Center for Independent Social Research
CISR – USA
Expertise
Post‑Сommunist
Societies
Mission Statement
Center for Independent Social Research, Inc. (CISRus)
CISRus is a non-profit association of scholars and experts working on issues related to the post-communist transformation. We conduct unbiased, in-depth social research to enrich scientific knowledge and strengthen civil society.
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Our academic mission is to improve scholarly understanding of post-communist societies using knowledge drawn from interdisciplinary work in the social sciences.
- Our educational mission is to support students and young scholars in the social sciences during the early stages of their professional careers.
CISRus Projects
Russia: Violations of academic freedom in 2023
The socio-political context and persecution of scientists and teachers
2024
Our selection method is based on the Scholars at Risk methodology for identifying violations of the academic rights and freedoms of teachers and students.
“Anti-War Civic Mobilization in Russia”
The response of Russian civil society to the war in Ukraine.
2022 – 2024
The purpose of the project is to explore the response of Russian civil society to the war in Ukraine with special focus on anti-war activism at the grass-roots level.
“Non-Profit Lawyers Working with the Victims of Domestic Violence:
Best Practices, Legal Mechanisms and Substantive Networks”
2021
The main purpose of the project is the cross-border exchange of professional experience in helping the victims of domestic violence in the United States and Russia. Another purpose of the project is to get acquainted with the existing infrastructure of US organizations and institutions assisting victims of domestic violence.
“Teaching Math in the USA:
Professional Integration of High-Skilled Female Immigrants from Russia and the FSU”
2020-2021
The object of the study is so-called “Russian math education”—a specific professional and educational niche within the sector of supplementary after-school education created by Russian (female) immigrants.
“Academic
Freedom”
2020-2021
The project implies monitoring, analyzing, and raising awareness of issues surrounding academic freedom in Russia and post-Soviet countries.
“Russian Youth
and Corruption”
2019
The study of attitudes towards corruption among Russian Generation Z including nine focus groups with university students in three Russian cities.
Academic Freedom: Global Demands and Local Responses
Conference | School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Almaty Management University | Almaty, 31 October – 2 November 2024
The conference is organized by CISRus (Center for Independent Social Research) with generous support of Almaty Management University (AlmaU) and in information partnership with Ghent University.
The conference will be conducted in English. We welcome applications for individual contributions, which should include the title, a brief description (up to 200 words), and a short academic biography of the presenter (approximately 100 words). Presentations will be organized in either thematic panels or roundtable discussions. The organizing committee reserves the right to determine the presentation format (panel or round table) for each selected participant.
Please send your applications to the email: freeacademia.conference@gmail.com
Application deadline: July 31, 2024
CISRus Blog
Para-Academic Communities in Russian Science
Petr Torkanovsky
The government may be able to censor research activities at universities, but this will not stop the discussion of scientific issues on independent platforms.
June 22, 2024
Homophobia as a Science
Dmitry Dubrovsky
From “non-traditional relationship propaganda” to “LGBT extremism”
June 10, 2024
The “Skolkovo Method”
Ekaterina Trubnikova
How a little-known organization from Tolyatti became the “system-thinking-activity” forge for personnel at Russian universities.
June 2, 2024
“Scientific Anti-Americanism”
Dmitry Dubrovsky
Repressive measures are affecting American educational and scientific organizations operating in Russia, as well as those who collaborate with them.
May 5, 2024
CISRus Partners
Foreign agents
The term ‘foreign agent’ was initially introduced in Russin federal law in 2012
Autonomy of universities
has been decreasing after launching the Federal Universities project
rubles in a year
The average salary of rectors of public universities in 2018
Leading Universities
Participants of the Project 5-100 to be more competitive globally
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