RUSSIA
GRINT Center for Education Semester Program

INTRODUCTION
The Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences, formerly The Institute of Youth is located in Moscow, a treasure house of Russian culture, featuring many art museums, theaters, concert halls, and public libraries. The Academy is located on a 150-acre site in the Vykhino district, known for its parks and gardens, with easy access from downtown Moscow by bus and subway. Numerous shops, a movie theater, a museum, and an open-air market are all within close proximity. The Academy is a State/Private higher educational institute with an academic faculty of 200 scholars and researchers. Its modern, well-equipped buildings include classrooms with televisions and VCRs, and a large library. The Truman State University program is run at the Academy by an independent organization: GRINT Ð Center for Education.

GRINT Center for Education is non-commercial educational institution, accredited as a Linguistic and Cultural school by the Moscow Government Department of Education.

COURSES
Academic Program Highlights

The program seeks to involve students personally and actively with the Russian people and their language, history, art, and traditions.

Courses offered:
Elementary through Advanced Russian Language

AND

Fall Semester

Russia Today. Introduction to current social, political and economic situation (30 hours, 15 lectures).

Russia and the entire World: comparative analysis of the basic social and demographic problems.

  1. Population of Russia: demographic survey.

  2. Demographic structures and its' dynamics. Quality of population. Regional peculiarities in reproduction of the population.

  3. Social and economical factors in demographic dynamics and life expectancy. Employment and unemployment. Employment migration. Brain drain. Living standard at transition period.

  4. Family. Social support of the family. Social and demographic politics at current economic situation in Russia. Social support family with children. Ethnic and political problems of reproduction of the population. Demographic factors of geopolitical conflicts. Demographic perspectives.

  5. State system of the Russian Federation

    The formation of the Russian Federation - Tree branches of the power - President: his rights and responsibilities - Parliament: principles of formation, structure and power - Government - Court: Constitution Court and Supreme Court - Administrative division of the national territory.

  6. Survey of Russian Geography

    'Northern' location of the country and its climate conditions - Main rivers and lakes - Relief and mineral resources - Mosaic of landscapes - Environmental impact - Demography of Russia - Main cities - Nationalities' division and migration - Russian agriculture - Geography of mining and manufacturing - Transportation and Communication - Brief portrait of Russian regions.

  7. Federalism and Regional Policy in Russia

    Basic principles of Russian federalism - Relations between federal Center and regions - Main tasks and mechanisms of regional policy - Fiscal federalism - Budgetary and tax system - Development of regional and local self-government - Separatism vs Interregional cooperation.

  8. Political Geography of Russia

    Elections in contemporary Russia: regional dimension - Regional blocks in Politics - Red Belt and democratic areas.

  9. Political system of Russia (parties, government, etc.).

  10. The opposition and the government: survey of the political parties and movements in modern Russia.

  11. Topical political and legal problems of contemporary Russia and the ways of overcoming them.

  12. Meetings with Russian politicians.

  13. Discussion on current social and political topics.

  14. Visit to State Duma (Russian Parliament). Meeting with the Member of State Duma.

  15. Industry in Russia. Visit to Red October plant.

Russian History (30 hours, 15 lectures)
  1. Kievan Rus - The domination of the Tatars in Russia.
  2. Ivan the Terrible and his politics - The time troubles (1598 - 1613)
  3. The schism in the Russian Orthodox Church in the XVII century.
  4. Peter the Great: alternative of the national development.
  5. Catherine the Second: epoch of nobility and peasant's wars.
  6. Napoleon's invasion of 1812 - The "Decembrists" conspiracy.
  7. The Westerners and Slavophiles.
  8. The Great reforms of Alexander the Second.
  9. The populist's movement ("narodniky").
  10. Revolution of 1905 and P. Stolipin's reforms.
  11. The fall of the Romanov's dynasty - The roots of bolshevism.
  12. The Civil War in Russia (1918 - 1921).
  13. Stalin's economic reforms.
  14. The time of Nikita Khushchev - Brezhnev's stagnation.
  15. M. Gorbachev as a leader of the CPSU. The collapse of the Soviet Union.

Introduction to Russian Culture (30 hours, 15 lectures)

  1. Basic concepts and problems of Russian cultural development.
  2. Historic antecedents of Russian Culture. Pre-Christian Slavs.
  3. Introduction of Christianity and its Role in Shaping Russian Culture.
  4. Formation of Christian Art in Russia.
  5. Tatar-Mongol yoke and cultural development of Russia.
  6. Strengthening of Moscow. The processes of centralization in Russian Culture.
  7. Artistic development in the Moscow period.
  8. Russian Sociocultural situation in the XVII century.
  9. Cultural dynamics in the XVII century.
  10. Art and Culture in the Age of Reform.
  11. Russian Enlightenment.

Spring Semester

Russia Today (30 hours, 15 lectures)

  1. Analysis of modern political and economic situation.
  2. Social and economic situation of the population (basic features). Living standard.
  3. Economy of the transitional period: 1991 - 1993, 1993 - 1997.
  4. Crisis of August 1998 and its consequences.
  5. Meetings with Russian politicians. Discussion on current social and political topics.
  6. Social opinion and new occurrences in the economic life ("new Russians, oligarchs, etc).
  7. Visit to State Duma (Russian Parliament). Meeting with the Member of State Duma.
  8. Problems of the political and economical integration of the regions of Russian and NIS countries.
  9. Problems of social and state security. Visit to KGB Museum.
  10. Industry in Russia. Visit to Cristall plant.
  11. Russia and the world: entering a new millennium.

Contemporary History of Russia (30 hours, 15 lectures)

  1. Russia In The System Of World Civilizations.
  2. The Origin Of The October Revolution 1917.
  3. Social And Political Developments Of Russia (The USSR) Between The Two World Wars.
  4. Parliamentary (1999) And Presidential (2000) Elections: A Choice Of History or A Momentary Political Game.
  5. A Changing Russia In A Changing World: Foreign Policy Of Russia And International Realities.
  6. Future Of Russia: The Civil Society Or The Authoritarian Rule.

Russian Culture in the New Times (XIX-XX century). (30 hours, 15 lectures)

  1. Outline of the Russian Cultural field in the XIX century.
  2. Golden Age of Russian literature.
  3. Russian Realism and Visual Arts.
  4. Masterpieces of national Russian music.
  5. Intellectual development in Russia in the XIX century.
  6. Russia at the Turn of the Century.
  7. The Silver Age of Russian Culture.
  8. Culture and Revolution.
  9. Problems of Culture in Soviet Russia.
  10. Soviet culture in the epoch of totalitarism.
  11. Soviet culture in the period of 'developed socialism.
  12. Culture of Post-Soviet Society.

HOUSING AND MEALS
Students are housed in home stays, apartments, or in the on-campus student village. In home stays, breakfast and dinner are included. Meals are not included in the apartment or on-campus housing arrangements.

There are two room & board options:

  1. Students are housed in dormitory suites at the Academy which include eight bedrooms with double occupancy, a sitting room, a kitchen and bath. Meals are taken on campus.

  2. Homestay. Students are placed in families in the close vicinity of the campus. Meals are taken at home.

Students interact with Russian students on campus informally and on weekend cultural tours around Moscow, including theater excursions, walking tours and musical performances. Students can also volunteer to serve as English tutors on campus. Facilities that are accessible at a modest cost to students include an indoor swimming pool, basketball court, gym, sauna, tennis courts, soccer field, and, in the winter, cross-country skiing within the Academy's ground.

COSTS

Per semester for Fall 2002, and Spring 2003


Tuition and fees

Truman Fee

CCIS Fee

Insurance

Room and Board

Visa


Total Cost - One Semester
$2,950

      200

      220

      130

   1,600

      150


$5,240.00

Costs Included:
Instructional costs abroad, administrative fees, room and board, trip to St. Petersburg, cultural excursions, visa, insurance.

Not Included:
Personal costs, passport, airfare.All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change.

Please contact ciea@truman.edu to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.

OTHER INFORMATION
OrientationThere is an on-site orientation during the first week of the program.

Academic Calendar
Fall: September 2 - December 14, 2002
Spring: January 12 - April 26, 2003

Application Deadlines
Fall: July 15
Spring: December 1

Eligibility
The program is open to students at any undergraduate level with a 2.5 GPA.

FORMS
To request more info
To apply

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