the Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations and associate professor of political science, as well as director of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. Shih is an expert on the politics of Chinese banking policies, fiscal policies, and exchange rate, as well as the elite politics of China. He is the author of two books published by the Cambridge University Press, "Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation" and "Coalitions of the Weak: Elite Politics in China from Mao’s Stratagem to the Rise of Xi." He is also editor of "Economic Shocks and Authoritarian Stability: Duration, Institutions and Financial Conditions," published by the University of Michigan Press. Shih has also published widely in a number of journals, including The American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Politics, The China Quarterly, and Party Politics. This lecture is part of the series, "US-China Relations at a Tipping Point? Domestic, Regional, and Global Ramifications," facilitated by Liu Institute faculty fellows Joshua Eisenman, professor of politics, and Kyle Jaros, associate professor of global affairs, in the Keough School of Global Affairs. Free and open to the public. Originally published at asia.nd.edu.

Samir Mitragotri is the Hiller Professor of Bioengineering and Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. His research is focused on drug delivery and it has led to new technologies for delivering small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids and cells. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Inventors. He is an author on over 400 publications and an inventor on over 300 patents/patent applications. He is also an elected fellow of AAAS, CRS, BMES, AIMBE, and AAPS. He received a BS in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, India and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Originally posted at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering website.

This event is part of the Kroc Institute’s series on intersectionality and justice as a beneficial framework and methodology paired with peace studies. The series is led by Ashley Bohrer, assistant professor of gender and peace studies, and features a variety of guest presenters who address the potential of intersectional analysis to transform timely global conversations and issues. Since the new millennium, Rwanda has been celebrated as a prosperous country with the highest number of women (61% in 2018) in its Parliament. Yet, President Paul Kagame has been winning Rwandan elections since 2003, and in 2024 was elected to a fourth term with 99.15% vote. Led by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the government has been criticized as an authoritarian state for its repression of political dissidents. Dr. Xianan Jin, lecturer in politics at the University of Exeter, will discuss her book project, "Selective Capital in Women’s Political Participation: Neoliberal Authoritarianism in Rwanda," which investigates the paradox between liberal political inclusion of women and oppressive state control. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

Mary Gallagher, Marilyn Keough Dean, Keough School of Global Affairs"Contagious Capitalism Revisited: Labor, Law, and Justice in China" The Justice and Asia Distinguished Lecture Series invites top scholars who examine the theme of justice in relation to Asia and with awareness of Asian cultures and traditions. The series is part of the Liu Institute’s organizing theme of “Justice and Asia” that examines and supports thematic work from a range of perspectives, projects, disciplines, and collaborations. This year, Mary Gallagher, the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs, will present, "Contagious Capitalism Revisited: Labor, Law, and Justice in China." The lecture title is derived from her book “Contagious Capitalism: Globalization and the Politics of Labor in China” (Princeton, 2005). A political scientist and top scholar of contemporary China, Gallagher examines Chinese domestic politics, political economy, and industrial relations. Before joining Notre Dame in 2024, Gallagher directed the International Institute at the University of Michigan where she was also the Amy and Alan Lowenstein Chair in Democracy, Democratization and Human Rights. Her international experience includes teaching at the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing and visiting professorships at East China University of Politics and Law in Shanghai and at the KoGuan School of Law at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Gallagher has received multiple honors for her research, including two Fulbright awards and grants from the National Science Foundation and the Luce Foundation. She also serves as a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and a consultant for the World Bank, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Labor and many other nongovernmental and international organizations. This event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture. Originally published at asia.nd.edu.

“Vocation as a Principle of Natural Law: A Book Launch and Discussion of Ethics, Politics and Natural Law." Melissa Moschella serves as a Professor of the Practice at the McGrath Institute. We hope you will join us to celebrate the launch of her newest book, published through University of Notre Dame Press. This event will include comments from Danial Philpott and David Cloutier. Originally published at mcgrath.nd.edu.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the OVI-UND seminar series, the Center for Italian Studies is pleased to host a seminar by Prof. Theodore Cachey from the University of Notre Dame: Automappature dantesche: da ‘Voi che ‘ntendendo’ a Paradiso 8” (Dantean Mappings: From ‘Voi che ‘ntendendo’ to Paradiso 8)   Unico tra i poeti del suo tempo, Dante sviluppò la sua identità poetica all'interno di una cornice cosmica. C'è una profonda analogia e corrispondenza tra l'esperienza bio-spaziale della sua vita e il cosmo che il poeta costruisce nella sua letteratura sia in termini celesti che terrestri. Detto in termini più semplici, dovrebbe essere possibile seguire l’emergere e lo sviluppo del tema cosmologico, del cosmo di Dante, lungo l’intero percorso della sua vita e delle sue opere, come una sorta di barometro del continuo bisogno di Dante di stabilire e mantenere il suo “luogo” nel mondo. Questo è ciò che si intende per “auto-mappatura” nel titolo. Theodore J. Cachey Jr. è professore ordinario di letteratura italiana all’università di Notre Dame e direttore del Centro di Italian Studies e del William and Katherine Devers Program in Dante Studies a Notre Dame. La sua ricerca verte su Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio, la storia della lingua italiana, la letteratura di viaggio e i rapporti tra cartografia e letteratura. Ha pubblicato e curato numerosi libri, tra cui Le isole fortunate (1995), Petrarch’s Guide to the Holy Land (2002), Petrarch and Dante (2009) e Dante’s Other Works (2022). I suoi saggi sono apparsi in riviste come Italianistica, Critica del Testo, e Annali d’italianistica. Please register here Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.

The Office of Institutional Transformation, in partnership with the Initiative on Race and Resilience, invites students, faculty, and staff to gather weekly for support and fellowship. Wellsprings: A Time for Connection and Care provides a safe space for members of the campus community to discuss fears and concerns related to social divisiveness. Some sessions may feature presentations or information from campus resources. To suggest a topic, please contact Eve Kelly at ekelly11@nd.edu. Originally published at diversity.nd.edu.

The Cushwa Center 50th anniversary conference will convene April 10–12, 2025, at the University of Notre Dame to explore Catholic modernity as a global reality shaped by the Church’s former peripheries—not least South and North America. Conference sessions are free and open to all, but participants must register in order to join in conference meals. Learn more and registerImage: Indigenous women and children in front of the mission church of Santa Teresita de Kavanayén in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana, c. 1955. Pictorial Parade via Getty Images. Originally published at cushwa.nd.edu.

Register to attend via Zoom here The recent drastic restructuring of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the overtaking of the offices by DOGE, have brought to the forefront the way the current administration actions have undercut peacebuilding efforts locally and globally. This flash panel, including George A. Lopez, the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies, Lisa Schirch, the Richard G. Starmann, Sr. Professor of the Practice of Peace Studies, Elizabeth (Liz) Hume, executive director, Alliance for Peacebuilding, and Kroc Institute Advisory Board member, Angela Lederach (Ph.D. '19), assistant professor of peace studies at Chapman University, and others will discuss the history and significance of USIP for peacebuilding around the world, including the work of the Kroc Institute. The panel will also consider the consequences these actions have on the broader policies of peacebuilding globally. Background: The USIP is an independent, nonprofit, national institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other peace-building measures. Following years of proposals for a national peace academy, the USIP was established in 1984 by congressional legislation signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame and a national voice for civil and human rights, served as a member of the board of directors of USIP from 1991-2000 and as co-chairman of the USIP Building Campaign. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Hesburgh said, “Amidst all these reliquaries of wars, we are going to commit a temple of peace.” A hall was named in honor of Father Hesburgh to house the Institute's Religion and Peacemaking Center. The USIP is officially nonpartisan and independent, receiving funding only through a congressional appropriation to prevent outside influence. The Institute is governed by a bipartisan board of directors with 15 members, which must include the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, and the president of the National Defense University. The remaining 12 members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.   Register to attend via Zoom here Photo: The U.S. Institute of Peace's headquarters. Credit: (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

Robert M. Citino, the retired Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian at the National WWII Museum, presents "The Fascist Lair: the Battle of Berlin." This lecture, cosponsored by the Department of History, is being held in conjunction with the spring Rare Books and Special Collection exhibit, "Tragedies of War: Images of WWII in Print Visual Culture." About the Exhibit This exhibit commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War (1939-1945) using primarily European visual sources recently acquired by Rare Books and Special Collections. It showcases over forty works on paper, including posters, maps, propaganda ephemera, and illustrated books, as well as photographs and first-hand accounts. The exhibit explores themes of Nazi racial ideology, the Holocaust, children in war, resistance, liberation, and memories of war. By examining images created for personal use and for state-sponsored propaganda, the exhibit presents a visual narrative of the war’s profound impact on individuals and societies, offering deeper insight into how this war was experienced and remembered. This exhibit is curated by Natasha Lyandres, Curator, Rare Books & Special Collections, Jean McManus, Catholic Studies Librarian, University Archives, and Julia Schneider, German Language and Literature and Italian Studies Librarian, Hesburgh Libraries. This and other exhibits within the Hesburgh Libraries are generously supported by the McBrien Special Collections Endowment. All exhibits are free and open to the public during business hours.Open to undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, postdocs, the public, alumni, and friends.

The School of Architecture is excited to welcome Francesco de Angelis from Columbia University to campus for a lecture titled, "Victory in the Making: Triumphal Arches on Roman State Reliefs." This talk will focus on ancient depictions of triumphal arches in the medium of sculptural relief. Several of these images represent the monuments in an abridged fashion, for example by diminishing or omitting key components of their figural decoration, including sculpted scenes. Therefore, especially if we try to understand the reliefs as evidence for ancient viewing habits, they appear paradoxically to downplay their own relevance as carriers of meaningful and semantically rich imagery. The talk will examine this seeming act of self-effacement and argue that, rather than a simple celebration of past deeds, Roman arches—and their decoration—were parts of a project that was perpetually in the making. Join us for this insightful discussion and learn how Roman relief sculptures represented monumental arches and their profound significance in ancient art and architecture. This event is open to all—don’t miss the opportunity to learn from an expert in the field! This lecture is co-sponsored by the School of Architecture, Department of Classics, Center for Italian Studies, and the Department of Art, Art History and Design.   Originally published at artdept.nd.edu.

The Cushwa Center 50th anniversary conference will convene April 10–12, 2025, at the University of Notre Dame to explore Catholic modernity as a global reality shaped by the Church’s former peripheries—not least South and North America. Conference sessions are free and open to all, but participants must register in order to join in conference meals. Learn more and registerImage: Indigenous women and children in front of the mission church of Santa Teresita de Kavanayén in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana, c. 1955. Pictorial Parade via Getty Images. Originally published at cushwa.nd.edu.