Russian-American Academic Exchanges Alumni Association
Statement of Purpose

On the Way to Civil Society

The Association joins together faculty members and researchers from various Russian and American institutions, who participated in the programs of academic, educational and cultural exchanges between the USA and the Russian Federation. It is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization whose activities are targeted at promoting professional and social communication between its members and the relevant institutions in both countries.

Participants of Biannual Conference of the Association "Professionals for Cooperation" June, 16, 1999, Moscow region

The Association is a useful means to continue and promote contacts between scholars across Russian universities and research centers. It enables us to feel a part of a larger body of scholars engaged in international academic exchange and in educational reforms and civil society building in this country. An alumni organization is a forum for discussing the most pressing academic and social issues of our day and for further presenting opinions on those issues on behalf of the Russian academic community.
The Association also provides opportunities for further contacts with colleagues in the United States, as well as American scholars in Russia on US/Russian academic exchanges.

Our Objectives:

• To support and promote the idea of US/Russian academic exchange
• To promote continuing relationships among scholars across Russia who have participated in US/Russian educational exchanges, and thus to facilitate communication among exchange alumni
• To build upon and develop new contacts with colleagues in the United States
• To maintain rosters and records of former participants in international educational and cultural exchanges in order to better use their expertise
• To provide opportunities for presenting views on behalf of the Russian academic community
• To provide assistance in the recruitment and selection of scholars for US/Russian academic exchanges according to open, merit-based competitions
• To provide information to newly selected academic exchange participants about the US exchange experience
• To assist American participants of US/Russian academic exchanges by facilitating their contacts with the colleagues in various Moscow and regional institutions.
  

Each of these objectives is supported by a special project formulated as a program of activities supporting the main goal of the Association, which is assisting with and direct participation in the processes of establishing civil society in Russia. Thus, all the activities bringing together the alumni, that are supported by the Association, not only promote academic excellence and high level of scholarly discussion, but deal with the relevant social processes of change characterising today's Russia. We believe that the expertise and shared experiences of the Association members, being put together, may have a significant impact on a number of aspects of educational and academic reform, and - eventually - on the society as a whole.
The main principles of civil society, such as rule of law, political democracy and free market are undisputed for all countries and cultures. But socio-cultural patterns of civil society may vary significantly depending on the national context. In Russia, with its huge territory and diverse multiethnic population, it is the problems of federalism and regional development that are inalienable from the general idea of civil society and make up the core of the 'Russian pattern'. Another feature of Russian sociocultural context that has to be accounted for, is traditional, though controversial, respect for higher education, and the role regional universities and their leaders play in their respective communities.
Thus, the Association in its pursuance of the main goal - civil society formation - puts forward as the priorities those activities (conferences, seminars, workshops, other projects) that deal with:
- regional development/federalism, problems of multicultural society;
- various issues of higher education reform, the role of regional universities as catalysts of change in their communities.
We strongly encourage our members and the organizations that we work with to develop in their projects and support by grants the aforenamed issues

Our activities.

They are numerous and include:

• regional conferences for the alumni from the region along with faculty members of the regional universities and American colleagues (in Yoshkar-Ola, Moscow Region, Vladikavkaz, St.Peterburg, Ulyanovsk);
• publications that include both scholarly work, informational materials and alumni impressions on their exchange experiences;
• workshops and seminars;
• assisting with recruitement, orientation and debriefing activities for the participants of the Russian-American exchange programs;
• dissemination information about Russian-American academic exchanges and their results via Internet, through educational fairs, conferences, etc.
  

The structure of the Association.

The Association has twenty three regional branches and is administered through the Association Board that has been elected in June 1997 at the Association Biennial.Conference In Moscow it is represented by the Central Office of the Association. The Board includes eleven members. The Association also has a Board of Trustees composed of well-known, respected representatives of Russian and American academic, business and political elites.

How to find us:

The Association Central Office is located in Rm. 621,1-st Humanities Building, Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory. Email: info@prof.msu.ru
All the information about the Association (including this brochure) can be found in Internet on our home page: www.prof.msu.ru

How to join us.

If you have been on any academic, educational, or cultural exchange program in the United States - you ARE an Alum of your program, and you ARE a potential member of our Alumni Association. To make your membership actual and to enjoy its benefits you only need to fill out a special form and submit it to the Central Office or your Regional Organization (can be also done interactively via Internet).

Friends of Association.

We understand there may be many people who may share our ideals of cooperation and professionalism, who may pursue the same goals of civil society formation, but who for formal reasons can not join our Association as members. Just for this kind of motivated individuals we have a special form of affiliation - we welcome you to become Friends of our Association and join us in our activities. We are looking forward to your participation and help.

Participants of Biannual Conference of the Association "Professionals for Cooperation" June, 16, 1999, Moscow region