Russia

The application deadline for the Summer 2022 Russia Program has passed. 

If you have questions about the Russia Program, details may be obtained from The Frank J. Guarini Institute for International Education. Please feel free to visit them at 44 North College Street or on their website.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore Russia's political, social, and economic history, contemporary cultural and political life, and domestic and geopolitical energy and climate dynamics. This program features custom-designed courses with the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and cultural expeditions across seven time zones and 5000+ kilometers along with close engagement with Russian and international students.

Government students can learn about Russian domestic politics and Russia in the world first-hand from Russian scholars, in addition to a class offered by Dartmouth Government professor Joseph Bafumi. Experience Russia's long and complex political history, recent and contemporary governance regimes and discourse, and ground your growing knowledge via experiential learning with your peers throughout the vastness of Russia. 

 Russia Program Slideshow

Hear what Faculty Leaders, Prof. Bafumi and Prof. Graham, have to say about the program here! 

Students will be required to participate in a lecture series or take an accredited class about Russia in the spring before embarking on the program.

GOVT 96.01 – Russia in the World (Midlevel)

This course will survey Russian foreign relations with the United States, the European Union, East Asia, the Middle East and the former soviet states.  It will do so while covering a number of important themes for the Russian state including energy, economic dynamics, geopolitics, transnational coalitions, and diplomacy.  Students will benefit from having multiple professors teaching in their specific areas of expertise.  Students should come away from this class with a deep understanding of Russia's role in the world, its future ambitions and how these impacts the current world order.  While formal lectures will end in the Moscow portion of the trip, students will receive further instruction via guest speakers, meetings, and experiential learning events in St. Petersburg. Course taught by multiple Professors from National Research University Higher School of Economics

GOVT 96.02 – Russian Political Systems (Midlevel)

This course will give students an in-depth understanding of domestic Russian political systems.  It will begin with a brief history of the Russian nation and then cover contemporary Russian political institutions, political behavior, the national budget, media, human rights, and group politics (race, LGBT rights, youth movements, and gender).  Students will benefit from having multiple professors teaching in their specific areas of expertise.  Students should come away from this class with a very solid understanding of modern, domestic politics in Russia. Course taught by multiple Professors from National Research University Higher School of Economics

 GOVT 96.03 – Special Topics in Russia (Seminar)

This class will cover contemporary U.S.-Russian relations with a specific focus on the new age of information warfare.  We will cover electoral interference, cyberwar, propaganda and the perils of modern diplomacy.  We will do so with book and article readings, lectures, discussions, and guest talks.  We will also meet about one third of the time with Professor Gronas and his students to benefit from the perspective of an expert on Russian culture and language.  Students should come away from the course with a solid understanding of the challenges of information warfare, both defensive and offensive, between nuclear powers.  The course will begin with an introductory reading on modern Russia.  We will then move to specific topics in information warfare with a final reading on the perils of modern diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia in the contemporary context.  In most class sessions, students will be chosen to be discussion captains.  They will present additional material closely related to the assigned readings which help us understand the topics of study more thoroughly or from additional perspectives. Students will also complete an essay-based midterm and final exam based on the material covered in class. Course taught by Prof. Joseph Bafumi in 2022 Spring.