Column: We shouldn’t defund one of the University’s best centers

A t first glance, my bookshelf might seem a bit unusual.

Sure, there are a few choice novels that I’ve taken from home, some books left over from previous literature courses I’ve taken. But my favorite section contains textbooks on Eastern European languages: My Russian 101 textbook lovingly preserved, a Polish textbook picked up for a dollar at some book sale or another, a Czech textbook worn from three semesters of use.

You see, at heart, I am a Slavophile, someone fascinated by all things related to Eastern Europe and Russia. The prospect of studying multiple languages like Russian and Czech was one of the reasons I chose UNC as an out-of-state student. The strength of UNC’s programs and faculty have also attracted graduate students who share my passion for all things Slavic to the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, one of the nation’s best in its discipline.

Though, as an undergraduate, I am not technically affiliated with the center. I have come to know some of its students, staff and faculty well in my time here. As a recipient of a Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship from the center, I was able to study abroad this summer in St. Petersburg, Russia. I met a former leader of Polish Solidarity, a Ukrainian and a Georgian ambassador, and a U.S. diplomat to Russia.

But because of budget cuts, on Oct. 1, the Department of Education informed the center it would not receive funding for the next budget cycle, cutting FLAS fellowships that support students studying critical and less-commonly taught languages like Russian, Polish and Czech.

This means students, who could have received FLAS funding for this academic year, have been left with virtually no options, and future students will have a much lower chance of receiving financial support for their studies both here at UNC and abroad. Relevant course offerings could be curbed and cultural opportunities reduced — prospects that, for me, are simply unthinkable.

Therefore, on both fronts, I implore that other area studies’ centers and University officials work together to ensure that the center can continue to attract and financially support students, professors and visiting scholars who are engaged with the region. As one of the top-funded Russian and East European centers among U.S. universities in the last budget cycle, UNC’s center has a legacy of excellence that should be maintained.

The ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine demonstrates this region’s continued relevance. Students in area studies programs are the diplomats, the policy analysts and the activists of the near future. A strong commitment to our center will demonstrate UNC’s leadership in meeting the renewed demand for specialists in this region.