Russian Experts Needed

Russia is an area that has been near to my heart for close to a decade now. Also for close to a decade, I have known that I have wanted to become an expert on the region. There were many people who dismissed my interests, but I have always pushed back. I am frequently frustrated with American portrayals and coverage, especially in the media but also in the government, of Russia. Part of this issue stems from the fact that most of the people who are in media and government now grew up during the Cold War and thus have an embedded anti-Russian stance that pervades in the post-Soviet eta. I hope to be part of a new generation of Russian experts, a new generation that tries to understand before immediately condemning, and who tries to address concerns productively before immediately dismissing them. I started my journey roughly ten years ago with an encyclopedia and a piece of paper where I copied down the Russian alphabet, and I do not intend to stop any time soon. 

Here is an article from the New York Times that highlights the deficit of Russian scholars and experts in America : American Experts on Russia Say There Are Not Enough of Them


One of my friends here in Georgia linked me to a newsletter from Harvard University's Russian and Eurasian Studies program that talks about: The Crisis of US Funding for Area Studies It is an issue close to me because I am working to advance my research in graduate school. For those of you who do not know, I was accepted into the University of Kansas and the University of Washington to pursue a Master's in Russian and Eurasian Studies. Right now, I am waiting to hear a decision on funding, which is of critical importance as it will be key to furthering my studies and deciding where I will go next year. I am hoping that the crisis in Ukraine will convince US policy makers that funding for area studies is still vital for US national interests and NOT to cut out federal programs that help to advance expertise for people like me.

If you are interested in furthering your own knowledge of this region, or are curious about the events unfolding in the Ukraine, I encourage you to check out the "Caucasus Info" page on my blog. It has links to a lot of news sites and informational sites on the Russian and Caucasus region.

This picture is NOT my own. Taken in northern Georgia with the stunning Caucasus
Mountain Range as a backdrop.