From the participants:
"The UC has been a highly impactful force in my professional life. It has put me in touch with several fascinating people who share my interests, has provided me with new insights regarding my own career trajectory. Before speaking to the other UC fellows, I had a very narrow view of where my studying of Russian history and foreign affairs could take me, and I’m very glad to say that has changed."
"I learn an enormous amount from the scholars and fellows about how people outside the US are impacted by the war emotionally, and importantly, what motivates individual countries to pursue divergent policies toward Russia and Ukraine. Policy debates within the U.S. can grow insular, and failing to account for the position and motivation of specific countries (rather than vague ideas about “Europe”) inhibits our ability to pursue effective strategies to support transatlantic democracy and peace."
"My first and second in-person UC events took place in 2022. In the two years since, I have attended many events with experts and policymakers in Washington DC, and have developed an even greater appreciation for how rare of an opportunity it is to see such high-level exchanges between top experts from many different countries and disciplines as we do at UC events. All three of the UC events offered a unparalleled opportunity to develop connections with budding professionals from across the world, and I would not have met many of these great people otherwise."
"Becoming a UC Fellow has been a fantastic experience. From my first module in Athens in 2023, I have consistently found this program to be beneficial to my career, and my personal development as a practitioner studying the broader post-Soviet region. ... The UC has shown me the true range of opinions within our broader analytical community when it comes to relations between Russia and the West. My involvement with the UC consistently reminds me that any sort of rapprochement between Moscow and its Western counterparts will require serious consultations within the Western coalition – and inevitably, compromises that will not leave all parties fully satisfied."
