Frank Gehry's Dancing House windows by Mounirzok
Curious about how language, culture, and power shape societies? The new Slavic and Eastern European Studies Minor brings together language, literature, art, film, history, and media to explore a region shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, conflict, and creativity.
The Slavic and Eastern European Studies (SEES) Minor, housed in the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies (CENES), invites students to tackle big, global questions—like how different cultures coexist and how art and politics intersect—through an interdisciplinary lens.
“SEES builds on a foundation of historical and social contexts to facilitate broad human experience through art, literature, film, and media,” said Dr. Katherine Bowers, CENES Associate Head and Associate Professor of Slavic and Eastern European Studies. “Students completing the minor are equipped with substantial critical thinking capability and intercultural understanding, as well as linguistic competence.”
“If you’re curious, take the leap—this minor is designed for explorers,” says Dr. Olena Morozova, Lecturer in Ukrainian Studies. “You don’t need prior language experience, and the program fits easily alongside majors in Political Science, History, International Relations, Education, Media Studies, and many other fields. Start with just one course; many students find that Ukraine’s stories, films, and ideas spark a passion they didn’t expect—and open doors they didn’t know existed.”
How can students benefit from taking this?
Many faculty see the SEES Minor as a way to equip students with skills and perspectives that extend beyond their major.
“The SEES Minor, like other degree programs in CENES, prepares students for multilingual futures, encourages transnational and interdisciplinary thinking, and helps them find a lifelong academic home within CENES and the subjects they study,” CENES Department Head Dr. Ervin Malakaj shares. “UBC students pursuing the SEES Minor will be drawn to these opportunities and can become ongoing partners as we continue to expand our course offerings, research initiatives, and community-engaged work in SEES-related areas.”
Arts student Elizabeth Elliott (BA’26 Honours History Major and Slavic and Eastern European Studies Minor) shared that there were many projects and themes that they found fulfilling, but was thematically drawn to courses centered on Dostoevsky’s work the most.
“Dostoevsky’s texts are philosophically and psychologically intriguing on their own, however, I found that contextualizing and tracing the development of his ideas across several novels to be the most rewarding,” said Elliott.
“Slavic Studies introduced me to a wide variety of prose and poetry that I will continue to revisit in the future. The creative course projects prompted me to reflect more deeply about the literature, such as Dostoevsky’s prose, and to draw out details I may not have otherwise noticed.”
The SEES Minor is especially relevant for students in other degree programs—such as History, Political Science, Anthropology, Modern European Studies, Gender Studies, and more. Completing this minor will enhance their major by making their region-specific expertise visible on their transcript and CV.
“The Minor’s dedicated language and focused cultural studies add a new facet to your profile as a student of your Major field,” adds Dr. Bowers. ‘The SEES Minor acknowledges the learning you have done that has contextualized your Major studies and makes you a more competitive job or graduate school candidate.”
What student projects best illustrate the value of studying this region?
Arts student Sam Meester (BA’27 Computer Science) highlights a project on Ukrainian war photography from Literature and Film in Eastern Europe (SLAV_V 323). Combining their interest in photography with an interdisciplinary focus on language and culture enabled a deeper, more meaningful study of Slavic and Eastern European course themes. Meester mentions his appreciation for the willingness of the SEES program to explore various themes and topics through different lenses. “This openness helped me learn more effectively, not because I brought prior expertise, but because I could engage with material in ways that felt authentic to my experience.”
“Being able to approach assessments creatively and to foreground personal and cultural perspectives made this field especially rewarding, because the department genuinely valued and integrated those lenses into discussion and evaluation.”
Dr. Bowers’ class Petersburg: Text, Cityscape, Empire (SLAV_V 346A), asks students to explore big questions about culture and empire through literature and films set in one city: St. Petersburg.
“One of the most exciting parts of the course is seeing how themes start to intertwine over the semester, revealing how the Petersburg Text reflects ideas about empire that reach far beyond the city itself,” said Dr. Bowers. “In past semesters, student projects have explored connections between St. Petersburg and distant locations like France, Ukraine, Mongolia, and Egypt, showing how the city’s cultural imagination interacts with broader concepts of empire. One student, writing about the 1990s wars in Chechnya and the 1997 film Brother, was surprised to discover how the myth of St. Petersburg connects to conflicts thousands of miles away, rooted in histories of imperial expansion, including in Chechnya, Georgia, and Ukraine.”
Why CENES faculty are excited to teach the new SEES Minor:
Dariya McEwen: The SEES Minor was long overdue. I’m welcoming it as evidence of decolonizing our curriculum: it broadens our students’ horizons and allows me to focus on teaching about other Slavic and Eastern European nations, recognizing their uniqueness, celebrating their cultures and literatures, and introducing other fascinating authors—rather than keeping these cultures in the shadow of the Russian Empire.
Dr. Olena Morozova: The SEES Minor opens a brand-new gateway for students to engage with one of the most relevant and influential regions in today’s world—including Ukraine, whose language and culture have sparked unprecedented global interest. I’m excited that students can now build a coherent, for-credit program around courses they already find compelling: vibrant Ukrainian language classes, award-winning films, powerful stories of resistance, and timely discussions about democracy and identity.
Dr. Veta Chitnev: I’m excited that this Minor gives students the freedom to explore Russian, Polish, or Ukrainian within a cohesive program. It strengthens our course offerings and will attract students who want meaningful engagement with Slavic languages and cultures.
Dr. Ervin Malakaj: The Minor is designed to support many students in our department, including those planning to pursue graduate studies or careers in the nonprofit and private sectors—preparing them with skills and knowledge that are highly relevant to these paths. SEES is a growing area in our department, and the establishment of this Minor helps meet the demand for the kind of intellectual engagement the program enables at UBC.
