FALL 2008 JACKSON SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Letter from the Director BY STEPHEN HANSON Th e 2008–09 academic year marks the faculty and students, centennial of the Jackson School of Inter- and we will miss her national Studies and of several UW de- terribly. We are deeply partments with which the Ellison Center grateful to Alva, her collaborates closely, including the Depart- family, and all those who ment of Near Eastern Languages and Civi- have honored her mem- lizations and the Department of Scandi- ory by contributing as navian Studies. It is an honor to be part of she requested to support a century of deep engagement with global future publications of scholarship at the University of Washing- the Donald W. Treadgold ton. Indeed, since Russia sponsored an of- Studies on Russia, East fi cial display at the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pa- Europe and Central Asia, cifi c Exposition along what is now Rainier edited by Professor Vista on the UW campus, Slavic and Eur- Glennys Young and pub- asian studies have been at the very core of lished in collaboration this institution’s approach to the study of with the University of global aff airs. Washington Press. Th e We will celebrate this heritage at our outpouring of support annual Donald W. Treadgold Lecture on for the Treadgold Studies Former US Ambassador to Russia, James Collins, converses with Ellison April 20th with a lecture by Professor has been so overwhelm- Center Director, Stephen Hanson Marjorie Balzer of Georgetown University ing that we are hoping to entitled “Warning of Global Warming? establish an endowment to ensure that the keynote lecture on “Russian-American Re- Th e Intertwined Nature of Ecological, series will continue in perpetuity. Please lations: Challenges for the New American Cultural and Political Change in Siberia’s let us know if you can help us realize this Administration” outlined the most impor- Far East.” Th is annual lecture, which cele- goal. tant obstacles and opportunities ahead in brates Don Treadgold’s unparalleled con- We kicked off the Jackson School’s U.S.-Russian bilateral relations after the tributions to the fi eld of Russian studies, centennial year with a fascinating series of 2008 elections, inspiring an enlightening will be even more meaningful this year, as lectures and discussions with the former and informative discussion with members it will be the fi rst Treadgold Lecture since U.S. Ambassador to Russia James Collins of the audience. Naomi Collins then joined Don’s widow Alva passed away in August. and his wife, the author and scholar Nao- her husband the following morning for Alva touched the lives of so many REECAS mi Collins. Ambassador Collins’s evening a 90-minute informal discussion with (continued on page 2) INSIDE THIS ISSUE Twentieth Annual Nicholas Poppe Symposium Held ............................... 2 Vaclav Kalus, Czech President, Shares His Thoughts Summer Interrupted: On the Ground in Georgia ..................................... 4 on Europe, the Environment ............................................................... 17 The Donald W. Treadgold Studies ......................................................... 7 Eight Hours in Poland: Americans Visit Gdynia on Cruise Ships ............ 18 A Taste of the Caucasus ...................................................................... 8 Application to Study a Less Commonly Taught Language .................... 19 Boba Research Fellowship and Gross Scholarship Opportunities ..........11 Ellison Center News ...........................................................................20 Exchanging Students and Students Exchanging: Creating a The Ellison Center Welcomes Visiting Scholars ................................... 22 Comprehensive Journalists’ Perspective ............................................. 12 Campaign UW ................................................................................... 23 REECAS NW Conference Call for Papers ............................................. 14 Upcoming Ellison Center Events ......................................................... 24 Diversity and Similarity: Uzbeks in Tajikistan ...................................... 15 2 REECAS NEWSLETTER / FALL 2008 (continued from page 1) REECAS program faculty and students, during our stay in Poland. Additionally, by several UW faculty and graduate stu- followed by a joint talk to business and along with the Slavic Department we are dents who have recently visited Central community leaders in downtown Seattle thrilled to host this year’s Polish Fulbright Asia, including Ilse Cirtautas, Florian sponsored by the Foundation for Russian- Visiting Lecturer Przemek Chojnowski, Schwarz, and K.C. Kostiuk. We also American Economic Cooperation (FRAEC). Adjunct Professor of Polish and Classical recently learned that the First President All three events were well attended and Philology from the University of Poznan. Foundation of Kazakhstan has agreed to very well received. We thank the Collinses Th e Polish Fulbright Association has gen- provide us with funds to hire a new Lec- for their generosity in agreeing to meet with erously agreed to fund another Fulbright turer specializing in the language, litera- so many of us during their visit to Seattle. Visiting Lecturer specializing on Polish ture, and culture of Kazakhstan. We are Our program in Central European culture for the 2009–10 academic year, for very honored to accept this generous off er studies also remains vibrant. Well-known which we are truly indebted! Finally, on of support! Polish democratic activist Adam Michnik October 1, thanks to support from the joined us in the spring to give a public Center for West European Studies as well lecture and to participate in a high-profi le as REECAS, a number of our faculty had The success of the Ellison Center conference on European Union Enlarge- the opportunity to hear a speech over is a testament to the incrdible ment to the East, co-organized with the breakfast by Czech President Vaclav Klaus Center for West European Studies and the at the Seattle World Aff airs Council. scholars, students, administrators, European Union Center of Excellence. In Our Central Asian Studies program, staff, and members of the community late May, the Ellison Center co-sponsored as always, has planned another year of ex- who’ve contributed so much of their the second biannual conference on Energy, citing lectures and events. In August and time and energy to making our program Environment, and Globalization held at September, a large delegation of Seattle one of the very fi nest in the world — the Warsaw School of Economics. Th is citizens and UW faculty celebrated the and to Herb Ellison, whose exemplary very successful gathering was attended by 35th anniversary of the Seattle-Tashkent dozens of scientists and scholars from Sister City Association in Tashkent. Th e scholarship and institutional vision around the world. Th e UW was represented Central Asian Studies Group weekly lec- continues to inspire us. by conference co-organizer Wlodzimierz ture series got off to a wonderful start, Kaczynski, Professor Zbigniew Bochniarz with talks by recent UW Ph.D. Elmira of the Evans School of Public Aff airs, and Kochumkulova about the Agha Khan’s Since I wrote my last letter in fall me. We are grateful to our conference hosts University of Central Asia, where she now 2007, the REECAS program has been fur- at the Warsaw School of Economics, and holds an academic position, by visiting ther bolstered by the addition of Professor especially to President Adam Budnikowski Fulbright Teaching Assistant Nargiza Yong Chool-Ha, whom we lured away and Professor Maciej Cygler, who showed Akramova about “Uzbekistan’s Ferghana from Seoul National University to join the us such warm and generous hospitality Valley: From a Native’s Perspective,” and Jackson School as the new Korea Founda- Stephen E. Hanson, Director and Program Chair REECAS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE EMAIL: [email protected] Stephen E. Hanson, Ellison Center Director and Marta B. Mikkelsen, Associate Director Chair; Boeing International Professor EMAIL: [email protected] Department of Political Science Allison Dvaladze, Assistant Director for Outreach James Augerot, Professor and Acting Chair Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures EMAIL: [email protected] Bojan Belic, Lecturer Carrie O’Donoghue, Program Coordinator Slavic Languages and Literatures 203B Thomson Hall, Box 353650 EMAIL: [email protected] Michael Biggins, Head Librarian University of Washington Julia Hon, Newsletter Editor Slavic and East European Section, UW Libraries Seattle, WA 98195-3650 EMAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 206-543-4852 Katarzyna Dziwirek, Associate Professor Chad Close, Outreach and Website Assistant Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures FAX: 206-685-0668 EMAIL: [email protected] EMAIL: [email protected] Diana Pierce, Senior Lecturer Glennys Young, Editor, Treadgold Papers School of Social Work The Ellison Center on the Internet: EMAIL: [email protected] Guntis Smidchens, Assistant Professor http://jsis.washington.edu/ellison Department of Scandinavian Studies Miriam Counterman, Treadgold Managing Editor EMAIL: [email protected] Glennys Young, Associate Professor Department of History, Jackson School of International Studies REECAS NEWSLETTER / FALL 2008 3 tion Professor in Korean Studies. Professor Director of the Ellison Center and the Th e success of the Ellison Center is a Ha is perhaps the leading