Lecture and Q&A

In Spring 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced universities and colleges to cancel public programming or to hold virtual events. It also gave fresh impetus to ongoing discussions at the USF Institute on Russia on how to better inform the US public about culture, identity and politics in Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia. As was the case with various citizen-diplomacy initiatives of the late 1980s, including the “space bridges,” constraints on physical travel can open new pathways of meaningful interaction and learning across borders. 

Creative Horizons is a collaboration between the USF Institute on Russia, the Melikian Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at Arizona State University, and the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies at Miami University in Ohio. Alongside support for faculty and students at their respective universities, all three units share a commitment to promoting greater understanding of Russia and the surrounding region. Building on separate experiments in virtual programming since Spring 2020, this joint venture will give audiences in Florida, Arizona, Ohio and beyond the opportunity to hear from working artists in the region as they discuss their methods, perspectives and aspirations.