Any of you NOT in academia?

[Renee Stillings | Alinga]

I wear a couple of hats in this regard. I work closely with students who
wish to study in Russia (The School of Russian and Asian Studies) and so see
the academic side and am directly interested in seeing more students take a
strong interest in Russia and the Russian language. At the same time I have
worked as a consultant in the non-academic world in Russia now for almost 10
years. My personal experience with those non-Russians who find work in (or
related to) Russia, is that the undergraduate degree in Russian or Slavic
studies ONLY is a bit precarious. Russian companies and foreign companies
(whether in Russia or active in the Russian market) are looking for
commercial (applied) skills and degrees that justify not hiring a Russian at
lower cost. The increased difficult with work permits in Russia is only
making this a more serious question.

There are opportunities in the financial markets and investment; accounting
(Russia is on the road to international accounting standards with a very
short list of qualified accountants who will cope); IT (sales, marketing,
and project management); environment, real estate, insurance, journalism,
trade, and others. Whereas 5-7 years ago it was possible to land these
positions (along with a rather generous salary) on the merits of speaking
Russian well and being willing to spend time in Russia, that is not likely
anymore.

I have not really answered the question directly as concerns what students
can do with a degree in Russian or Slavic language and literature, but I
don't think the answer is so different from what one does with a degree in
English/English literature or any other language.

For those out there who do not want to teach, translate, write, do research
or work in NGOs (even there, other skills and background is becoming more
critical), Russian and Slavic studies should probably be left as a minor (or
part of a double-major), or the Russian departments themselves need to
developed integrated programs with departments such as economics,
environmental studies, journalism, politics, business schools, and others -
advanced applied studies whenever possible. This simultaneously opens the
doors to marketing Russian language study to the much larger departments in
your universities, and I don't see where those departments have anything at
all to lose by that relationship. The more Russian language minors we get,
the far greater the demand for the majors who will go on to teach this
market.

Renee

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jolanta Davis" <jmdavis at FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
To: <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 1:17 PM
Subject: [SEELANGS] Any of you NOT in academia?


> I'm just curious, are any of you not in academic positions? I know this is
> the recurring theme--what can one do with a degree in Russian or other
> Slavic languages and literatures--but I'd like to hear some personal
> stories, if anyone is willing to share. I understand that this may not be
> the best list to ask this question, but I wonder if any subscribers to
> SEELANGS are not teachers, professors, and educators.
> thanks
> Jolanta
>
> Jolanta M. Davis
> AAASS Publications Coordinator and NewsNet Editor
>
> American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS)
> 8 Story Street
> Cambridge, MA
> tel.: 617-495-0679
> fax: 617-495-0680
> Web site: www.fas.harvard.edu/~aaass
>
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