An enjoyable information over-load and perspective-changing experience. Past Review

By Rachel Stewart (University of Tennessee - Knoxville) - abroad from 07/06/2020 to 07/31/2020 with

American Councils (ACTR): Politics & Public Diplomacy in Contemporary Russia Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

One of the biggest things I learned was that the more you learn about something, the less answers you'll actually know the answer to. I started the program expecting to get all of my questions about Russia answered, but I soon found out it's much more complicated than that. Even experts who study this subject their whole lives do not have the easy answers. I think this was very insightful into the complexities of international relations, politics, and public diplomacy.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Overall, the material was very challenging, expansive, and engaging. I learned so much about Russia in a short period of time.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	This program was online due to COVID-19. However, I can speak to the online administration of the program. While bearing in mind that this was the first time the program had to be remote, there were a few logistical issues. For one, communication was lacking. Although our director was very accessible via WhatsApp if we had any questions, there wasn't a lot of dissemination of information on the front end (ie: no provided overall syllabus or calendar of events). We were also told only a few weeks in advance to watch 10 movies. Everything was administered via Canvas which was helpful because the information was centralized. Sometimes there were issues with the pages being locked though. Overall, I am very thankful for the work of the administrators regardless of the logistical hiccups. Our director was very receptive to feedback and suggestions so I'm optimistic that if the program has to be online again it will be better.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	N/A. I was living at home because the program was online.
* Food:	N/A. I was living at home because the program was online and did not get to try any food.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The appreciated the efforts of the cultural activities but unfortunately there is only so much one can do within an online framework. We watched videos of excursions around Moscow and Saint Petersburg and chatted with a Russian family and university students. The videos were very information and immersive and the conversations were insightful. However, I did not feel very integrated and felt like I just gleamed the surface of the local culture. I think more interactive activities would have helped, like doing a cooking demonstration or cultural activity.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	N/A. I was living at home because the program was online.
* Safety:	N/A. I was living at home because the program was online.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I think everyone needs to participate in a program like this, even if it is not Russian "politics and public diplomacy" per se. Everyone needs to have their perspectives and preconceived notions reevaluated. Especially during a time when tensions are high with Russia, we need to make an active effort to understand the country and its citizens.

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget? (1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)	N/A. I did not have to expend any weekly expenses because the program was remote.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$0
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Speaking from past study abroad experiences, I would recommend not being too zealous in the beginning with your money because then you won't have enough at the end for good souvenirs. But at the same time, don't be too conservative because then you'll have too much leftover currency.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	This program was a hybrid language program, so all academic classes were taught in English but Russian language was of course taught in Russian. Therefore, speaking Russian was highly encouraged during Russian language class but not encouraged elsewhere since we were all at different levels of Russian.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	None
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	For online study abroad, make sure you are interacting with the language everyday, even when you don't have class. Teach your family some new phrases, practice with Quizlet, and listen to music in your target language. For those actually in the host country, don't be shy and engage with locals, and resist the temptation to speak English with your peers.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	N/A
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Being taught from the Russian perspective Russian language End of program round table discussion with professors and students
* What could be improved?	Communication Structure Logistics
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Russian professors and the classroom environment is much different than the American one. Be flexible and understanding that things are going to be done differently and that's okay.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Russian Language
Course Department:	Russian as a Foreign Language
Instructor:	Tamara Dolgova
Instruction Language:	Russian
Comments:	This was one of my most challenging courses because it was hyper-individualized. Because I was the only student who had never taken Russian language before, I was the only student in my class. This one-on-one instruction was incredibly beneficial. Instruction was only conducted in Russian though, and for a student who did not know any Russian whatsoever (not even how to say hello), this was very hard at first. I would recommend learning the alphabet and some basic phrases before taking this class. I had to study every night in order to keep up, but ultimately I learned a lot of Russian in a short period of time.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Russian Arts and Culture
Course Department:	Russian as a Foreign Language
Instructor:	Ekaterina Kartseva
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was one of the most enjoyable ones in the program. Katya was a very gifted instructor and was very knowledgable about arts and culture. She used a lot of visuals which was helpful.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Russian Economics
Course Department:	Russian as a Foreign Language
Instructor:	Dmitry Kuzin
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was one of the most challenging for me mainly due to the sheer amount of information that was present. Dr. Kuzin used powerpoints that were very text heavy and we covered a lot of information each day. He was extremely knowledgeable though. He encouraged question asking and participation but because of time management, there often wasn't enough time at the end of class to ask questions and discuss because we had another class to attend immediately after. He also gave us very short breaks so that was tiring at times. However, overall, it was a very educational class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Russian Policy and Politics
Course Department:	Russian as a Foreign Language
Instructor:	Igor Tomashev
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was one of my favorite classes within the program. Igor was an excellent instructor and always started class by talking about current Russian events and then relating them to what we were learning.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No, this course counted toward the credit POLS 354: Politics and Economics in Post-Soviet Russia.

Course Name/Rating:	Russian History
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Alexander Altunyan
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Although this course was much different than advertised, it ended up being an overall positive experience. The program described this class as covering post-1990s history but it ended up being much more expansive, beginning in the early 1900s. The professor did not follow the provided syllabus but he was very knowledgable and altered the lecture depending on what we were interested in. The class was very lecture based and there were no power-points or visuals. One of my favorite parts about this class was how the professor incorporated his personal experiences, like how he attended the 1993 barricading of the White House to protect Yeltsin from the military. However, the lack of structure of the class sometimes made it unenjoyable.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Understanding Russians
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Jon Smith
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was one the introductory courses in the program and helped prepare us for the future classes like Russian history, economics, and politics. It was very helpful in teaching us about the cultural and psychological differences between Russians and Americans. The instructor was very knowledgable, an American who has been living and teaching in Russia for many years. Class was very participation and discussion heavy because it focused on evaluating our preconception about Russians and ourselves. There were readings for the class and then a final paper that encompassed everything we learned in all of our classes.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No, because this course was not one of the ones that technically counted for credit and therefore it didn't need to be transferred.