Telling Our Students About Business

[David S. Graber]

What Can We Tell Our Students About Business Opportunities in Russia,
Eastern Europe, and the Caucausus/Central Asia?

This summary is envisaged as a resource for students interested in using a
Slavic language in a career, and for teachers who might find the
information useful in advising or recruiting.

I am a recent PhD (U of WA, 1996, Russian Literature) now covering
business news in Russia, Eastern Europe, etc., for a journal published by
the Bureau of National Affairs titled BNA's Eastern Europe Reporter.

Recently, we seen a lot of news in the following areas: oil,
pharmaceutical products, communications and telecommunications, banking
and financial services, automotive and other kinds of manufacturing,
securities, and various environmental and business projects.

A Few Trends Worth Mentioning:
A lot of major and "junior" oil and gas companies are looking for big
profits in the countries surrounding the Caspian Sea. Unfortunately, they
haven't been able to find a good location for a pipeline, as there is a
good deal of instability (Chechnya, Nagorno-Karabakh - where the Armenian
minority wants to succede from Azerbaijan) and neighbors who are not
trusted (Russian and Iranian).

Just as U.S. companies have been moving production to Mexico and other
countries where there is less government regulation and they don't have to
pay the workers as much, Western firms are moving production to Eastern
Europe, particularly those which need an educated workforce. We receive
many press releases about companies shifting operations eastward, recent
ones include car manufacurers and firms which test and develop new drugs.

Investment companies and private, government, and international agencies
have teams of experts and support staff to evaluate and assist with
projects in many sectors of the economy and (not so much investment firms)
to strengthen civil society and institutions.

Instead of replacing old networks and technology, TV and telephone
companies are "going wireless," digital satellite or Internet-based. This
area is developing rapidly.

In all these areas, the companies and agencies need to negotiate, manage
workforces, comply with local and international laws and regulations, to
report news and handle marketing and public relations issues.

Be aware that most companies generally don't think to hire someone based
on language skills: they need employees whose primary skill is related to
the company's tasks, and secondarily have language skills. BUT: once
someone starts in a company, as opportunities arise to move up, that skill
may be the deciding factor in getting a very interesting and rewarding
international job.

There is a serious shortage of high-tech workers, and willingness to move
up the learning curve will also be an enormous aid to getting those jobs,
and succeeding at them. This doesn't mean that you need to know how to
program a computer, but rather that you are willing to learn the very
basics of how to teach someone to use a word-processor, to learn how a
cellular phone works, the fundamental idea behind broadcast satellites.
I would encourage students to look into these areas if they want to find a
career in which they can use their language skills and perhaps even
travel in connection with their work.

Please respond off-list.

David Graber


David S. Graber, Ph.D.                          tel. (202) 994-6335
Dept. of German and Slavic, Adjunct Lecturer    fax  (202) 994-0171
George Washington University                    graber at gwis2.circ.gwu.edu
2130 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052