The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) is pleased to announce that it signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow, the European University at St. Petersburg (EUSP), as well as with the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH). The purpose of the MOUs are to promote cooperation in history, sociology, political science, anthropology, and other social sciences and humanities units involved in academic research between CREES and the three prestigious Russian universities.

The terms of the agreements, which do not involve a financial obligation from the universities, include commitment from all parties to promote joint research projects, symposia, workshops, and conferences; provide opportunities for faculty development and exchange; and support student and visiting research scholar exchanges. The MOUs were a direct result of meetings CREES Director Geneviève Zubrzycki and Program Coordinator Liz Malinkin conducted in September 2018 in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Building on many years of informal exchanges and research projects among U-M professors and graduate students with colleagues at EUSP, HSE and RSUH, the agreements aim to keep open avenues for academic collaboration between Russia and the U.S.

CREES Director Geneviève Zubrzycki says of these partnerships, “We’re thrilled to formalize long-standing relationships with these prestigious and dynamic institutions and look forward to developing new opportunities for our faculty and students. Academic relationships with Russian institutions are especially important given the current global political context.”

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Consistently ranked as one of Russia’s top universities, the Higher School of Economics is a leader in Russian education and one of the preeminent economics and social sciences universities in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Having rapidly grown into a well-renowned research university over two decades, HSE sets itself apart with its international presence and cooperation.

The European University at St. Petersburg is a private liberal arts university and well-regarded research institution in St. Petersburg, Russia. Established in 1994, EUSP has weathered a variety of struggles in recent years. CREES is proud to formalize its support of its faculty and students.

The Russian State University for the Humanities was founded in 1991, moving the Moscow State Institute for History and Archives (et. 1930) to the status of full university. It is one of the major actors in the reforms of humanities in higher education in Russia. News of the September 2018 meeting with CREES was published on the RSUH website.   

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WEB LINKS: ii.umich.edu/crees | hse.ru/en | eu.spb.ru/en | rggu.com

Contact: Mary Elizabeth Malinkin / T: 734.764.0351 / E: crees@umich.edu

The University of Michigan Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) is dedicated to advancing and disseminating interdisciplinary knowledge about the peoples, nations, and cultures of Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, past and present. Through its own academic programs and its support of area-focused training and scholarship across U-M's schools and colleges, CREES helps meet the nation’s ongoing need for experts with deep contextual knowledge who are proficient in the region's languages. CREES is an affiliate of the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia and constituent unit of the International Institute. For more information, visit ii.umich.edu/crees.  

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