The 2008 Laird Essay Winner, Brett Chloupek, Ph.D. Candidate, Geography, talks about some of the challenges the Roma/gypsies have confronted in a brownbag titled: “Slovakia’s Gypsies: Centuries of Problems, Few New Solutions,” given on 6 May.

During his brownbag talk on 29 April, Dr. Norman Saul, History, KU, discusses some of the key individuals and the challenges they faced in building a commune in Kansas in the mid-19th century in a talk titled: “The Progressive Communist Community: The Kansas Russian Commune.”

On 22 April, 2008, in a brownbag titled: “A Kansas Apocalypse,” Dr. Eve Levin, History, KU, with the assistance of Karen Cook, Special Collections Librarian, Spencer Research Library KU, review what is believed to be a 16th-17th century Russian manuscript which deals with religious themes.

During his 15 April 2008 brownbag titled: “Internationalizing Higher Education in Russia,” Mr. Andrey Bobylo, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department at Far-Eastern National Technical University, Vladivostok, Russia, explains the various stages involved in creating a truly international university.

Matthew Stein, REES MA Candidate, KU, speaks about his experiences working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan during a brownbag titled: “Turkmenistan: A Ground-Level Perspective,” on 1 April 2008.

Dietrich Earnhart, Economics, KU, explains some of the methodology and results from his research on the costs/benefits of reducing air pollution in the Czech Republic from 1996-1998 in a brownbag titled: “Does Better Environmental Performance Affect Revenues, Costs, or Both? Evidence from a Transition Economy,”.

Dietrich Earnhart, Economics, KU, explains some of the methodology and results from his research on the costs/benefits of reducing air pollution in the Czech Republic from 1996-1998 in a brownbag titled: “Does Better Environmental Performance Affect Revenues, Costs, or Both? Evidence from a Transition Economy,”.

During the Brownbag, Dr. Mariya Omelicheva, Pol-Sci, KU, speaks about the continuity in the Russian approach to fighting terrorism in a talk titled, “Russia's Counterterrorism Policy: Variations on an Imperial Theme.”

On 19 February, 2008, Dr. Jerry Mikkelson, REES, KU, gave a brownbag titled: “Varlam Shalamov and the Soviet Gulag.” In this excerpt he is describing some of the conditions within the gulag system.

Ray Finch, Assistant Director, CREES, KU discusses developments within Russian Internet usage in a brownbag titled: “What’s Wrong with this Picture? Analyzing Russia via Blogs,”.

Anatoliy Khudoliy, Associate Professor, National University of Ostroh Academy, Ukraine elaborates on common western stereotypes of Ukraine in a brownbag titled: “Modern Social and Political Stereotypes in the Ukrainian Mentality,” on 12 February 2008.

Steven Pifer, Former Ambassador to Ukraine and Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, gave the annual Palij Lecture on 5 February 2008. The title of his talk was “Ukraine: Sixteen Years of Independence,” and in this clip Ambassador Pifer reviews some of Ukraine’s achievements since declaring independence in 1991.

Explaining what went on behind the scenes in the corridors of power during the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004, Steven Pifer, former Ambassador to Ukraine and Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, gave a brownbag presentation, titled: “The Role of European Mediators during the Orange Revolution,” on 5 February 2008.

Anna Cienciala, Professor Emerita, History, KU, explains some of the rationale behind Gorbachev's decision to finally admit to Soviet guilt for the events at Katyn during he brownbag titled: “The Soviet Massacre of Polish POWs in Spring 1940: Motives, Timing, and a Half Century of Lies,”.