The U.S. Defense Department has awarded the University of Georgia a renewable grant to establish a Russian language program for undergraduates studying a wide variety of fields.
UGA’s Russian “Flagship Program” is one of 25 Flagship Centers across the country in languages considered vital to national security and to the challenges of a global society, such as environmental degradation, global disease and hunger and economic pressures.
Victoria Hasko, an associate professor of world language education in the College of Education‘s department of language and literacy education, said in a news release that the Flagship Program “provides students with the resources to sustain and grow their proficiency in Russian throughout their undergraduate studies with generous funding for study abroad scholarships to help students strengthen their language and intercultural skills in professional terms.”
The Defense Department grant is for $275,000 in the first year and is expected to provide more than $1 million, pending Congressional approval, during the first full grant cycle.
Twenty students were admitted to the program in August with each student receiving intensive instruction and tutoring at least five times a week. More than 40 students are currently enrolled, pursuing majors in fields ranging from international affairs and chemistry to computer science and ecology.
The Russian program is UGA’s second under the Flagship banner. In 2011, it established a Portuguese Flagship Program.
For more information about the Russian Flagship program, contact program directors at RussianFlagship@uga.edu
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