Flagship Relocation, Boren Funding, and American Councils (ACTR) Programs

[Graham Hettlinger]

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to clarify recent news regarding the American Council's (ACTR) Russian Flagship Program and Boren funding for students planning to study abroad in Russia. As recently reported on the list, the Russian Flagship program is relocating to Almaty, Kazakhstan for the 2014-15 academic year. In addition, students may no longer use Boren funds to begin participation on a study abroad program in Russia (although, as I understand it, Boren fellows already on study abroad programs in Russia may continue).

Please note, however, that all other American Councils study abroad programs in Russia, including the Advanced Russian Language and Areas Studies Program (RLASP), the Business Russian Language Program, and the Heritage Speakers Program will continue as scheduled in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vladimir. American Councils runs these programs in close partnership with Moscow International University, the Russian State Pedagogical University, and the Kora Russian Language Center; we are currently preparing for our pre-departure orientation to be held here in Washington from August 26-28 for outgoing participants. While students will not be able to use Boren funds to pay for these programs, the programs themselves will continue without interruption. I would be grateful if you could help to make this distinction clear to your colleagues and students. It would also be a great help if faculty and advisors could inform students that despite increasingly tense diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia, personal interactions between our students and local Russians remain friendly, positive, and engaging.

Finally, please also note that as part of its collaboration with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, American Councils is developing a program for non-Flagship students who wish to study Russian in an immersion environment outside Russia. Modeled after our Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP), it will provide intensive language training in small groups, home-stays, peer tutoring, and excursions in Russian. American Councils enjoys extensive infrastructure in Kazakhstan, including two regional offices in Almaty and Astana, staffed by more than 20 professionals with extensive experience in the region. With support from those offices, we have run programs for U.S. students and scholars to study Russian and Kazakh in Almaty since 1996, often in direct partnership with Kazakh National University. American Councils also runs the Energy in Central Asia Program (ECAP) in collaboration with KIMEP University; along with Kazakh and Russian instruction at all levels, this summer program provides courses in English for U.S graduate and undergraduate students examining the financial, environmental, and sociological aspects of Central Asia's oil and gas industries.

If you are currently considering study-abroad options for Boren-funded students (or other students who wish to study Russian in an immersion environment outside Russia), please contact me, Margaret Stephenson (Stephenson at americancouncils.org), or Tom Kiekhafer (Kiekhafer at americancouncils.org) directly for more information about the new program at Kazakh National University.

With all best wishes,
Graham Hettlinger



Graham Hettlinger
Director, Higher Education Programs Division
American Councils for International Education
1828 L Street N.W., Suite 1200
Washington, D.C. 20036
T  (202) 833-7522
F  (202) 833-7523
www.americancouncils.org




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                        http://seelangs.wix.com/seelangs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/seelang/attachments/20140806/5ab6eacf/attachment.html>