Deadline: October 15, 2024 (Spring ’25); February 15, 2025 (Summer ’25); March 15, 2025 (Fall ’25)
American Councils Study & Research Abroad is pleased to announce that in addition to summer programming, the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) will now be offered for semester and academic year programming in Tallinn, Estonia, starting in 2025. The program will continue to be hosted by Tallinn University, which supports Estonia’s development as a leading institution of research, international cooperation, and public dialogue in the beating heart of the capital city. Students seeking intensive, immersive study of Russian abroad may now apply to programming in Tallinn as a semester/academic year option in addition to Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Yerevan (Armenia). RLASP Tbilisi is for summer only at this time.
The program provides 20 hours per week of intensive in-class Russian language instruction, housing with Russian speaking host families, weekly meetings and activities with conversation partners, weekly cultural activities, extended group travel to explore the host country, and a rich array of opportunities to engage with the host culture through extracurricular activities and volunteering opportunities. Throughout the program, a fully trained Resident Director provides participants with ongoing logistical support and assistance, including 24-hour emergency aid. The Estonia American Councils field office is also available to assist and support program participants throughout their time in-country.
RLASP is designed to provide students a deeper understanding of their host country and its surrounding region while also strengthening their Russian proficiency and cultural competency. Therefore, courses on Estonian history and culture (taught in Russian) as well as optional courses in Estonian language are integral parts of the curriculum.
Open to both graduate and undergraduate students who have completed at least two semesters of Russian language study, the program offers academic credit (graduate or undergraduate) from Bryn Mawr College upon its successful completion. Generous financial aid is available for all RLASP sites and includes the Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship and the Dan E. Davidson Scholarship for advanced students of Russian.
Application deadlines for all RLASP sites are the following:
Spring 2025: October 15, 2024
Summer 2025: February 15, 2025
Fall 2025: March 15, 2025
Applications for all sites are now open!
To read about past participant experiences on RLASP, please visit the blog page and do not hesitate to contact mshelton@americancouncils.org with further questions.