CEERES Student Oliver Writes for Vlast.kz
Last month, one of our current students, Oliver Fisk, had a long-read article published in Vlast.kz, exploring one priest's mission to build an Eastern Orthodox church in Kazakhstan free from the Kremlin's influence.
Oliver is currently doing his internship at Vlast.kz, one of Kazakhstan’s only independent news sources. Vlast's English language-service is run by Dr. Paolo Sorbello, himself a graduate of an earlier iteration of CEERES and a PhD from the UofG — which Oliver says was a happy coincidence they discovered when they met.
You can read the full article at the following link: Father Iakov and Eastern Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan Amid the War in Ukraine
On his internship experience, Oliver said:
"I started working with Vlast.kz during the Autumn, and now I'm taking advantage of the greater freedom afforded during the Spring semester of the second year of the CEERES program to continue my internship as I work on my thesis. My thesis focuses on identity narratives towards Central Asia present in Russian opposition-affiliated media, so it's a way of combining my language skills, professional experience, and academic interests all into one topic.
Vlast has Kazakh- and Russian-language teams, and it's been a really wonderful experience for me to spend time working together with them in a newsroom. There aren't many places these days where one can work in a junior foreign correspondent-type position, so I feel really grateful for the opportunity, especially as it's allowed me to improve my Russian to a more professional level.
For those that don't know, the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest Orthodox church in the world, with an estimated 3.2 million believers in Kazakhstan alone. Its leader, Patriarch Kirill, is notoriously close to the Kremlin, and has been a long-time ally and supporter of Vladimir Putin.
Enter Father Iakov, a Russian-speaking Kazakhstani citizen, who spent years working in the Russian Orthodox Church as a priest until he decided in Spring 2022 to speak out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Church's subsequent support for the war."
CEERES Summer School
From 27 – 31 May, the Central and East European, Russian and Eurasian (CEERES) Erasmus Mundus IntM programme hosted a summer school at the University of Glasgow for students completing their first year of studies. The summer school featured a packed agenda of seminars, workshops, and panel discussions.
Teaching subjects including epistemology in social research, qualitative text analysis, and quantitative research using AI were Dr Anna Dekalchuk (CEERES Programme Director) and Dr Ammon Cheskin from the University of Glasgow, and Dr Ivan Grigoriev from King’s College London. Leading a full-day employability and skills development workshop was Alec Pearson from Alec Pearson Coaching, alongside Dr Dickon Copsey and his colleagues from the College of Social Sciences Employability team.
On Saturday 31 May, the CEERES team was delighted to welcome a panel of alumni from the CEERES IntM and Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies MSc programmes who discussed their career pathways after they completed their studies, and shared valuable insights and advice with students. Following this, students, alumni, and staff retired to Òran Mór for a networking lunch.
Happy 25th Anniversary To Taught English at the Institute of European Studies, Jagiellonian University
We'd like to wish the Institute of European Studies at our partner institution, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, a very happy 25th anniversary of English-taught programmes.
Over the years, they've grown into a vibrant community of students, alumni, and staff who have shaped European Studies in unique and inspiring ways. To mark this, the Institute are over the next few days inviting alumni, staff, and and friends to join us for a two-day celebration filled with memories, reflections, and great company.
This two-day celebration will include walking tours of Kraków, guided tours of the Jagielloanian University Vineyard and Bochnia salt mine, and panel discussions on “What Are European Studies Now?” and "What is Europe for Me?"
We wish everyone attending a great celebration and congratulations once again to our colleagues at Jagiellonian University!
CEERES Student Conference
On 7–8 May, the CEERES consortium held its Second Annual IMCEERES Student Conference, led by the University of Tartu and hosted online.
Over two days, 17 students reconnected after a semester apart, as the conference’s main goal was to provide second-year students with valuable feedback from their peers and reviewers from partner universities before their final defence. We’re incredibly thankful to colleagues from the University of Glasgow, Ilia State University, and Jagiellonian University for serving as panel discussants and providing expert guidance!
This year’s conference featured five diverse panels, reflecting the program’s interdisciplinarity:
- Migration
- International Relations
- Gender Studies
- Politics of Memory
- Nationalism and Identity
Ahead of the event, each student recorded a short video summarizing their thesis, with a peer assigned as commentator. During the conference, the focus was fully on feedback and academic exchange.
As many hadn’t seen each other since being allocated to their third-semester universities, the conference also served as a means to strengthen the sense of a CEERES community.
Here’s some of what students had to say about the conference:
“[I enjoyed] the productive and constructive atmosphere during all of the panels I attended as well as seeing some of my colleagues and former professors again, even if just online”
“It was helpful to create both the Cover Letter and the Thesis Video in advance as these tasks challenged me to explain my puzzle as well as my current state of work in just a few words (…) I really appreciate that commentators, discussants and the Tartu group were well prepared for the discussion”
“I greatly enjoyed the whole participation at the conference! The organization of the conference was very detailed and structured, so it was very easy to fully participate. I was also extremely happy to see everyone! It was extremely useful to receive feedback from everyone participating in the conference and ask questions on some aspects! Finally, I found the conference useful in preparing for my thesis defence – the video presentation and feedback allowed me to understand what I should focus on. Thank you!”
“I appreciated that the conference encouraged us to put together a coherent presentation of our work. It motivated me to move forward with several parts of my research and get closer to a final version. It was also a great opportunity to practice presenting and defending my topic”
“I liked hearing feedback from my peers as well as from the assigned discussant for our Panel. I really could see where my flaws are and which parts of the thesis would confuse readers. I also found out more ways to do data analysis that I didn’t know before”
2025 Applications Extended
Applications to join the CEERES programme in September 2025 have been extended!
Applicants now have until 2nd June to apply. Please note that these applications will not be considered for fee waivers.
Please see our How to Apply page for guidance on how to make your application.
Fee Waivers Available for 2025-2027 Entry
We are excited to announce that there are three fee waivers available for entry to the 2025-2027 cohort:
- 2x 50% fee waivers for applicants from:
- The United Kingdom
- The European Union
- The European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)
- 3rd Country Associates (North Macedonia, Türkiye and Serbia)
- 1x 100% fee waiver for international students
No additional documentation is required to apply for a fee waiver, including for those who have already applied.
All applications received by the 5 May deadline and that receive an offer of study will be considered for a fee waiver.
Decisions on fee waiver allocation will be announced on 27 May 2025. Successful applicants must confirm that they accept their offer of study for the programme by 30 May 2025.
Selection Criteria:
- academic merit – 30%
- the quality of personal statement – 45%
- references – 10%
- relevant research or professional experience – 15%
Programme Pamphlet
Check out our new CEERES Pamphlet below, giving you information on our programme. Click the images below for a downloadable PDF.
A Warm (But Also Cold!) Welcome to Glasgow to our Latest CEERES Cohort!
We had a great day on Wednesday welcoming our latest CEERES cohort to Glasgow. The students went on a historical tour of the university as part of their welcome to the campus and to the city. Many thanks to the Glasgow University Student Representative Council for having us on one of their private tours!
The photos you see above (and below) are of the Gilbert Scott Building (the University’s striking main building), which is named after its designer Sir George Gilbert Scott, a leading figure in the Gothic Revival movement who designed many of the University’s buildings in the late 19th century.
Above the main central doorway, a plaque carries the University`s badge and motto Via, Veritas, Vita (the way, the truth, the life).
Sir George died before the building was finished, but his son John Oldrid Scott, a famous architect in his own right, completed the building in 1891. This included the University’s iconic tower, which stands 278 feet high and is one of Glasgow`s most notable landmarks.
The Main Campus is situated in Glasgow’s West End on Gilmorehill, having relocated there from its more central High Street location in 1870 as a result of both the need to expand and industrialisation of the area surrounding High Street. The Main Building’s position atop the hill makes it a striking presence visible from across the city – the final photo shows the view of the building from Queen’s Park in the city’s Southside, with the Campsie Fells mountain range visible in the distance. Just beyond that is the famous Loch Lomond, meaning that at Glasgow Uni you have Scotland’s largest city and cultural hub, as well Scotland’s world famous countryside and natural heritage, on your doorstep
You can see more photos below, and we wish all of our news Glaswegians a wonderful time here in Glasgow!
Join Our Alumni Network
A few of our CEERES alumni recently set up the IMCEERES Alumni Association, and we would love for you to join and get involved. Bea, Koen, and Vita who set it up talk about it below, but for now, please join the LinkedIn Group through this link
We, Bea, Koen, and Vita, from the 2022-2024 cohort, are excited to announce the launch of the IMCEERES Alumni Association in collaboration with the University of Glasgow and the University of Tartu! Our vision is to create a vibrant community where students and alumni from all cohorts can reconnect, network, and support one another.
To kick things off, we’re starting with a private LinkedIn group, a space where you can share interesting articles, discover new internships and job opportunities, and plan future get-togethers. Whether you graduated one year ago or ten, this group is for you! Let’s come together and join the new Alumni network on LinkedIn! If you’re interested in getting involved with the association or have ideas for future activities, feel free to reach out to any of us!
New CEERES Website and Logo Go Live!
We are delighted to launch the new website and visual identity for the CEERES Erasmus Mundus International Masters programme!
This modern, vibrant brand identity, including our bold new logo, better incorporates the regions on which the programme is focused. Our new website provides a more accessible and dynamic site for applicants, students, and visitors to find out more about the programme and to catch up with the latest news from our students and staff.
You can also keep up to date with us on social media! Follow @erasmusceeres on Instagram and @imceeres on X (Twitter).
We hope you enjoy visiting our new website!