The Global Cold War

The Global Cold War

Click to Register

Summer Institute for Community College Instructors

May 29 - 30, 2026

Narrowly defined, the Cold War was a 20th century contest between the US and the USSR to define the economic and political structures of the modern world. But this heightened period of conflict between two visions of modernity intersected with other regional historical narratives. How does our conception of the mid-20th century change when we center other parts of the globe? Which historical narratives and actors take center stage? How does this shift in focus recast the actions and motives of the two superpowers? 

This program will explore the mid-20th century through the lens of four different regions. Each session will include a presentation, Q & A with the speaker, and  extended discussion of the topic.

This ORIAS Summer Institute is designed for history and social science instructors. It is open to community college instructors and (space permitting) high school teachers of AP World History and AP US History.

This FREE program will take place in person. Space is limited to 25 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact orias@berkeley.edu to learn more.

Agenda

Friday May 29

9:30 - 10:00 AM

Breakfast and check-in

10:00 - 10:15 AM

Shane Carter - Program Introduction

10:15 AM - 12:30 PM

Soviet Central Asia in the Global Cold War

Speaker: Dr. Rebekah Ramsay

This opening session considers how we might see the Cold War era differently if we focus on Central Asian perspectives. We will discuss twentieth-century decolonization as an underestimated throughline in this story, the limitations of a "periphery" framing, and the interconnectedness of Central Asia in a period where it is often assumed to be isolated. We will also discuss how everyday experiences of people's lives relate to this bigger picture, expand it, or elude it.

12:30 - 1:30 PM

Lunch

1:30 - 3:30 PM

Cold War’s “Third” Front

Speaker: Dr. Atreyee Gupta

Cold War’s “Third” Front approaches the Cold War from the vantage point of India, the former British colony that gained national sovereignty during the Cold War and, along with other newly independent countries of the Third World, inaugurated the Non-Aligned Movement. Drawing on intertwined intellectual and political histories, as well as significant historical events such as the 1955 Asian African Conference at Bandung and the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, the session examines how artists and intellectuals articulated alternatives to both capitalist and socialist blocs. The aim of this session is to offer concrete concepts and interpretive frames for teaching the Cold War beyond the familiar bipolar map of Washington and Moscow.

Saturday, May 30

9:45 - 10:15 AM

Breakfast and check in

10:15 AM - 12:30 PM

Yemen during the Cold War

Speaker: Fatima Abo Alasrar

This session explores the Cold War from the vantage point of Yemen, considering internal developments, its context within the Red Sea region, and the broader movement for Arab Nationalism.

12:30 - 1:30 PM

Lunch

1:30 - 3:30 PM

Evolving Cold War Narratives in North Korean Historical Novels, 1997-Present

Speaker: Dr. Meredith Shaw

Intersecting comparative historiography, literary studies, and international relations, this talk will introduce North Korea’s perspective on several flashpoints and ideological debates of the Cold War era through the medium of historical novels produced by the Propaganda Department of the ruling Korean Workers' Party. In addition to a critical examination the narrative contents and what they say about North Korea's historical perspective, we will also theorize about why some stories have been retold with new emphasis in recent years, including the Sino-Soviet split, the capture of the USS Pueblo, and resistance to joining Comecon.

Collage Image Citations*

When & Where

Where: The Institute will be held at the NEW ORIAS office, at 2111 Bancroft Way, fifth floor.

When: See the agenda to the left for daily schedule information. Please arrive during the breakfast and check-in period or at breaks.

Registration: Register HERE. You will get an immediate notification that your information was submitted, followed by a confirmation.

Accessibility: This summer institute is being held in an accessible location. If you are a disabled person and need reasonable accommodations to participate they will be provided. Please contact Shane Carter at orias@berkeley.edu to make a request. Service Dogs are welcome.

Transit & Parking: The ORIAS office is served by several AC Transit bus lines and the Downtown Berkeley BART station. If you choose drive, there is limited parking in the lot behind/below 2111 Bancroft Way. Alternatively, you may pay for a variety of downtown parking options.

Banway Building at 2111 Bancroft Way

Topics