Throughout the course, students will study topics that attract the attention of contemporary Russian media and are in the center of Russian public and intellectual discourse: the socio-political results of 2016 and forecasts for 2017 in Russia and in the world; Russian-American bilateral relations; migration and demography; the problem of censorship in Russian socio-cultural space, the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian society, the current state of the Russian language and its function in the state and society.

Students will study, analyze and discuss public talks, expert discussions and interviews with Russian politicians, economists, analysts and public figures. They will also attend and afterwards analyze and discuss presentations by leading scientists — invited experts from Russia.