Description

The Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a Title VI National Resource Center. CREECA’s mission is to support research, teaching, and outreach on Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, and Central Asia.  CREECA approaches this three-part mission by promoting faculty research across a range of disciplines; by supporting graduate and undergraduate teaching and training related to the region; and by serving as a community resource through outreach activities targeted to K-12 teachers and students, other institutions of higher education, and the general public.

CREECA Affiliates:

One way in which CREECA serves the educational community is by supporting and connecting affiliates, both those within the University of Wisconsin and those at surrounding Midwestern institutions.

Currently, forty tenured and tenure-track UW-Madison professors with a primary teaching or research interest in Russian, Eastern and Central European, and Central Asian Studies are affiliated with CREECA. Our faculty members and associates represent a wide range of disciplines and are nationally- and internationally-renowned experts in their fields. They are regularly published in scholarly journals and mainstream newspapers, including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Academics:

CREECA is home to four academic programs in Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS):

Undergraduate Certificate
Master of Arts Degree
Doctoral Minor
Graduate Certificate

In addition, CREECA offers academic year and summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students seeking to gain regional language and area studies expertise. Students do not have to be enrolled in a REECAS program to be eligible, and CREECA encourages students from the professional schools to apply.

CREECA is also home to several educational programs, including the Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI), the Wisconsin Russia Project, and the Pushkin Summer Institute.

Outreach:

As a U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center, one of the cornerstones of CREECA’s mission is to serve as a resource on Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, and Central Asia for educators and the broader community. We organize a variety of events that are open to the public, including our weekly lecture series, panel discussions, film showings, concerts, and other performances. Educators, students, and the general public are also welcome to borrow from our extensive Lending Library or subscribe to our lecture podcast.

For teachers at primary and secondary schools, as well as instructors at community and technical colleges and other institutions of higher education, CREECA regularly organizes training workshops on topics related to Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, and Central Asia.

CREECA is always looking for new ways to engage and collaborate with educators and community groups. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions.