The Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded $700,000 to the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies’ Russian and East European Institute to continue strengthening Russian studies at Indiana University.
The grant builds on Carnegie’s 2016 award of $1 million to create the Russian Studies Workshop, a framework for students and faculty in Russia, Europe and the United States to share work in progress, solve research problems, exchange resources and teach innovative area-focused methods.
The grant is meant to reverse the decline of Russian studies at American universities since the end of the Cold War, which has led to diminished capacity in the United States to assess and understand Russia at a time when the relationship between the two countries has deteriorated.
“Indiana University’s commitment to the training and development of scholars in the study of Russian domestic, economic, political and security developments has never waned,” said former Ambassador Lee Feinstein, founding dean of the Hamilton Lugar School. “We are honored that Carnegie values the Russian Studies Workshop’s efforts to advance scholarship, research and collaboration. With this renewed support, we can continue to the lay the groundwork for the future of Russian studies at Indiana University and beyond.”
Housed in the Hamilton Lugar School’s Russian and East European Institute, the Russian Studies Workshop is modeled on the renowned Ostrom Workshop – a cooperative research approach developed by the late Nobel Prize-winning IU professor Elinor Ostrom. Over the past three years, the workshop has played a critical role in several initiatives, including:
- Collaborative projects by Indiana University’s Russia scholars on issues such as education, disability, human rights, urban activism, and environment and infrastructure in Siberia.
- Conference travel and dissertation fellowships for IU graduate students.
- Transnational, cross-disciplinary conferences and workshops at the IU Europe Gateway in Berlin and IU Bloomington.
- Hosting visiting scholars from Russia, Europe and across the U.S. to participate in the workshop’s programs and events.
The Carnegie grant will also host visiting scholars from within the U.S. and from Russia to work in its research clusters, which focus on regional studies and human rights and civil society in Russia.
“Supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Russian Studies Workshop has become an effective collaborative endeavor, a platform for international cooperation in Russian studies that bridges social sciences and humanities,” said Russian Studies Workshop director Tatiana Saburova. “The workshop aims to inspire, connect and support scholars and practitioners from different generations and countries and to train the next generation of experts with the knowledge and skills to understand social, economic, political and cultural changes in Russia and its regions.”
The Russian and East European Institute was established under then-IU President Herman B Wells in 1958 as the leading center for language training and a hub for regional studies support on campus. Today, the institute administers one of the nation’s leading programs in Russian and East European area studies. It was designated one of 11 U.S. Department of Education-funded Title VI National Resource/Foreign Language and Area Studies Centers at Indiana University during the 2018 grant cycle. Among the many accomplished alumni of the institute are former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia James F. Collins.
The Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the corporation’s agenda focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.
The Hamilton Lugar School at Indiana University is a national leader in area and international studies, promoting understanding of global issues informed by a deep knowledge of history, culture and language. Named for revered Hoosier statesmen and foreign policy voices, former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton and the late former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, the school is committed to creating leaders who celebrate differences and seek shared understanding.
