The Cold War, Post-Cold War, and the Academy: Policy Recommendations from an Oral History of Russian and Eurasian Studies - Incite at Columbia University

Alexander Cooley, the Claire Tow Professor of Political Science at Barnard College and Director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, and George Gavrilis, an independent consultant specializing in international relations, higher education, and oral history, recently published a policy memo on PONARS which uses the Harriman Institute oral histories conducted by the Columbia Center for Oral History Research to explore post-cold war developments in area studies.

The authors dispute the perceived decline of area studies after the collapse of the Soviet Union by tracing the paths of those involved in the Harriman Institute. Many of these individuals, among them Elizabeth Valkenier, Edward Kasinec, Jack Snyder, Alexander Motyl, and Peter Charow, among others, went on to play important roles in political science, human rights, studies of nationalism, art history and the non-governmental sector.  Reflecting on these oral histories, Cooley and Gavrilis conclude with the suggestion that we move away from the "rise and fall” model of area studies by addressing how area studies can evolve to meet the needs of our current moment.