The Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI) is an intensive, eight-week language program held each summer in Madison, Wisconsin. Students receive the equivalent of one year of language study during this time and earn eight credits upon completion of the program. In addition to language classes, CESSI students have the opportunity to attend lectures on Central Eurasia; participate in cultural events; engage with local Central Eurasian communities; and network with other scholars of Central Eurasia. Students of all disciplines and academic programs are welcome!
CESSI typically offers courses in Kazakh, Tajik, Uyghur, and Uzbek. Additional Central Eurasian languages (such as Azerbaijani or Kyrgyz) may be added with sufficient student interest.
Several funding opportunities exist for undergraduates and graduate students, researchers, and working professionals. Graduate students (including incoming students), post-baccalaureate researchers, and professionals who are U.S. citizens are especially encouraged to apply for the Title VIII fellowship, which covers full tuition plus a stipend of $2,500 for the summer. Note: this is a great opportunity for incoming MA and PhD students to develop language skills before embarking on fieldwork.
This year we expect to conduct the program in Madison in person. However, CESSI staff will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and will reevaluate the modality as needed.
The priority application deadline is February 1, 2022. We will be regularly posting information/application deadlines to Facebook (@CessiMadison), Instagram (@uwcessi), and Twitter (@UWCESSI).
For more information, please visit our website at cessi.wisc.edu or contact cessi@creeca.wisc.edu.