February 9, 2011
The Kazan Module offered by the IMARES program confers upon the student a flexible opportunity which allows each individual to enhance their own personal interest in the region. While intensive in duration, each compilation of professional experts offers the students of the seminar a personalized opportunity to seek further research in their chosen field or perhaps to expand into a previously unknown topic.
Beyond the classroom, the city itself will allow its citizens and history to be part of the social laboratory. For one of my required papers a colleague and I choose to interview a small sample of citizens on the subject of interethnic relations. The response was not only well received; it afforded us the chance to expand the session’s paper into a more developed subject for subsequent classes both in Russia and at home. In addition, two of the selected professors have kept in regular contact with me on two very different topics. The first concerns the development of historical preservation within Kazan and the second offered her assistance as my chief thesis advisor.
Beyond the academic value, Kazan presents a unique alloy of ethnographic and religious diversity. Western Russian, Tatar and Central Asian cultures as well as Jewish, Christian and Islamic communities have been sharing the same soil for over 450 years which gives the visitor another unspoiled opportunity to observe in the modern world. Letting be this chance to explore this area of the world, with little to no financial burden, would be the equivalent of skipping a chapter in your favorite book.
Phillip Mendenhall, M.A.