U.S.-Russia Global Environmental Issues/Language Learning Course Study Program with 2-week Study-Abroad

Subject: U.S.-Russia Global Environmental Issues/Language Learning Course Study Program with 2-week Study-Abroad

The Indiana University Bloomington Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and School of Public and Environmental Affairs, in collaboration with Tyumen State University (TSU), Russia, and Tyumen State Agricultural Academy (TSAA), Russia, present:

Summer 2012
U.S.-RUSSIA GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES/ADVANCED LANGUAGE LEARNING with 2-WEEK STUDY-ABROAD <http://www.iub.edu/~iuslavic/USRussiaEIProgram.shtml>


This program is open to undergraduate and graduate students.

Funding is available (on competitive basis) for students pursuing study
abroad and/or language training under this program. Students applying
for components #2 or #3 of the program will be automatically considered
for language training stipend awards ($1,000, associated with component
#2) and student mobility stipend awards ($3,200 associated with
component #3) to support their participation in the U.S.-Russia Global
Environmental Issues course with 2-week study-abroad (it is a common
application to be considered for all funding). While the program is
open to all IU students, only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are
eligible for stipend awards. Students who complete both components #2
and #3 may receive a maximum award of $4,200. All three components are
required for students taking the study-abroad course (#3)

#1) Jun 12 - July 17, 2012: “Global Environmental Problems and
Solutions” course
#2) Jun 11 - July 19, 2012: “Specialized Russian: Environmental Issues
I” or “Specialized Russian: Environmental Issues II” course
#3) July 22 - August 4, 2012: summer study-abroad course on
environmental issues in Russia

“Global Environmental Problems and Solutions” – 1 credit:
One 2-hr class per week during the first 6 weeks of Summer Session II
This course will join students from Indiana University Bloomington,
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Tyumen State
University (Russia), and Tyumen State Agricultural Academy (Russia) via
video conferencing. Participation in this class will serve as a basis
for building bridges of understanding between students at the two
universities and will provide a basic knowledge of environmental issues
in the two countries. The course is taught in English.

The purpose of the class is to introduce a range of environmental
issues from the US and Russia, to compare the history, cultural
context, science, policy, and law of issues shared in common among
these and other countries. We will be focusing on the science and
policy strategies for studying and solving environmental problems, and
on how history and culture affect these.

IU students taking the course (which will be available at the same time
in Bloomington and Indianapolis via distance-learning) are eligible for
scholarships to be used towards the cost of a trip to Tyumen, Russia.
This course is open to undergraduate and graduate students.

“Specialized Russian: Environmental Issues I” and “Specialized Russian:
Environmental Issues II” courses – 2 credits and 1.5 credits:
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures in Bloomington is
offering two courses (entry-level and advanced), based on the Russian
language skills needed for the participation in summer study-abroad
course on environmental issues in Russia. The language support will
enable students to function successfully in a foreign language and
culture environment while doing the field work in Tyumen, Russia. Since
participating students from IU Bloomington and IU Indianapolis campuses
may have limited or various prior exposure to Russian, two levels of
Russian training in the areas of language and culture are offered.
Students who take either of these levels of Russian (which will be
available both in Bloomington and Indianapolis via distance-learning)
are eligible for scholarships towards the cost of the trip to Tyumen,
Russia.

“Specialized Russian: Environmental Issues I” – 2 credits:
This course is open to undergraduate and graduate students. The goal
of the intensive Russian survival course is to acquaint the students
with the basic grammatical structures of Russian along with sufficient
vocabulary for a working introduction to the language. The focus of the
course will be on the development of oral skills, with written work
used for reinforcement. Homework will be devoted largely to repetition
and reinforcement while class time, even from the beginning, will be
devoted almost entirely to active practice. Listening and reading
comprehension will be addressed through special materials, which will
also serve as a basis for discussion and oral practice. Readings will
introduce aspects of everyday Russian life, figures, events, and issues
that are crucial to an understanding of Russian culture.

“Specialized Russian: Environmental Issues II” – 1.5 credits:
Prerequisites: SLAV-R 302 or the instructor's permission. This course
is open to undergraduate and graduate students. The course will cover
specific to environmental issues technical terminology, language
functionality in different professional environments, and interview
skills in Russian. Cultural training will prepare the participants for
successful interaction in social and academic situations in Russia.

Global Environmental Issues/Language Learning Field Experience
study-abroad course in Russia - 2 credits:

* COST: $4,800 (this is an approximation subject to changes
depending on the airfare fluctuation).
* DATES: July 22 - August 4, 2012 (subject to change: may be
moved one week)
* APPLICATION DEADLINE: Review of applications will begin on
APRIL 6, 2012

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
* GPA 3.0 or with the instructor's permission. Please note that
the submission of official transcripts is not required. Student
transcripts will, however, be reviewed via OneStart.
* On-line application.
* Russian language course work - “Specialized Russian:
Environmental Issues I” or “Specialized Russian: Environmental Issues
II” course.
* “Global Environmental Problems and Solutions” course.
* Valid PASSPORT for traveling abroad.
* Non-refundable deposit: $500 (upon acceptance in the Global
Environmental Issues/Language Learning Field Experience class).

This course is for undergraduate or graduate. Previous experience in
environmental science is desirable but not necessary.

The study-abroad portion is a two-week summer trip to the Tyumen
region, to follow the 6-week, 1-unit course in environmental issues and
the main language training. US students will visit field stations at
Lake Kuchak and at Khanty-Mansiysk to participate in limnological and
environmental remediation research at these sites. At TSU and TSAA,
attend lectures given by Russian faculty, and visit the TSU Research
Institute of Ecology and Rational Use Natural Resources, TSU
Technological Park, TSU Water Cleaning start-up company, TSU Faculty of
Biology, TSU Biodiversity Center, and TSAA Agroecology Center to learn
about research questions and techniques. Students will also visit heavy
industry, power production facilities, and natural resources industries
to understand how environmental risk management and pollution abatement
are practiced in the region. In addition, students will learn about
local, regional, and national culture through visits to historical and
new sections of the city, cultural and natural history museums,
theaters, and other activities (e.g., a summer circus).