Taught by the faculty of the host institute, this course begins before the rest of the group s course, in order to provide students with enough Russian to permit them to begin to function in Moscow. The method of instruction is intensive, with four hours a day for the first three weeks, followed by one hour a day for the next two weeks. Emphasis is upon consolidation and mastery of grammatical structures and upon extending facility in verbal and written communication. This course meets three times per week. These courses are designed to increase fluency and sophistication in the use of Russian.
All groups read and discuss Russian prose of different genres.
This interdisciplinary course explores theoretical and practical issues of environmental sustainability by focusing on the environmental challenges facing Russia today. Russia possesses some of the world s greatest natural resources, yet communism and now post-communist turmoil threaten to squander this wealth and deprive future generations of a sustainable environment. The Russian faculty and guest speakers from the scientific, governmental, and environmentalist communities first introduce students to current theories of environmental sustainability. These involve the interaction of natural and human systems and encompass economic, political, legal, ethical, and scientific aspects of sustainable development. They then explore the interaction of these different spheres in today s Russia through topics including Chernobyl and nuclear power, the poor health of the Russian population, biodiversity and the role of ecotourism, international cooperation in preserving the Baltic Sea Basin, agriculture, the future of environmental education, and Russia s fledgling Green Movement.