The Russian and European Studies Master's programme is a multidisciplinary, cross-cultural programme which focuses on questions of Russian and European politics, society, culture and language. The students can further specialise on EU-Russian relations with a special reference to northern Europe; or aspects of Russian society, or Russian language and culture. The programme emphasises both conceptual and practical knowledge of Russian and European studies and the related methodologies, with an eye on professional work in the fields of Russian politics, society, culture and language. Internships and studies abroad, especially in Russia, are supported. The coursework includes lectures, seminars, group work and workshops; independent reading and writing; supervised research; and events with visiting speakers together with practical training. The students are assigned a personal tutor. The International Relations specialization option in the programme is organised in cooperation with two Russian partner universities, St.Petersburg State University and Petrozavodsk State University. Students will take courses together with students form the partner universities, mostly in connection with seasonal schools in Finland and in Russia. Opportunities for longer term student exchange between the University of Tampere and the Russian partner universities are also available. Students can also apply for a right to obtain a double degree from the St.Petersburg State University. The programme prepares students for professional activity on various aspects of Russian and European issues in the society; for independent research and for postgraduate studies.
Learning Outcomes
The student becomes a professional with a multifaceted understanding of the changing Russian society and relevant aspects of Russian-European relations, and is capable of influencing political, societal or cultural processes in those areas. The student masters the central theories, methods and empirical substance matter of Russian politics, society and culture. She/he develops further expertise on one of these subjects, is capable of participating in advanced scientific discussion in that field, and put the theoretical and methodological knowledge into practice in solving political, societal or cultural problems. The student has excellent analytical capabilities for independent research and can process large amounts of material dealing with the theme of her/his specialization option in the programme (IR, society, language and culture).
Students specializing in IR gain in-depth knowledge of Russian politics and foreign policy, and EU-Russia relations, with a special accent on northern Europe’s international relations, as well as the European Union. They develop skills in the Russian language as well as European languages, and acquire an advanced ability to carry out a research project, and prepare and present reports in English. Students specializing in Russian language and culture are capable of using Russian in oral and written communication, and have an excellent command of the vocabulary in their field of specialization. They are familiar with the different phases of Russian history and culture, and are capable of understanding and analysing the development and phenomena of modern Russian society and culture. The students are able to recognise the interplay between language and society, and the most important manifestations of Russian cultural and literary identity. In addition, they are able to design, carry out, and present a research project in Russian. The students specializing in Sociology will be able to analyse the Russian society, the development of its social structure and changes in it. They will be aware of the role of various organisations, NGOs and social movements in the development of present day Russian society.
The student develops his/her understanding of and connections to working life within these fields.