It seems that it was not long ago that we were scrambling to transition students and instructors to online courses. Now we’re heading into the last days of those classes. What have we learned and how have we fared? Here’s what we’ve heard from our students, instructors, and partners. The personal relationships formed between students… Read More
Programs
Moscow Under Quarentine: Moods and Measures
The mood in Moscow is calm. We are now entering week four of quarantine. Measures have been gradually introduced. The initial closing of universities, most schools, cafes, bars, and nightclubs, was announced on March 17 and put into place on March 21. Since then, a similar pattern of broadcast-then-implement has followed with closing parks and… Read More
Video: The Future of Study Abroad with Renee Stillings
SRAS Founder and Program Director Renee Stillings speaks on the future of study abroad in this new video interview interview with Dr. Michael Denner, a professor at Stetson University and fellow long-time advocate of study abroad. One of the major innovations that she mentions, hybrid study abroad, can be previewed here as it is already… Read More
The Experience of a Lifetime: How Our Students Experienced the Global Health Crisis Abroad
“Do I have to go? Do I have a choice? I feel safer here.” “This is incredibly disappointing – I’ve been planning this for years.” “What are the consequences if I stay?” “I can’t concentrate in class, I feel like any minute it will be my turn to have to go.” “I’m spending my last… Read More
Ukraine: Discovering Something New and Very Old (SRAS Site Visit)
I have admittedly not spent enough time in Ukraine, in part because our partners at NovaMova are so efficient and responsive with students, and because we see them regularly at conferences here in the US. I decided to change that and spend some quality time there in early January, getting to know Kyiv better and… Read More
How SRAS Combines Programs & Locations
I realized during the filming of the video below that I was focused almost exclusively on our programming in the post-Soviet states, which has really been the core of our programming for nearly 25 years. Of course, with the Kremlin as a backdrop, this was a bit natural. Our general philosophy holds true for all… Read More
Video: Strange Things in Russia – Student Produced
SRAS Home and Abroad Scholar Tanya Tanyarattinan created this video as a capstone project during her program in St. Petersburg. The video covers her experiences living in St. Petersburg and visiting Moscow, as well as served as an introduction to a talk she gave on how she became curious about round, concrete traffic barriers that… Read More
SRAS’ Central Asian Studies Summer Adds Weeklong Uzbekistan Trip
SRAS has added a week-long trip to Uzbekistan to the summer session of our Central Asian Studies program. Students on this program will now have both the opportunity to experience rural, nomadic Kyrgyz life during a weeklong horse trek through the nearby mountains and also contrast this with the Uzbekistan’s ancient culture of great cities…. Read More
The Future in Science Fiction – New Course This Summer in Poland
Explore the thin line between reality and fiction in literature, film, and gaming. We will look at science fiction from the perspectives of sociology, security, and political science. We will consider science fiction as a predictor – and ponder upon futurology and foresight. Alongside a series of discussions and workshops, we will be working on… Read More
SRAS Supporting UCSD With Siberian Study Abroad Program
SRAS is proud to support a new program from University of California – San Diego (UCSD) that will take students to Irkutsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Olkhon Island, Balagansk, and Ulan Ude. This faculty led program is open to non-UCSD students. Students will enroll in UCSD’s Summer Session I (June 28-August 2) and receive credit for… Read More