Russian - 2nd Year in Bishkek
Russian - 8 weeks in Kyrgyzstan
Overview
Second-year Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Students solidify their command of Russian and raise their listening, speaking, and communicative skills to the Intermediate Low level or better. Graduates can interact in day-to-day life in Russian-speaking countries effectively and with ease.
Due to restrictions on the use of federal scholarship and fellowship funding inside the Russian Federation, CLI's Russian programs abroad are being offered in the Russian-speaking city of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. See the 'details' tab for more information.
COVID-19
There are numerous risks inherent in travel during a pandemic; students interested in this program should carefully review the COVID-19 information provided by the U.S. State Department (including the State Department's country-specific information) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (including the CDC's country-specific information) to better understand the nature of those risks.
All participants should be aware of the following:
- ASU's service providers, The London School in Bishkek and SRAS, require participants in this program to be fully vaccinated.
- Other requirements such as showing proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test may be imposed by the country the program is visiting, the airline or other transportation providers used, or the specific destinations visited.
- Vaccination, testing, and quarantine requirements change regularly; the State Department's country-specific information may provide more country-specific information
ASU is committed to taking all reasonable precautions to minimize our students' exposure to risks related to COVID-19 during their Critical Languages Institute program*. Such precautions include:
- Carefully monitoring COVID-19 travel restrictions to ensure, as much as possible, that students will be able to enter the program country;
- Evaluating all program activities to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, compliance with ASU and local protocols for maintaining physical distance and face covering during all program activities**;
- Providing an international insurance policy, including coverage for housing and meal expenses in case of mandatory quarantine/self-isolation due to direct exposure;
- Establishing response procedures to support students who receive a positive COVID-19 test during the program, who develop symptoms of COVID-19, or who have been directly exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.
These precautions may change, or additional precautions may be adopted, based on the state of the pandemic at the time of the program and/or the particular circumstances of the program location(s).
We cannot emphasize how important it is to book tickets that allow for flexibility. Most airlines are offering this themselves, but be sure to read all fine print not only for ticket conditions, but also for any possible flight insurance you might purchase.
*Students should understand that it is possible to contract COVID-19 even if they follow all of the safety precautions and guidelines required by ASU and recommended by the CDC and other federal, state and local government health authorities.
**CLI will enforce ASU's on-campus protocols to the maximum extent possible on this program, but students should understand that physical distancing requirements may not be enforceable in all program activities or on all modes of program transportation.
All participants in this program will be required to review and sign a COVID-19 Disclosure and a COVID-19 Behavioral Commitment (located in the CLI application). You can find additional information and resources on the COVID-19 FAQs, and we will communicate any updated or program-specific guidelines to you prior to travel.
Details
COURSE DATES
June 20th - August 12th, 2022
ACADEMIC CREDIT
5 credits of RUS 201, 5 credits of RUS 202
ELIGIBILITY
- Open to ASU and Non-ASU students
- Open to non-U.S. students
- Open to undergraduate and graduate students
- Open to working professionals and retirees
- Placement exam required
CULTURAL PROGRAMS
CLI-Bishkek offers an extensive program of extramural activities. Most are conducted in one-on-one or small group formats with local activity guides. All activities are conducted in Russian.
- Daily conversation practice
- Twice-weekly small-group activities, tied to classroom topics
- Museum visits (small group activity)
- Cultural Center visits
- Cooking classes
- Craft classes
- Shopping and bartering lessons
- Ata Beit Memorial
- Weekend trip to Talas and the Manas Ordo mausoleum
- Weekend trip to the Ala Archa gorge
- Weekend trip to Barskoon
LOCATION
Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, is a city of 1 million, situated at the base of the Tian Chian mountains. The city is multiethnic, home to Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazakhs, and Russians. The primary language is Russian, although Kyrgyz is also spoken widely. Renowned for its tree-lined streets and its network of gravity-fed glacier-water canals, Bishkek is considered one of the greenest cities in the world. Modern Bishkek is a very youthful city, with an active cafe and university culture.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
CLI's program in Bishkek is managed jointly by Arizona State University and the School of Russian and Asian Studies. Classes are conducted at the London School of Bishkek.
Housing & Meals
HOUSING
For summer 2022, CLI will not place students with host families. Instead, students will be placed in alternative housing options such as dorms, apartments, or hotels. We are currently working with our providers on this and will update accepted students on the housing and meal options available for their programs.
MEALS
Students are expected to make their own meal arrangements.
Funding
PROJECT GO
The ROTC Global Officer Project (Project GO) provides full scholarships for the study of Second-Year Russian in CLI-Bishkek.
See PROJECT GO @ ASU for details.
Application deadline TBA
https://www.rotcprojectgo.org/programs/arizona-state-university-russian-study-abroad-0
MELIKIAN CENTER FUNDING FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS
Supported by the Melikian Center's endowment and by private donations, the Melikian Center Awards Program provides scholarships of up to $4,000 for superior applicants to study Russian in CLI-Bishkek.
ASU students, non-ASU students, teachers, and other non-students are eligible to apply for this funding.
Apply by January 24, 2022
THE BENJAMIN A. GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
The State Department's Gilman Scholarship provides awards of up to $8,000 for students in financial need to study abroad, including in CLI overseas programs. Gilman applications require certification of the program by your institution's study-abroad office. If you apply for Gilman support, please contact cli@asu.edu for assistance in getting the required information to your institution.
Gilman summer study applications are accepted from August to October and January to March. Please apply for the early competition, if possible, since applicants to the later competition will not learn their award status until after the deadline to commit to CLI study. Please contact cli@asu.edu for details on timing your Gilman application.
NEED-BASED FEE REDUCTION
The Melikian Center offers a reduction of up to $1,000 of the published CLI program fee for qualified Pell-eligible students. This reduction applies to Tempe-based or study abroad programs. Please indicate your Pell eligibility on the general application to be considered for this fee reduction.
To learn more about Pell or to see if you are eligible, please visit: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/pell.
Costs
Program Fee
The CLI Bishkek-based program fee of $6,600* includes:
- 180 hours of instruction
- 10 academic credits
- talks, excursions, and cultural activities
- 8 weeks housing
- language coaches and activity guides
- insurance
- phone and phone card
- transportation to and from airport
It does not include:
- international travel
- meals
- personal expenses (including excess baggage fees)
*All prices and descriptions on this page are based on 2020 estimates and subject to change. We are currently working with our overseas partners to get updated 2022 prices and will update this page accordingly. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts.