The University Scholar and the Challenges of
Contemporary Culture:
the Fulbright Experience

    A hundred years ago Henry Adams, the American historian, philosopher and writer, coined the word “multiverse” as he was reflecting on the increasing heterogeneity of contemporary life, its challenges and its meaning for himself as a scholar. The global, multicultural reality of the 21^st century invites us to a similar self-questioning – personal and professional, individual and corporative.
    This shared experience may help us re-imagine and reinvigorate existing forms of inter-institutional and international scholarly exchange / cooperation, among which the Fulbright Program is one of the most long-standing and most effective.
    Along with other Fulbrighters -- in the US and around the world -- we are interested in seeing the Program succeed and develop further. We tend to see the “multiverse” of culture as a sort of “flourishing complexity”, ground for mutual enrichment, fruitful controversy and intellectual commerce that is free from separatism and isolationism.

We plan to organize our two days of discussion into three roundtables:

1. The image and function of the academy in a multicultural world, the public role of the intellectual. Traditional forms of international scholarly exchange and new possibilities of networking to be explored. The cultural and social mission of the Fulbright Program, its efficiency and perspectives of its development in Russia.
   Coordinators: Nina Braginskaya (Russian State Humanities University, Moscow), satissuperque@mtu.ru; Alexander Kubyshkin (Volgograd State University), alexander.kubyshkin@volsu.ru.

2. Academic community as a subculture in America and in Russia: internal problems and controversy, challenges (shared or country-specific), dynamics of change and renewal.
   Coordinators: Elena Trubina (Urals State University), anl@quorus.ru; Anatolii Kezin (Moscow StateUniversity), kezin@spa.msu.ru.

3. Tradition and experiment in higher education, specifically, its ethnic and gender dimensions. Equal accessibility, tolerance and intercultural communicability as a priority, challenge and problem.
   Coordinators: Natalia Ivanova (Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University), nataly@yspu.yar.ru; Olga Vinogradova (Russian State Humanities University, Moscow), vin@vinogr.dnttm.ru.

We would be grateful for additional or alternative ideas -- suggestions or initiatives of every kind are very welcome.

Applications (including the title of your presentation and a short outline, your name, affiliation, academic title, contact address, fax and e-mail) should be submitted to the Organizing Committee by March 1, 2002 at the Fulbright Alumni Association site (www.prof.msu.ru/Fulbright/eng/form2.htm). You can also send your application by e-mail to the appropriate roundtable coordinator.

Conference Organizing Committee:

Chair: Tatiana Venediktova (Moscow State University), vened@philol.msu.ru.

Natalia Ivanova (Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University), nataly@yspu.yar.ru; Anatolii Kezin (Moscow StateUniversity), kezin@spa.msu.ru; Alexander Kubyshkin (Volgograd State University), alexander.kubyshkin@volsu.ru; Natalia Mitoussova (U.S. Embassy in Russia), mitoussovan@state.gov; Joseph McCormick (Fulbright Program in Russia), jmccor@fulrbight.amc.ru; Yuri Rogoulev (Moscow State University, rogoulev@online.ru; Elena Trubina (Urals State University), anl@quorus.ru; Olga Vinogradova (Russian State Humanities University, Moscow), vin@vinogr.dnttm.ru; and Anatolii Yagola (Moscow State University), yagola@inverse.phys.msu.su.

Photos from the Conference