Promotional Video: Why study Russian?

[Renee (Stillings) Huhs]

Having spent considerable time in the business environment in Moscow over
the years, it is clear that there is far more business activity between
Russia and the U.K. than between Russia and the US. Russian companies
overwhelmingly choose London when it is time to go public. And the Russian
diaspora as concerns business and money (oligarchs, wanna-be-oligarchs) is
more concentrated and visible in London. British students of business are
probably in greater proportion also focused on international business,
whereas it is a subset in the US, of which Russia is a micro subset. The
opportunities at the entry level for American students in Russia-related
business are very limited. The type of business that goes on between the US
and Russia is at a much higher level when it comes to career opportunities -
natural resources, multinational companies, consulting firms. Expats are
transferred in at the higher management levels only. The opportunities are
not for the recent graduate. Yes, there was a spurt of opportunity for
recent grads prior to this latest recession as Russia's economy was moving
nicely and when that happens there is a (qualified) labor shortage. So kids
fresh out of school did not have to "settle" for teaching English for long;
they were able to find opportunities in sales, marketing,
translation/communications, etc. But now we are back to language-related
opportunities.

American students are far more likely to pair their study of Russian
language with political science or international relations - perceiving more
career opportunity in that direction. In challenging times (now, I guess)
the expectation is government (and related) demand for experts. When
relations were friendlier, this transitioned into NGO opportunities. Many
might argue that the difference between the two is at times questionable.
But it is the same student - IR, poli sci, development, etc.

I think if we were to compare to study of Chinese we would find very much
the opposite - that American students are much more clearly driven by
business opportunity.

Renee Stillings

-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of John Dunn
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2014 3:29 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Promotional Video: Why study Russian?

The comments by Alina Israeli and Melissa Smith are intriguing, since they
suggest that British and North American students have a different
perspective on the reasons for studying Russian.  Though there are other
variables that complicate the picture, it is my impression that in the U.K.
student numbers go up during periods of optimism (the Thaw, the later years
of Perestroika) and remain stationary or go down in less propitious periods.
And the first major expansion of Russian Studies in British universities
took place in the years leading up to 1917, when relations between Britain
and Russia were uncharacteristically friendly.  It seems that British
students are more attracted by improved prospects of personal and business
contacts, including enhanced opportunities for travelling to and living in
Russia than they are by strategic considerations.  Unfortunately one
inference of this is that the events of the last six months are likely to
depress enrolments, especially in those universities that allow students to
choose their subjects of study at the last minute - though I hope very much
to be proved wrong.

John Dunn.
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