R. Steve Dick/University Relations
Tatyana Wilds is international outreach coordinator for KU, as well as outreach coordinator for the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies.
CAMPUS CLOSEUPTatyana Wilds - International outreach coordinator
Years at current job: Two in October
Job duties: Fifty percent of my job is outreach coordinator for the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies and 50 percent is international outreach coordinator. I serve as a liaison among area studies educators and K-16 educators, businesses, media and government constituencies and general public, as well as with the outreach programs of KU area studies centers; design and develop promotional materials, including the newsletter Global Sources and outreach activities for CREES and area centers.
How did you become involved in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies at KU? I was born in Russia and lived in the former USSR for most of my life. I worked with international organizations and always had interest in global education. I knew that KU has one of the best international studies programs in Kansas. I also met some KU professors and was impressed with their passion and knowledge about Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries in that part of the world. Through my husband, Richard P. Wilds, student adviser and Topeka USD 501 school district educator, I became involved with the KU Center for East Asian Studies programs and met the wonderful CEAS staff and faculty members. I lived in Topeka for nine years and became a citizen of the United States in 2002. Now my family and I have moved to Lawrence to facilitate activities at KU.
Have the changes in the past few decades in the former Soviet Union and Eastern European nations changed the work you do? The situation in these regions has been in a state of change for some time. Since 1992, Russia, neighboring countries of the former USSR and Eastern European countries experienced a series of transformational processes. Each nation had its own difficulties and achievements. I am glad that now, with the new democratic changes, there are many more opportunities in obtaining information exchange, travel and publicity than we had during the Cold War. Many nations there have a possibility to establish their own identity. Modern students and the general public have access to learn and experience closely a colorful variety of languages, cultures and arts and at the same time bring in fresh information about United States.
What are some aspects of your job others might not realize you're involved with? I am getting calls from people who are hosting international visitors from Russia and Eastern Europe. They are asking my advice on different things, such as what to give guests for breakfast and where they would like to go for entertainment. Some of the new immigrants seek advice concerning the immigration processes and job searches. Some just call to talk about differences in lifestyles here and back in their native countries.
Do international events have an influence on the number of students who want to take up a course of study through the center? I have not worked here long enough to see fruits of my work. During our events, students are asking a lot of questions and some of them say that they want to learn some of our languages and travel to the regions that we are teaching about. We are promoting our programs among students starting from elementary level. The earlier a child hears and learns new words, sounds, geographic names, the chances are better for him or her to emphasize studies concerning these regions and languages during their middle and high school years and later in college. In many countries it is a requirement to learn one foreign language. I will be glad when we reach the point where the average high school student in Kansas can tell what part of the world Poland is in and whether Mongolia still exists as an independent country. Our events give them an opportunity to start a journey on a road to global citizenship. University administrators have made international study a high priority. What is your involvement in studying abroad through the center, and where are your study abroad locations?
I create different promotional materials. For example, I produce short movies about the Ukrainian, Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian and Turkish programs at KU. We are featuring them on our Web site. I am also advertising our programs during different outreach events where I go to represent CREES. The Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies encourages students to develop their language skills and cultural knowledge through extensive study abroad programs. CREES sponsors summer programs, in St. Petersburg (Russia), L'viv (Ukraine) and cosponsors the program in Istanbul, Konia, Ankara (Turkey). The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures organized two other programs in Zagreb and Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Krakow (Poland).
What do you enjoy most about your profession? I enjoy designing and developing promotional materials such as newsletters, brochures and the movies I produce. I also enjoy giving presentations about Russian art and culture to students.
In performing outreach for the center, what have you found is the biggest misconception about Russian, East European and Eurasian studies? Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian studies cover a broad region. The common misconception is viewing the region as one unit that was known in the past as the former Soviet Camp. Our area of studies includes a great variety of groups and nationalities that have chosen their own type of democracy or some of them just want security and do not want to change their present regime. Each nation is unique, has its own history, traditions and identity. That is why it is important at first to study every unit before talking about an entire region.
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