CESSI 2021 will be held from June 14 to August 6, 2021
Please note, CESSI staff are operating remotely at this time.
The Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI) is an eight-week summer intensive language program for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and professionals. Language courses are supplemented by a rich program of cultural events, excursions, and a weekly academic lecture series.
Course offerings each summer are dependent on student interest and enrollment. Typical course offerings include Kazakh, Tajik, Uyghur, and Uzbek. Languages are generally offered at the beginning and intermediate level, although advanced level courses may be offered with sufficient student interest. Additional languages, such as Kyrgyz or Azerbaijani, may also be offered with sufficient interest.
CESSI was founded in 2011 by a consortium of international and area studies centers at major U.S. universities. Since its creation, CESSI has been hosted by the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
CESSI is part of the Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes (WISLI), which offers training in more Less Commonly Taught Languages than any other university in the U.S. For more information, visit the WISLI website. Sign up to receive information from WISLI here.
Kazakh language courses through CESSI also qualify towards fulfilling the UW Russian Flagship Kazakh language requirement.
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CESSI Updates
Use this form to sign up to receive email updates on CESSI events and programming.Courses to be held in a virtual format for Summer 2021 with plans to return to in-person instruction in Summer 2022.
Programs are being planned for a virtual format, giving undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, instructors, as well as professionals from the private and public sectors options to grow their language and cultural fluency. This format gives ample opportunities for cultural activities, language practice in social settings, and interactions with partners and in groups. In this virtual environment, each language program will still carry the high-level of rigor that allows participants to make significant gains in less commonly taught languages.
Alumni Nomination Program
We invite Alumni to nominate an applicant to the CESSI 2021 Cohort. Please visit the Alumni Nomination Program page.
Not your “Borat” Joke
UW-Madison’s Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia charts a path to cultural understanding in the face of troublesome Hollywood stereotypes. More information can be found on the News & Updates Page.
CESSI Consortium Member Institutions
Columbia University: Harriman Institute
Harvard University: Davis Center for Russian & Eurasian Studies
Michigan State University:
The Ohio State University:
University of California-Berkeley: Institute of Slavic, East European, & Eurasian Studies
University of Chicago: Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies
University of Pennsylvania: Middle East Center
University of Pittsburgh: Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies
University of Washington:
University of Wisconsin-Madison: