BBC News on foreign students in Russia

[Alissa Bibb]

Dear SEELANGers,

As a study abroad provider who sends roughly 300 undergraduate and
graduate students to Russia each year, we believe there are several
specific steps that study abroad organizations can take to help students
of color live and study successfully in Moscow and St. Petersburg. These
include:

Recognize that issues of personal safety and race require more than a
"street-sense" developed in the U.S.  In particular, acknowledge the
fact that minority students in Russia will face serious challenges
related to race - challenges that non-minority students will not
encounter directly.

Place students with attentive Russian host families who will advise and
support minority students as they negotiate the challenges of life in
Russia.

Connect students of color with local Russian students who will take an
active interest in their experiences, health and well-being while
abroad. A support network of local students is often critical to helping
minority students feel safe and at home in Russia. 

Prepare students with accurate and thorough but not sensational
information about racial attitudes in Russia before they leave the U.S.
Discuss safe and constructive ways to respond to offensive comments. 
Conduct pre-departure orientation workshops that involve all students in
a discussion of the challenges that minority students will face while
in-country. Be sure to include non-minority students in these
discussions so that all students understand how they can best support
their peers. 

Shortly after their arrival in Russia, conduct in-country orientation
programs that again address the challenges faced by minority students;
offer concrete advice on places to avoid, warning signs to watch for,
and steps to take in any potentially dangerous situation. 

Encourage all students to purchase cell phones and provide them with
24-hour emergency telephone numbers for resident directors and other
local staff whom they can call for immediate assistance. 

Provide resident directors who are accessible to students, take an
active interest in their well-being, have regular contact with their
groups, and are sensitive the  challenges faced by minority students in
this part of the world. 

Graham Hettlinger 
Program Manager
Russia and Eurasia Outbound Office
American Councils for International Education ACTR/ACCELS

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