The Graduate Initiative in Russian Studies (GIRS) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey presents a one-of-a-kind curriculum that combines advanced language training with experiential learning and international practicum to advanced Russian language students who plan to pursue careers in a range of contemporary policy spheres. GIRS seeks to equip graduates with a nuanced, accurate, and clear-eyed understanding of contemporary Russia, a perspective they will apply in careers in US policy-making circles, NGOs, and the international business community.
Research Trips to the Russian Far East
A fully funded experience, the Research Trip takes successful applicants to Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and other cities in the Russian Far East to meet with high ranking international affairs officials and journalists, as well as researchers and professors at prestigious academic institutions. Participants use these unique resources to complete large-scale research projects relating to this key region.
Internships and Research Projects
GIRS supports its students in undertaking internships and research projects in Russia and the CIS states, helping them identify opportunities through which to pursue their academic foci and funding their experiences. In 2015 alone, students have spent time in Chechnya investigating female suicide bombers, in the Far East exploring carbon sinks in Russia’s forest reserves, and in Moscow undertaking peer-to-peer research collaboration on physical nuclear security.