A student exchange program in Russia

I have always been fascinated by Russia and was fortunate to learn about the current state of U.S.-Russia relations in Moscow through my participation in the Kremlin Fellows Program. At 22 years old, having never traveled outside of North America, I was very excited to be nominated for the prestigious fellowship by Senator Carl Levin and later selected by the Russian government. I was part of a delegation of 15 undergraduate and graduate student leaders from various disciplines across the U.S. selected to learn about U.S.-Russia relations and explore opportunities for further bilateral cooperation through this fellowship. 

As part of the student exchange program, we met with a number of prominent U.S. and Russian diplomatic figures such as former Ambassador John O’Keefe and the U.S. State Department’s Executive Director of Russian Affairs, Kent Logsdon. We also met with student delegations from The Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Bauman Tech and Moscow State Universities as well as Futurrussia Skolkovo initiative leaders Ivan Burnik, Bram Caplan and Almir Salimov. 

The Skolkovo representatives demonstrated Russia’s increased focus on promoting an innovative and progressive economy. The Skolkovo Institute aims to take a forward-thinking approach to higher education by challenging the rigid walls of traditional academia to promote inter-disciplinary educational paths that facilitate the commercialization of scientific breakthroughs. The Foundation is building a vibrant community of innovators by distributing multi-million dollar grants to a promising array of entrepreneurs in the biotech, nuclear, IT, energy and space sectors. 

Aside from the series of lectures with prominent officials, I had the chance to sightsee and explore Moscow’s culture. Russia today is very different from the country described in textbooks when it was part of the Soviet Union. I think all of the members of the U.S. delegation were surprised to see the variety of familiar fast food and retail chains in Moscow, from McDonald’s and KFC to Gucci and Burberry. Moscow’s ability to attract a global business in a plethora of industries was incredibly evident during our excursions through the city, including Canon, Isuzu, Yokohama, and Peugeot. These appeared in contrast to traditional piroshki stands and architecture dating back to Soviet and tsarist times. While many traditions and systems still remain strong, Russia is making strides to create their country anew: fostering democratic engagement and attractive innovative enterprises. 

The student exchange program gave us the opportunity to engage with Russian students in person, and I was pleasantly surprised to meet many pro-American youth in Moscow, many of whom demonstrated sincere respect for U.S. culture and the American economic model. We were met with such warmth that I wished that I could have stayed longer. I am excited and nervous to see how the relatively young Russian Federation develops and progresses over the coming years, and I hope to take some part in it.