Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia

The Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a U. S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center. It was established in 1993 to unite the efforts of two longstanding University programs--Russian and East European Studies and Central Asian Studies. With core faculty members at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and affiliated members at other campuses of the University of Wisconsin System as well as private colleges and universities in Wisconsin and Minnesota, CREECA consists of over 100 members who are nationally and internationally recognized experts in their fields. Since 1996, CREECA has been a member program of UW-Madison's International Institute.

CREECA's mission is threefold:
1. To foster new knowledge and understanding of Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia
2. To train a new generation by providing the knowledge, tools, and experience necessary for understanding these societies and for playing productive roles in their reconstruction
3. To serve as a community resource through outreach activities designed for Wisconsin's citizens, including K-12 teachers and students, other UW campuses, business, media, government, and the general public.

Today CREECA offers graduate certificates, an interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree, and undergraduate certificates in Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS) to dozens of students on the UW campus. Furthermore, through Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships, CREECA supports graduate students in departments across the humanities and social sciences, as well as professional students in law, medicine, and engineering. Our alumni bring their knowledge of these critical world regions to the fields of education, private industry, the military, non-governmental organizations, and local, state, and national government.