Well, almost no one. Eric Owens of the Daily Caller reports that very few people are majoring in the subject.

Russia Is Such A Backwater Dump Nobody Wants To Study It Anymore

The state of new research and graduate-level instruction on Russia in American colleges and universities is depressingly sad because, in a nutshell, nobody thinks the country that makes up nearly 12 percent of the earth’s landmass is important enough to study.

A report by the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies reveals the extent of the problem, according to Inside Higher Ed.

The Carnegie Corporation-funded report was issued earlier this month and completed from January to April of 2015.

Researchers surveyed 36 American universities that offer specialized graduate-level coursework in Russian studies. They also contacted over 600 Russia-related experts to obtain insights.

The faculties at the three dozen schools include 50 tenured or tenure-track political science professors who have expertise in some Russia-related area. While 50 may seem like a big number, it’s actually just 1.39 professors per school.

Collectively, the 36 schools award an average of only seven — seven — Ph.D. degrees to newly-minted Russia experts each year in the field of political science.

Historically, America’s political science departments have produced more Russian specialists than other faculty departments.


 
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