Modern Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity
June 23 to July 12, 2025
Who can apply: students entering their first year in college through the senior year, both second language learners and heritage speakers
The Pitt STARTALK Russian Program will be administered by the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES), offering an intensive three-week residential Russian language summer camp for college students. The students will be introduced to various topics related to computer studies, computer-assisted language learning, Internet culture, cybersecurity, machine learning, etc. in the target language (Russian). The language curriculum will be performance-based, content-based, and student-centered, developing language skills in all modes required for successful communication—speaking, listening, reading, and writing, with a goal of ACTFL Intermediate High proficiency for students in Group 1 and Advance Low to Advance Mid for students in Group 2.
Other anticipated outcomes include the students’ increased cultural competence and professional career readiness in a number of fields such as cybersecurity, data analysis, computational linguistics, digital humanities, and many more.
Besides working closely with the School of Computing and Information at Pitt and their students, REEES will partner up with other universities which have strong focus on technology, computer sciences, and cybersecurity and offer Russian language classes and/or Russian Major/Minor to recruit participants, while also accepting applications from students at other U.S. colleges.
Application: The applications will open in the first week of January.