US Scholar Opportunities

Teaching Fellowship Program for Eurasian and Eastern European Studies

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The 2010 Teaching Fellowship Program for Eurasian and Eastern European Studies is designed by IREX to expand the field of Eurasian and Eastern European area studies to accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) throughout the United States.

The primary goal of the program is to broaden and diversify the field of area studies by introducing Eurasian and/or Eastern European courses on the home campuses of local HBCUs and HSIs that traditionally have not had the resources to offer such coursework. Students who enroll in these courses will ultimately be encouraged to continue their studies and pursue careers in this field.

The program will award individual fellowships of up to $12,000 to current adjunct or full-time professors to develop and teach an introductory course in this field for an academic semester (fall 2010 and/or spring 2011) with the possibility of receiving additional funding for a follow-on course during the second semester. Additionally, the Teaching Fellow will liaise directly with administrators of his/her home institution and the HBCU/HSI to develop a sustainable institutional partnership.

Program Highlights

IREX Teaching Fellow Creates First Russian Club at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

Through IREX ’s Teaching Fellowship Program for Eastern European and Eurasian Studies, Leila Zakhirova, a 2009-2010 visiting professor at Whittier College, has made a significant impact on campus. In addition to developing and introducing successful and popular new coursework to the school’s curriculum on topics such as “International Relations of Eurasia, “History and Politics of Energy in Eurasia,” and “Identity Politics in Central Asia,” she began the Spring semester with the inauguration of a new student club on campus. The “Russian Club,” the first of its kind at Whittier, was developed to spread awareness about the former Soviet Republics among students and the Whittier community in general. The club provides students with an array of enriching academic and cultural experiences such as cooking and tasting Russian food, learning basic Russian phrases, and participating in region specific film viewings and discussions. In upcoming weeks, the club plans to invite guest speakers to talk with students about Eurasian countries, including Turkmenistan, Zakhirova’s native home. The club held its first meeting on March 2nd with a successful showing of 30 students. Zakhirova and club members recently reached out to neighboring Pitzer College to jointly organize and host some future social events for students.

Teaching Fellow Brings Russian Culture to Greensboro, NC

A native of St. Petersburg, 2009-2010 Teaching Fellow Yelena Francis is passionate about sharing her culture, not only with the students in her Russian language and Russian literature and media courses at Bennett College for Women, but with the Greensboro community at large. Over the past several months, Francis has actively organized three photo exhibits on campus spotlighting aspects of Russian history and culture. Exhibits have included: “Russia – Ancient and Modern” – a collection of photographs of Russian architecture, cuisine, and landscapes by Russian students from St. Petersburg colleges; “Russia in Transition” – a collection of photographs depicting the atmosphere in Russia during the period of Perestroika; and “Gems of Russian Architecture” – a collection of photos of Russia’s ancient architecture (churches, cathedrals, monasteries, convents, and fortresses). The exhibits, which were widely advertised on the campuses of Bennett College for Women, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, were highly successful and attended by students, faculty, and local Greensboro residents.

Most recently, in celebration of the "Global Cultural Awareness" week, Francis gave an interactive presentation on Russian culture at the Children's House at Bennett. During this presentation, Francis shared with children Russian traditions and crafts as well as showed a photo slideshow of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Children also treated to a classic Russian fairytale. The success of events such as these demonstrate the strong interest and desire of students and community members in Greensboro, NC in enriching their knowledge and understanding of Russia and its culture.

IREX Partners with Bennett College for Women and Whittier College to Introduce Russian and Eurasian Studies Curricula on their Campuses

IREX has partnered with Bennett College for Women, one of only two historically black women’s colleges in the United States, and Whittier College, a Hispanic Serving Institution located in Whittier, CA, to develop and introduce Russian and Eurasian studies curricula on their campuses through the Teaching Fellowship Program for Eastern European and Eurasian Studies.

The Teaching Fellowship Program for Eastern Europe and Eurasian Studies is a program that was designed and piloted by IREX in the fall of 2008 to establish and support a new post-doctoral teaching position in Eastern European and/or Eurasian area studies at accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the United States for one academic year.

In its first year of the program, IREX selected Bennett College for Women and Whittier College as the two 2009-2010 institutional grantees out of a total of 20 schools from 11 states that submitted applications.

The IREX grants will support and assist the colleges in strengthening their internationalization initiatives and exposing undergraduate students to global cultures and perspectives.

Bennett College for Women ( www.Bennett.edu ) is a small, private, historically black liberal arts college. The college offers women an education conducive to excellence in scholarly pursuits; preparation for leadership roles in the workplace, society, and the world; and life-long learning in a technologically advanced, complex global society. As a United Methodist Church-related institution, Bennett College for Women promotes morally grounded maturation, intellectual honesty, purposeful public service, and responsible civic action.

Whittier College ( http://www.whittier.edu ) is a four-year residential liberal arts college that pushes students to question the world around them and figure out their place in it. Located in the heart of Southern California between bustling Los Angeles and beautiful Orange County, Whittier is distinguished by its small size, pioneering faculty, and nationally recognized curriculum. Facilities rival those at large public institutions, but ours is an intimate setting where students and professors unite in an ongoing pursuit of knowledge.

For information about IREX’s grant signing ceremony at Bennett College, please click on the following link and video: http://www.irex.org/newsroom/news/2009/0507_epd.asp

Bennett College for Women’s Press Releases about the partnership with IREX may be viewed through the following links:

IREX is pleased to announce the 2009-2010 Post-Doctoral Fellows of the Teaching Fellowship for Eastern European and Eurasian Studies

Francis

Bennett College
Prior to her teaching fellowship at Bennett College, Yelena Francis served as a Russian instructor for the International & Area Studies Program at Washington University in St. Louis as well as a lecturer on European Folklore in the Department of Continuing Education at St. Louis Community College during the 2007-2008 academic year. From 2000-2005, she was a researcher in the Folklore Department of the Institute of Russian Literature, Russian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Francis’ academic areas of expertise include: Russian language and literature; European and Russian folklore; and Russian culture and history. She holds a PhD in Philology from the Institute of Russian Literature, Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Zakhirova

Whittier College
A recent PhD graduate of Indiana University, Leila Zakhirova joins the faculty of Whittier College as a teaching fellow with approximately seven years of teaching experience. Prior to receiving PhD, Dr. Zakhirova taught undergraduate courses focusing on Islam and world politics and current international relations at Indiana University – Bloomington and Kansas State University. Her academic areas of expertise include: History and culture of Central Asian peoples; clan politics; Islamic movements; and Central Asian and post-Soviet politics. Dr. Zakhirova also holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in English and Philosophy from Bethany College.