Pitt ceremony celebrates new World History Center

‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt celebrated the opening of its World History Center yesterday in the Frick Fine Arts… ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt celebrated the opening of its World History Center yesterday in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium. ‘ ‘ ‘ Set within the Department of History, the World History Center is dedicated to research, teaching and international collaboration on analysis of the global past, with the intention of affecting future global policies and practices, according to a news release. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Our biggest project is going to be a world history databank,’ said Patrick Manning, an Andrew W. Mellon professor of world history at Pitt and the center’s director. This database will provide information on a variety of subjects from around the world. ‘ ‘ ‘ Manning said having the center will allow the Department of History to add an undergraduate survey course in world history. ‘ ‘ ‘ Marcus Rediker, the chairperson of the Department of History, said changes will also be made to the graduate history program. ‘ ‘ ‘ Rediker, the celebration’s master of ceremonies, said the center is part of a trend happening around the globe and that it will help make more sense of national stories. With the creation of the World History Center, Rediker said, ‘We’re now ahead of the game. This is a very far-sighted thing for Pitt to have done.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Someone, I believe it was Voltaire, said that history is a pack of tricks we play on dead people,’ said Rediker. ‘I’ve actually taken the opposite view in that I believe history is what we learn so that people don’t play tricks on us. It is crucial to be playing an active role in modern society.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ How history comes into existence, Rediker said, is a difficult question to answer. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It depends on how people in the past look back on it,’ said Rediker. ‘We emphasize different things.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ It is especially important to take the global approach, Rediker said, ‘because human beings impose all kinds of divisions on themselves. The center will allow for a broader and more encompassing view and a greater breadth of understanding.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ David Kalivas, who is a member of the board of directors of the World History Network, spoke at the center’s opening celebration. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘World history is the history of interaction and connection,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Shingo Minamizuka, the World History Center’s first visiting scholar, also attended the ceremony. In his capacity as visiting scholar, he will conduct lectures and give workshops and seminars. ‘ ‘ ‘ John Cooper, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, was among the speakers at the celebration. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The starting point is [Manning] and the ideas he was expressing,’ said Cooper. ‘What he wanted to do was a nice fit with what was happening with the History Department and a complement to international studies.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Cooper said the center will attract visitors to the University and will ‘prove a focal point for graduate education which will transition to a strong intellectual community that will benefit undergraduates.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Manning, who was the keynote speaker at the ceremony, discussed world history in the context of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the global organization of knowledge. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If world history is supposed to be interdisciplinary,’ he said, ‘we should cooperate with other subjects.’