Program in Russian and Eurasian Studies
Director
Stephen M. Kotkin
Acting Director
Michael D. Gordin (fall/spring)
Executive Committee
Mark R. Beissinger, Politics
Ellen B. Chances, Slavic Languages and Literatures
Caryl G. Emerson, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Comparative Literature
Michael D. Gordin, History
Jan T. Gross, History
Stephen M. Kotkin, History, Woodrow Wilson School
Michael Reynolds, Near Eastern Studies
Gilbert F. Rozman, Sociology
Michael A. Wachtel, Slavic Languages and Literatures
Sits with the Committee
Margaret H. Beissinger, Slavic Languages and Literatures
Devin A. Fore, German
Olga Hasty, Slavic Languages and Literatures
Jason M. K. Lyall, Politics, Woodrow Wilson School
Simon A. Morrison, Music
Sergei Oushakine, Slavic Languages and Literatures
Petre M. Petrov, Slavic Languages and Literatures
Grigore Pop-Eleches, Woodrow Wilson School, Politics
Ekaterina Pravilova, History
Kim Lane Scheppele, University Center for Human Values, Woodrow Wilson School, Sociology
The Program in Russian and Eurasian Studies, an affiliate of the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, is an interdepartmental plan of study focused on the languages, cultures, societies, politics, and histories of the many countries, including Russia, located between Central Europe and East Asia, north of the Middle East. Russian and Eurasian studies is combined with and subsidiary to the program of study for a concentration in a department, including but not limited to anthropology, art and archaeology, comparative literature, economics, history, music, Near Eastern studies, politics, religion, Slavic languages and literatures, sociology, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Russian and Eurasian studies may also be combined with a major in engineering or the natural sciences.
The program’s purpose is to provide undergraduates with expertise in a core language of Eurasia—for most students, that would be Russian—and a scholarly grounding in the study of the region. Other languages applicable toward the certificate include Polish and Turkish, the latter being the basis for most Central Asian languages as well as some in the Caucasus and in Russia. At this time, the University does not have a language sequence in Polish. Native speakers of Russian, Polish, or Turkish, and students with previous training in these or other languages of Eurasia, can fulfill the program’s requirement by passing a placement test.
Students pursuing the Russian and Eurasian studies certificate are expected to combine classwork with study abroad for a semester or a summer to sharpen their language skills, conduct independent research, and, in general, gain a better appreciation of at least one country and culture in Eurasia. Summer internships abroad, partly subsidized by the program or the University, are also highly encouraged.
Russian and Eurasian studies offers preparation for government service, international business and finance, law, media, science, teaching, nongovernmental organizations, and other aspects of global affairs, in addition to serving the needs of a liberal education.
Program of Study
Students must complete the normal departmental program in their major. (All majors are compatible with a Russian and Eurasian studies certificate). Students whose primary foreign language is Russian must successfully complete one Russian language course beyond 207, or otherwise achieve this level of competence. Students in the program whose focus is Turkish or Polish must complete the equivalent of a second year in that language.
Before the end of the senior year students must also complete a minimum of four courses selected as follows:
a) One course in the history of the Russian empire or the Soviet Union, including a freshman seminar.
b) Any 300-level or 400-level course, or freshman seminar, in the literatures of the Russian empire or the Soviet Union.
c) One course in the anthropology, sociology, international relations, politics and/or economics of Eurasia, including comparative courses.
d) Another course, from one of the above three categories, on the history, literature, or social sciences of Russia and Eurasia; or a course from an approved list of specialized subjects. The latter could include the art and architecture of the Slavic world or of the Turkic world; Slavic or Turkic music or film; Polish literature and history; the comparative cultures, history, economics, politics, or sociology of Eastern Europe; or the literature, history, economics, politics, or sociology of Central Asia, including Afghanistan and Mongolia.
When feasible, students will submit senior theses on a Russian or Eurasian topic within their departmental concentration using Russian, Polish, or Turkic language materials. The topic, alternatively, may fall under comparative studies, relating to Eurasia. Junior independent work may also be considered. With the program director’s approval, students majoring in one of the sciences, mathematics, or engineering whose senior thesis does not deal with a Russian or Eurasian subject may complete the program by submitting an original piece of research dealing with Russia or Eurasia.
Certificate of Proficiency
A student who has met satisfactorily the requirements of the program will receive a certificate testifying to his or her proficiency in Russian and Eurasian studies.