Invitation to Publish – Thematic Issue of "Slavia Meridionalis"

On behalf of Stanislava Barać, we would like to warmly invite you to contribute to the thematic issue of Slavia Meridionalis entitled “Youth Movements, Subcultures and (New) Media.” The idea for this issue emerged from the social mobilization in Serbia in 2024–2025 and its impact on the cultural sphere and the academic community.

Please find the detailed call for papers attached. Details you can find also here: https://journals.ispan.edu.pl/index.php/sm/en/announcement 

Wanted: free-lance language testers

The National Center for Language Assessment is seeking native speakers of many of the languages of the region we study and teach to train to be free-lance language testers.

The languages of interest include:

Armenian, Azerbaijani/Azeri, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Chechen, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Kurdish Kurmanji, Kurdish Sorani, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian Croatian, Slovak, Slovenia, Tajik, Turkish, Turkmen, Uighur, Ukrainian, and Uzbek.

Please see the announcement below, share it with any folks in your networks who might be a fit for this work!

If you or your friends/colleagues have any questions, please connect with the NCLA (by email at ilrtestertraining@actfl.org) as per the instructions in the announcement itself (below).

Caucasus Research Forum: Protest Movements

The Slavic Reference Service at the University of Illinois is hosting an Annual Caucasus Research Forum with the main theme of Protest Movements. The Caucasus region has witnessed numerous protest movements throughout its history. From resistance to colonialism and imperialism to contemporary anti-government demonstrations, the region’s rich diversity is reflected in these protest movements. We are seeking proposals for paper presentations and roundtable discussions that reflect on the genealogies, legacies, and memory of protest movements in the region.

Sub-themes of the forum include:

• History of Remembrance
• Protest in Literature and Cinema
• Protest Groups and Organizations
• Populism
• Digital Repression
• Countercultures

To submit proposals: https://forms.gle/ibBVxHShUsorALLNA 

For the general registration: https://forms.gle/4uiXodAeTb9daFpw8

These forums are intended to provide a supportive and informal environment to discuss future, ongoing, or completed scholarly projects. Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, emerging scholars, librarians, archivists, and scholars based in the region are especially encouraged to submit proposals.

The Caucasus Research Forum will be held on April 15-16, 2026, through Zoom. The deadline to submit a proposal is Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 11:59 pm Central US and Canada Time.

If you have any questions, please contact the Slavic Reference Service at srscite@library.illinois.edu

AC Study & Research Abroad Application Deadlines

This is a kind reminder that the following deadlines for American Councils overseas programming are soon approaching:

• Summer Professional Development and Fellowship Opportunity for US Teachers of Russian at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) in Almaty, Kazakhstan: March 9, 2026

• Fall 2026 and Academic Year 2026-2027 American Councils Study Abroad programming (language intensives, area studies programs, social entrepreneurship): March 15, 2026

Financial aid is available from U.S. government funding in addition to American Councils' own scholarships, which can help cover significant portions of program cost. For more information on American Councils' generous funding, please visit https://www.studyabroad.americancouncils.org/financial-aid. American Councils is committed to working with all applicants who demonstrate financial need to make sure they have the opportunity to study abroad. 

ACTR Professional Development Grant - applications due April 10

The ACTR Professional Development Grant in Honor of Olga E. Kagan offers support for Russian language instructors at all levels (pre-college, community schools, college, graduate student TAs). Two grants of up to ($300) each are awarded  annually to help offset the cost of travel to conferences and conference registration fees, pedagogical workshops, and other professional development that focuses on language pedagogy. Some suggestions are available here. Professional development must be completed and receipts submitted by April 10, 2027. 

 

The priority group for the 2025-2026 cycle is graduate students, although we encourage any non-tenured instructor of Russian to apply. 

Deadline to apply: April 10, 2026. Decisions will be announced by May 1, 2026.

Questions? Please contact Susan Kresin, kresin@ucla.edu

Enrollment for Visiting Students Now Open! Summer at UCLA: Russian 10 and 20

The UCLA Department of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Languages and Cultures welcomes students for both Intensive First Year Russian (Russian 10) and Intensive Second Year Russian (Russian 20) in Summer 2026.  Enroll by April 30^th to secure a seat!

 

*All sections are taught online. Enrollment now open!

 

Dates: June 22 – August 14, 2026 (8 weeks)

 

Russian 10 (Intensive Elementary): Mon-Fri 10am-1:50pm PST

                                                             

Russian 20 (Intensive Intermediate): Mon-Fri 10am-1:50pm PST

                                                            

For information on how to enroll, please see: https://www.summer.ucla.edu/academiccourses/uclastudent/registrationandenrollment

 

Students with prior experience in Russian should contact Professor Anna Kudyma, UCLA Russian Language Coordinator, in advance at akudyma@ucla.edu for questions regarding placement.

2026 Russian Language Summer School in Yerevan – ASPIRANTUM

ASPIRANTUM’s 2026 Russian Language Summer School in Yerevan, Armenia.

The program offers 6 to 10 weeks of intensive Russian instruction (120 to 200 contact hours), beginning on June 21, 2026. Courses are available at beginner, elementary, and intermediate levels and focus on reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar, and vocabulary in small groups.

In addition to classroom instruction, participants take part in organized cultural excursions, including visits to Garni and Geghard, Aragats and Amberd Fortress, Ejmiatsin, Khor Virap and Noravank, and Lake Sevan, along with selected museum visits and cultural events.

Full program details and application form:
https://aspirantum.com/courses/russian-language-summer-school

Early deadline for discounted participation fee: February 25, 2026
Application deadline: May 21, 2026

Curriculum information:
https://aspirantum.com/curriculum

Student testimonials:
https://aspirantum.com/testimonials

Video overview of classes and program activities:
https://www.youtube.com/@aspirantum

Program updates:
https://www.instagram.com/aspirantumcom/