The Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies
The Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, was established in 2000. The result of an endowment left by Walter E. Havighurst, the Center is devoted to joint research by Miami faculty with scholars from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, and from other American universities; to service and learning activities for the Miami student community that provide a greater understanding of these regions; and to programs designed to foster interdisciplinary research on the most important questions relating to the future of these areas.
Activities
Since its inaugural year, the Havighurst Center has continued to support intellectual and cultural activities at Miami University. In 2001, the Center hosted its first annual International Young Researchers’ conference, with papers from advanced graduate students and recent doctoral recipients from the U.S. and abroad. It also instituted the weekly Havighurst Colloquia Series, a course-related lecture series in which faculty from the Miami campus, as well as invited outside speakers, talk about their research and present formal papers on themes chosen for that year. In addition to organizing its own lectures and conferences, the Havighurst Center also awards grants bi-annually to Miami University faculty and departments who wish to offer Center-related programs or activities to the Miami community. Awards have been given to the Miami University Art Museum for a variety of traveling exhibits; the Havighurst Center has also provided funds for numerous musical and performing artists in cooperation with Miami University's Performing Arts Series, including performances by the Moscow Philharmonic; the Moscow Circus; the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Constantin Orbelian; the Russian National Ballet; Ensemble Kabul, an ensemble from Afghanistan; and a week-long residency with the Ilkhom Theatre Company from Uzbekistan. In 2017, the Havighurst Center became partners with the journal Ab Imperio.
Postdoctoral fellowships
Postdoctoral fellowships are awarded annually by the Havighurst Center. Fellowships are given in all areas of academic study related to Russia and other post Soviet countries, including history, politics, music, culture, art, architecture, religion, literature, and daily life. The fellowships are designed for junior scholars of exceptional promise.
