RUSSIA STUDY PROGRAM INFORMATION

May 2 to May 23, 2008

Concerning Academic Credit

• Participants will be eligible to receive three semester credit hours by choosing one of the following options:
• You may register for HNRS 179 and receive honors credit as well as Global Awareness General Education credit. This course number has no prerequisite.
• You may register for ECON 179 and receive Global Awareness credit as well as economics credit. This course number has no prerequisite.
• You may register for ECON 379 and receive Global Awareness credit as well as economics credit. This course has economics prerequisites and it counts toward an economics major or minor.
• Coursework to be evaluated for the program will involve:
• Attending pre-departure orientation sessions. Mandatory APA Orientation: Spring and Summer 2008 Programs: Saturday, March 29, 2008: 10am-1 pm, G-ll Boone Hall
• Completing pre-departure assigned reading.
• Attending lecture sessions and participating in all non-optional activities in Moscow.
• Maintaining a daily journal in which you summarize the events of the day and reflect on insights you received on Russian history or current reality.
• Writing a reflective essay at the end of the program giving your overall reaction. (ECON 379 students will be expected to submit a more extensive research paper.)
• Once the trip is a GO there will be an emuonline site available for use by all participants: assignments, readings and discussion groups will be among the things available online.

Concerning Deadlines

• Final application deadline is January 15, 2008.
• You must have an acceptable, valid passport by January 15, 2008.
• Visa applications must be completed and submitted to Academic Programs Abroad by January 15, 2008
• Payment of all fees must be completed according to the following schedule:
• Program Fee is $2000. This charge will be posted to student’s account. The earliest billing cycle will be the end of March. NON-EMU students are enrolled as guest students and are billed on the same schedule as EMU students.
• Emu tuition and fees we estimate will be $755.50. This charge will be posted to student’s account and billed on the same schedule as Program Fee. NON-EMU students will be charged this same fee and classified as guest students or auditors.
• Group air flight deposit (see item “d” below for more information) ($200) with application for reserved-seat group flight package. This deposit and remaining flight cost is to be paid directly to APA and Delta Airlines.
• Group air ticket: Detailed flight information will be given to all accepted students. Students should plan budgets based on a round-trip flight cost of $1033.60 and be able to pay the flight costs by January 20. NOTE: This group air ticket is from Detroit to Moscow and back by the quickest Delta Airlines route and the rate may not be available if you choose to travel in Europe before or after the program. In this case you may make your own travel arrangements, but you must arrive in Moscow and depart Moscow on the same day as the group flight, which arrives Moscow SVO on May 3 and departs Moscow SVO on May 23.
• Post-trip submission of your journal and essay is to be no later than June16 , 2008.

Concerning Your Life in Russia

1. In Moscow we will be staying in the high-rise dormitory of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations. Accommodation is a two bedroom suite with a shared bath. Bed linens and towels are provided. There is a communal kitchen facility on the floor should you choose to make your own snacks or coffee/tea.
2. Laptop Computers: If you choose to take your laptop you must be aware that Russian electricity is 220volts and you must be sure your laptop charger will connect to 220v and that you have a plug adaptor. You must also assume responsibility for the security of your laptop. We will be living in a dormitory with all of the implications for security of doors, cleaning personnel, etc. Also, Moscow is a city of 10 million people, with the usual array of petty thieves and pickpockets.
3. I do not know the current extent of internet connectivity at the Academy of Labor and Social Relations. When I was last there they did have hardwired access, but it was not available to all. There will be internet cafes, and probably wireless connection in some hotels, although it will most likely not be free.
4. Our lectures in Moscow will be at the classroom building of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations which is connected to the dormitory via an enclosed walkway. Lectures will generally be in English. There may occasionally be a lecturer who is not completely comfortable with English who will be accompanied by a translator.
5. Our group will sometimes use public transportation and there will be an orientation trip soon after we arrive to familiarize you with the Metro (subway) and the bus system. Metro and bus passes/tickets are not included in the Program Fee.
6. When our group has a field trip or an out of town trip we will be traveling on our own bus or we will be using public transportation: intercity bus or train.
7. Lodging out of town will be in dormitory space of a regional branch of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations or in a hotel.
8. Outside the capital and major cities Russia is very much a third-world country. People in small villages may have outdoor toilets, may have to travel on unpaved roads, and may live a very spartan lifestyle. This is the Russia you will see as we travel to Vladimir and Suzdal.

Money Matters

• According to the U.S. State Department’s comparisons, Moscow is the most expensive capital in the world. However, this calculation is made on the cost of maintaining a lifestyle and standard of living the same as in Washington, D.C. and we will not be doing that. However, you should be prepared to find that some things you use or want will be much more expensive than you expect.
• There are plenty of banks and ATM machines where you may exchange money or make withdrawals. Travelers Checks are still a good option for taking money to Russia. They are available for students at the EMU Credit union. A small stash of U.S. currency is also handy to have.
• The international value of the U.S. Dollar has been slowly and steadily falling for the past year or so and it is likely to continue for a while. As of December 6, 2007 there were 24.51 rubles in a dollar. If the value of the dollar continues its slow decline then Russian prices will appear a little bit higher to you as well.
• You will need spending money for snacks and drinks, for entertainment activities that are not included in the program (for instance, we will have one trip to the ballet or theater included in the program fee and you may want to go to another), for souvenirs and personal items, and for bus and metro passes.

Further Information

• Online brochure: www.emich.edu/abroad/russia
• Email contacts: Donald Pearson, dpearson@emich.edu, Academic Programs Abroad, programs.abroad@emich.edu
• Online information about Russia Study Trips at the homepage of our arranging organization, http://efenster.home.igc.org

Back to Russia Study Program Home

Academic Programs Abroad
Eastern Michigan University
103 Boone Hall
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Voice: 734.487.2424 or toll free 800.777.3541
FAX: 734.487.4377
E-mail : Programs Abroad