CALL FOR PAPERS/PANELS: The 15th Russian-American Seminar, May, 16-23 2006.

The School of International Relations of St. Petersburg University, the Russian-American International Studies Association (RAISA) and the Foundation "Politika" are pleased to announce the 15th Russian-American Seminar, which will be held at the School of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University on May 16 - 23, 2006.

The following issues are expected to be in the program of the Seminar: Russian and U.S. National Security Policy; Cross-Cultural Relations; and Comparative Democracy. You are encouraged to recommend additional issues for consideration.

Among anticipated speakers and participants of the 15th Russian-American Seminar are:

o Vjacheslav Nikonov - President of the Foundation "Politika", a well-known expert on foreign and domestic policy;

o Walter C. Uhler - President of RAISA, independent scholar;

o Yakov Gordin - historian, writer, chief editor of "Zvezda" journal;

o Vladimir Lukin - former Russian Ambassador to the USA and chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission;

o Michael Share - historian, Department of History, University of Hong Kong

o Valeriy Ostorvskiy - political scientist and columnist;

o Mikhail Tolstoy - Vice-president of the World Wide Club of Petersburgers;

o Roman Mogilevskiy - President of the Center of Public Opinion Studies;

o Stanislav Eremeev - Director of the Center of Russian Language and Culture;

o Sergey Tsiplyaev - President of the Foundation "Respublika";

o Yulij Vorontsov - former Russian Ambassador to the USA;

o Alexander Prokhorenko - chairman of the Committee for External Relations and Tourism of the St. Petersburg Administration;

o Viktor Lopatnikov - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russian Federation, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg;

o Mikhail Amosov - Member of St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly;

o Vladimir Churov - Deputy of the State Duma;

o Ljudmila Narusova - Senator of the Russian Federation, Russian Representative in OSDE.

The Russian-American Seminar became a distinguished venue in the social and academic life in Russia and developed into a widely known event over the past years. In her introductory speech at the Russian-American Presidential Summit in May 2002 in St. Petersburg, the rector of St. Petersburg State University introduced the Russian-American Seminar to Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush as the longest in duration joint Russian-American project of our University. This meeting was broadcasted by the leading TV companies all over the world and we received numerous congratulations from our colleagues from all over the world.

The Seminar is an open forum where current domestic and foreign political problems of Russia, Russian-American relations, domestic and foreign policy of the USA, and the role of Russia and the USA in the modern world are discussed. During the Seminar participants meet leaders of various political parties, prominent scholars, representatives of Russian culture, diplomats and other intellectuals for discussion and debate. Among past participants are Anatoly Sobchak - the late mayor of St. Petersburg, Vjacheslav Nikonov - outstanding domestic and foreign policy expert, Galina Starovoitova - deputy of the State Duma, Boris Nemtsov - Russian liberal reformers' leader, Paul Smith- Deputy Chief of the USA Mission in Moscow, Morris Hughes- former US General Consul in St.Petersburg, Douglas Wilder- Governor of Virginia, Eugene Trani - President of Virginia Commonwealth University, Vladimir Lukin - former Russian Ambassador to the USA and chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission.

Scholars, students, and other professionals are invited to submit proposals for inclusion on the program. These may take several forms:

o An individual paper, to be added to a panel;

o An offer to organize a panel (with several papers) or a Round Table discussion around a particular topic;

o An offer to serve as a discussant on a panel or to a specific paper;

o An offer to serve as a chairperson of a panel or a Round Table; or any other idea you would like to submit.

English speaking University students are available to assist participants.

Faculty, graduate students, and independent scholars are invited to submit proposals for papers or panels, or to volunteer to serve as panel chairpersons or discussants. Participants will also be offered to publish their articles.

Working languages of the Seminar are English and Russian. Registration fee is 250 U.S. dollars. Registration fee for students is 200 U.S. dollars. Deadline is the 15th of April, 2006.

Deadline for the cost-free visa invitation to Russia is 15 February 2006. To receive an invitation one should forward a scanned 1st page of passport and the following information: the site and address of workplace, home address and phone number, the date of arrival and departure from St. Petersburg, the address of your accommodation in St. Petersburg, the location of the Russian consulate that will issue a visa.

Opening of the Seminar will be at 10:00 a.m. on May 16th in the Petrovsky Hall of St. Petersburg University at 7/9 University Embankment. The following days the Seminar will be held at the School of International Relations of St. Petersburg University at 1/3 Smolny Street, Entrance VIII.

Contact in Russia:

Dr. Boris Shiriaev,
Chairman of the Russian-American Seminar,
Professor of the School of International Relations
St. Petersburg University
Phone (812) 576 66 25
Fax (812) 576 44 37
e-mail: shiriaev@dip.pu.ru

In the USA:

Walter C. Uhler,
President of the Russian-American International Studies Association
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
e-mail: WaltUhler@aol.com
Phone: 215 271-7926.