Author: Juulia K Heikkinen

International Network in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (INREES) invites doctoral students affiliated with Finnish Universities to apply for one or two months visiting fellowship at European University (St. Petersburg) or Higher School of Economics (St. Petersburg and Moscow)in the fall 2021. 

The INREES pre-doc programme gives an opportunity for around 6 young Finnish early-stage researchers to have a one- or two-month research visit to Russia. The multidisciplinary INREES programme provides the visiting fellows a unique opportunity to gather material, write their on-going research projects and produce new scholarly outputs. These fellowships may also launch new scholarly ventures and research projects in collaboration with partners and colleagues from Russia. 

Funding period: September -December 2021 

Deadline for applications: 1 June 2021 

Notification of acceptance: by 8 June 2021 

Eligibility criteria: 

Affiliation with a Finnish University the i.e. those who are currently enrolled as doctoral students  

Application documents: 

• Motivation letter: Statement on how applicant’s research would benefit from the visit in Russia 
• Brief description of the research content: 1-2 paragraphs 
• Work plan: Specific goals and tasks to be done during the visit (e.g. to complete certain chapters, to carry out archival work, to finalise a thesis-based article, to revise the thesis manuscript etc.) 

Successful applicants will be provided with a monthly scholarship of €2,400 (travel, accommodation and small tuition are covered from the scholarship) and visa support letters. Travel and accommodation are to be arranged by prospective fellows themselves, but the programme can provide help with these. 

INREES fellows are expected to consult with the researchers and possible hosts at the receiving university and to participate in relevant seminars and courses. 

Applications should be sent to the coordinators of the INREES, Dr. Kaarina Aitamurto (Kaarina.aitamurto@helsinki.fi) and Dr. Margarita Zavadskaya (margarita.zavadskaya@helsinki.fi).  

You can also contact coordinators of the INREES programme and/or the director of the programme, Professor Vladimir Gel’man vladimir.gelman@helsinki.fi

Summer School: Russia in the Global Context (5 ECT) 

The International Network in Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies (INREES) welcomes PhD students to the five-day intensive course in Lammi Biological Station on  

30 August – 3 September 2021 

Discussions about Russian uniqueness have been around for centuries. However, it is an undeniable fact that Russia is affected by and has an impact on global developments and trends. For example, the effects of climate change or pandemics such as COVID-19 do not observe national borders. Cultural currents and information flows create and foster transnational communities and identities. Migration to and from Russia cannot be analyzed without taking into account the areas of origin, destination and the global economy. Though nation-states have adopted different responses vis-à-vis global issues, they also study the experiences and solutions of others. In recent years, the discussion about resilience has intensified in social sciences. One of the main questions is, how do different regimes, including illiberal ones, secure societal resilience in the face of global challenges?   

This summer school discusses how Russia and Russian society are analyzed by taking into account the global context.  How can the biases of methodological nationalism be avoided? How to design a comparative research or include a comparative perspective in the study of one area? The lecturers of the summer school represent different disciplines such as geography, history, as well as politics and international relations. The speakers of the 2021 Summer School are: 

• Luca Anceschi, Senior Lecturer in Central Asian Studies, University of Glasgow 
• Sari Autio-Sarasmo, University Lecturer, Vice director, Aleksanteri Institute 
• Irina Busygina, Professor, Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg 
• Vladimir Gel’man, Professor, European University at St. Petersburg/ University of Helsinki 
• Anna-Liisa Heusala, University Lecturer, University of Helsinki 
• Markku Kangaspuro, Director of the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki 
• Ivan Kurilla, Professor, European University at St. Petersburg  
• Katalin Miklóssy, University Lecturer, University of Helsinki 
• Katri Pynnönniemi, Assistant Professor, University of Helsinki / Professor, National Defense University 

The intensive course consists of lectures, thematic panels and workshops in which doctoral students have the opportunity to get comments on their papers.  Papers can be research plans, chapters form dissertations or article drafts. In addition, PhD students will have a chance to improve their pedagogical skills by commenting on Russian Studies MA students’ research plans. The summer school will take care of the costs for accommodation, meals and transportation from Helsinki to Lammi (approx. 100km).  

The course requirements for 5 ECTS (evaluation accepted/rejected):  

• Preliminary paper for the summer school (max. 8.000 words) 
• Active participation at lectures and workshops  

  Please send your applications with an abstract (max 300 words) of your paper, your affiliation and contact information by 27 May, 2021  through the following link: 

  https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/111817/lomake.html 

  For more information, you can contact project planner Juulia Heikkinen (juulia.heikkinen@helsinki.fi) or the coordinator of the INREES Kaarina Aitamurto (Kaarina.aitamurto@helsinki.fi )