Current Topics in Russian Society is designed for students who have successfully studied Russian at the advanced level. Organized around four thematic units (Politics & Contemporary Society, Challenges & Opportunities, Media in Daily Life, and the Environment), this course seeks to answer a series of essential questions and sub-questions. Examples of these questions include but are not limited to What responsibilities does a government have to its people?  What rights does a person have in Russian society? What are current challenges and opportunities facing Russia? How does the media shape our view of the world and ourselves? How do the environment and natural resources affect the way people live and work?

Lessons are based on authentic passages (broadcasts, editorials, social media posts) that are created by native speakers for native speakers of the target language. The authentic materials include support tools to help students successfully engage with them. For those students who enter the class slightly below level, instructors will provide additional scaffolding to assure that students can fully comprehend the course materials.