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Highlighted Session: Russian Language Immersion Programs: Protesting the Conflict in Ukraine and the Response to Calls for Decolonization

Mon, March 11, 8:00 to 9:30am, Hyatt Regency Miami, Floor: Third Level, Merrick 1

Group Submission Type: Highlighted Paper Session

Proposal

The ongoing war in Ukraine has had far-reaching effects on regional stability and geopolitical dynamics, leading to renewed interest in the study of the region, including the broader area comprising the countries that border Russia and Ukraine directly as well as the Black Sea countries, as the conflict evolves and draws in different interest groups. In the U.S., the pathway to becoming an area expert of the region has been primarily to commence with the study of Russian language, culture, politics and economics, and degree-granting academic programs oftentimes still require students to undertake Russian-centered studies, even when student interests may be focused on a different country; area studies and instruction in the languages of other post-soviet or post-communist countries of the region remain less common.

Russian continues to remain among the top ten languages with the highest enrollments in U.S. two- and four-year colleges and universities according to the 2020 Modern Language Association fall enrollment survey (Fall-2022-NL-snapshot.pdf). The Department of Defense (DLNSEO) funds the core Russian Language Flagship Program at eight higher education institutions in the U.S. (https://www.thelanguageflagship.org) and the State Department awards Critical Language Scholarships for the study of Russian (alongside 14 other languages) overseas (https://clscholarship.org). Russian also ranks third (after Arabic and Portuguese), according to the number of fellowships awarded for the study of less-commonly taught languages (LCTLs) under the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Program at the Department of Education.

As nations grapple with the complexities of the crisis in Ukraine, however, the well-regarded Russian language immersion programs based in Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, are currently off limits, and the evolving geopolitical landscape has significantly impacted Russian language, area studies, and research programs, posing challenges and opportunities for educators, researchers, and students alike. There have also been widespread calls to decolonize Russian studies in the foreign policy, regional studies, and international education communities: the theme for the 2024 Association for Slavic and East European Studies Convention is Decolonization, with a focus on “the reassessment and transformation of Russo-centric relationships of power and hierarchy both in the region and in how we study it, […which] on another level involves re-examining our current research, teaching, and professional practices.” ( 2023 ASEEES CONVENTION THEME | ASEEES).

Within this context, U.S. Russian, Central and East European, and Eurasian academic programs, centers, and institutes, and the sponsors and/or organizers of Russian language study abroad programs are embarking on efforts to respond to the realities on the ground and rethinking curricular offerings and methods of delivery in light of the travel restrictions to the region and the call for decolonization. These entities have been challenged to transform their current structures and practices: new venues for Russian language immersion courses abroad, often in collaboration with local/regional higher education institutions, are appearing; domestic programs encourage and strengthen instruction in LCTLs away from Russian; and students and researchers seek alternative resources in countries other than Russia.

The panel discussion proposed here has a fivefold contribution to the field of comparative and international education more broadly, and to the Eurasia and Study Abroad SIGs in particular, as follows:

1. The panel discussions will inform the audience on the current state of the field by sharing experiences and insights into the challenges on the ground and reverberating domestically. The panel will address the impact of geopolitical events on Russian area studies and language curriculum redesign, study abroad program location, student language enrollment, as well as issues of sensitivity which arise in the study of Russia and its language in neighboring regions during the time of conflict.

2. The panel will bring together experienced administrators, policymakers, and area and language experts with unique credentials, who are able to suggest innovative approaches to Russian curriculum development, instructional strategies, and the integration of cultural context into language programs. The discussions seek to inspire practical solutions for international education practitioners to create transformative study abroad experiences and empower attendees with the tools to better navigate the disruptions caused by geopolitical crises.

3. If feasible, given the emergent nature of the challenges and the adjustments in response, panel participants will share quantitative and qualitative information on the impact of the alternative practices adopted on language enrollments (Russian vs other languages of the region); potential shifts in the distribution of domestic vs study abroad; changes in language proficiency gains; and feedback from student experiences.

4. Reflecting on past practices, panel participants will engage the audience in a discussion of how future interventions may yield more desirable results, a discussion which may provide useful insights for educators and practitioners in other world areas facing similar disruptions.

5. The panel may also address strategies for maintaining or altering the relevance of Russian language and area studies in the context of the recent disruptions caused by the conflict in Ukraine and the ensuing decolonization discussions.

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