The "Studying the Now '' series includes interdisciplinary panel webinars from experts in our community that help our community unpack in current issues immediately. Example topics include the war in Ukraine, antisemitism and anti-Blackness, affirmative action and reproductive justice.  

1. Conflict in Ukraine, February 28, 2022

Many of us, here and around the world, have watched with shock and deep concern this week as war has engulfed Ukraine. As we seek to understand what led to this historic conflict and where it might lead, please join us for a conversation with Professor Kimberly Marten, who specializes in international relations and international security, with a keen interest in Russia; and Barnard Trustee Steven Solnick, Head of School at the Calhoun School, a political scientist by training, with expertise in Russia. This conversation will allow the community to engage in critical questions such as what does this mean for the stability of Ukraine? What are Putin’s motives? What does this mean for NATO and what role will sanctions play in the ongoing conflict?

Stream the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smp6bE_SzBg

2. Unpacking Dobbs v. Jackson, June 29, 2022

 As we seek to understand what the ruling means and its potential consequences for women, girls, and anyone who can experience pregnancy in the United States, New York, and Barnard, please join us on Wednesday, June 29, 7–8 p.m. EDT, via Zoom, for a conversation with Terry McGovern, Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Professor and Chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health and the Director of the Program on Global Health Justice and Governance at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and Janet Jakobsen, Claire Tow Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Barnard College. This conversation will allow the community to unpack the meaning of this decision and engage in critical questions about bodily autonomy and health.

Stream the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j24OFBw1lo

3. Dismantling Anti-Black & Antisemitic Rhetoric, January 31, 2023

As we read about reports in the media that demonstrate the manifestation of a sharp rise in both anti-Blackness and antisemitism in popular discourse, we seek to understand the cause for this hate. Often, when these forms of bigotry are put into dialogue, they are pitted against each other as irreducible expressions of discrimination. Please join us in conversation with Professor Westenley Alcenat, Professor Racquel Gates, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum ’81 and Professor Magda Teter on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, 6:00 – 7:00 PM EST, via Zoom. We will explore the connections between anti-Blackness and antisemitism, as well as what is distinctive in the contemporary moment in which they are linked together. The purpose of this panel is to unpack and contextualize anti-Blackness and antisemitism in popular discourse. Topics may include celebrity, social media and race; historical relationships between Black and Jewish people in the United States; the different ways that anti-Black and antisemitic beliefs become linked in contemporary ideology (e.g., “Great Replacement Theory”) and the ways in which they are distinct; and what possibilities exist in culture and scholarship to resist and dismantle both of these bigotries.

Stream the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMjMEDeyz5o

4. Affirmative Action, September 26, 2023

In a historic decision on June 29, 2023 the U.S. Supreme Court limited the consideration of race in college and university admissions across the country. As a College, Barnard has a distinct set of expertise and resources to address this decision as we uphold diversity, equity and inclusion as central to our academic mission. This prompts us to think about the broad implications for institutional diversity policies and practices and it presents an opportunity to come together to examine, interrogate, and respond to the issues raised in this ruling. We invite you to engage in a discussion about this decision, moderated by Barnard's President Laura Rosenbury, Professor Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, NYU, and Jennifer Rosales, Vice President for Inclusion and Engaged Learning and Chief Diversity Officer, Barnard College. The panel will take place from 12:30pm-1:30pm in Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd floor Barnard Hall on September 26, 2023. 

Stream the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhDmsLLELPc