The Cuba-Russia Connection invites you to an intensive introduction to the history, culture, politics, and economies of two fascinating countries that have played important strategic and often interrelated roles in US foreign policy. We will study these countries from the perspective of cultural diplomacy, learning how each uses its cultural assets for diplomacy and economic gain.
During the course of this program, you will spend 10 days in Cuba, followed by four weeks in Russia. Extend your stay with additional weeks of intensive Russian as a Second Language study.
In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed, leaving the United States alone as the world’s superpower. These four immersive weeks will see us working to understand why the winds of change blew across communist Russia and its central and east European satellites during the 1980s and why these events are the essential backdrop for understanding current events, some thirty years later. Why did Mikhail Gorbachev seek to reform the Soviet challenge to Western hegemony and how did the population at home and in the Warsaw Pact countries take advantage of this situation? Why did liberal democracy have so much difficulty then solidifying itself across this space in the decades after? And why does Vladimir Putin once again poise a real challenge to the US and the independent countries which surround him?
This program will travel to four former communist nations (Russia, Poland, Germany, and Ukraine) to examine this time of change and its lasting legacy in the region.
This two-week workshop is truly a unique and high-value experience. Elena Varshavskaya, who has led our art history and museum studies program in St. Petersburg for over 10 years, invites museum professionals to join her for two weeks of extensive exploration of the museums of St. Petersburg, Peterhof, and Moscow meeting curators, restorers, educators, and others.
This program is for museum professionals - from curators, educators, and restorers to those working with media, development ,and administration.
This course offers an opportunity to learn, quickly and within the Russian context, the basic codes, skills and values of journalism. Reporting competencies include spot news, feature writing, broadcast techniques, and working with editors in an international-bureau arrangement. Students begin with a crash course in journalism before leaving for St. Petersburg, and once in country, they focus on “live” stories, working from simpler to more complex pieces in several genres.
This course is designed as a practicum, a supplement to The Changing Energy Landscape or The Art & Science of Museums courses. It is equally valuable to students of journalism seeking the knowledge base from which to write on these topics and to students already versed in these disciplines looking to further develop their writing skills.
Russian as a Second Language is at the core of this program and during the academic year is combined with a range of electives taught in English on culture, history, politics, economics, finance, marketing, and more. Several courses focus on the intersection of these subjects: how the economy affects the arts and the role of cultural movements within society. An extensive cultural program and a weekend trip to Moscow is included. You'll gain a wider, fuller, first-hand perspective on Russia for your future career in government, business, or academia.
How can cultural and historical heritage be best preserved and transmitted? To answer this question, we will take a behind-the-scenes look at the Hermitage Museum, and explore the many museums of St. Petersburg -- including educational museums at schools of higher learning, scientific museums, museums of ethnography, memorial apartment museums, literary museums, political history museums, and more.
This program is for students of museum science/studies or museum management.
An increasingly serious attitude toward the Paris Agreement implies a substantial change to world economics through decarbonization efforts. This will require considerable cooperation between the hydrocarbon resource countries and energy consumers. There are many geopolitical and economic obstacles and it is of paramount importance to foster discussion on the future of energy in a decarbonized world.
This interdisciplinary course is aimed at students of economics, business, world economy, political science, international relations, energy studies/security, and sustainability studies.
Join SRAS for Summer Break in Russia! We will take you on a two-week grand introduction to modern Russia, its history, and its impressive culture. Follow knowledgable guides through the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Sample and learn more about the local and regional cuisines. Meet your local peers in both cities to talk about what life on the ground is really like. You'll tour world-class museums, see a wide variety of art and architecture, and see the places where both local and world history was made. This summer break experience is for anyone with an interest in Russia and its current place in the world.
