Each semester, Oldenborg collaborates with faculty and invites noted scholars, writers, activists, and professionals to speak on topics of cultural and international interest. To suggest a speaker, email Oldenborg Interim Director Senem Bakar.
Talks are added throughout the year. Check back often for updates to our schedule and sign up for Friends of Oldenborg mailing list to stay up to date on talks and events. Dining hall access requires a meal purchase; 5C students swipe in and 7C faculty/staff sign in. Community members should purchase their meal tickets in advance at Café 47.
Talks take place from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
Upcoming Events
November 6
Beauty Lies in Imperfection: Shakuhachi, Wabi Sabi, and the Tea Ceremony
Kaoru Kakizakai, Master of the Shakuhachi
Co-sponsored with the Music Department at Pomona College
November 7
2025 Oldenborg Grant Recipients
Adelina Grotenhuis, PO’28
Ngoc Nhi Nguyen, PO’26
Miyu Owada, PO’26
November 17
Listen Germany! Thomas Mann's Californian, Antifacist Radio addresses
Jeffrey H. High, Professor of German Studies, California State University Long Beach
Elaine Chen, Ph.D. Candidate, Harvard University
Co-sponsored with the German & Russian Department at Pomona College
December 2
Oldenborg Cinema: Short Films and Comic Sketches
Oldenborg Conversation Class Students & Language Residents
Co-sponsored with the Foreign Language Resource Center at Pomona College
TBD
Chinese Soft Power
Joshua Shen, U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence 2024-26, CPD Visiting Scholar, University of Southern California
2025-2026 Past Events
September 23
Ideology or Pragmatism: What Drives the World Bank’s Lending Programs in Developing Countries?
Michel Welmond, Lead Education Specialist (retired), World Bank
September 30
In the Shadow of War: Exploring Perceptions of Soviet Rule in Central Asia among Ethnic Qazaqs
Azamat Junisbai, Professor of Sociology, Pitzer College
Co-sponsored with the German & Russian Department at Pomona College
October 7 — CANCELLED
Climate Catastrophe and Co-Evolution in Contemporary Ecofiction
Nicole A. Sütterlin, Associate Professor of Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Rice University
Co-sponsored with the German and Russian Department at Pomona College
October 21
Hacktiviting Democracy: The Belarusian Cyber Partisans
Alana Felton, Assistant Director of College Writing, Pomona College
October 24
Creative Belonging: The Qiang and Multiethnic Imagination of Modern China
Yanshuo Zhang, Assistant Professor of Asian Languages and Literatures, Pomona College
Co-sponsored with the Asian Languages and Literatures Department at Pomona College