Russian Flagship students combine the academic major(s) of their choice with a professional level of proficiency in Russian.

Explore admissions

Boren Awards open doors to language learning and new horizons

Learn about UW Boren recipients on the Russian Flagship capstone in Almaty, Kazakhstan!

UW-Madison Russian Flagship Program
Core Values & Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Access

Learning languages offers opportunities for making deep human and cultural connections that are beyond our own immediate experiences. Language learning can be a window into new cultures and ways of life, a means to explore personal or family heritage, or a pathway for professional development. Regardless, learning languages demands ongoing reflection and a willingness to engage both with difference and with aspects of our shared humanity. Recognizing the connecting and unifying nature of languages and language learning encourages us to be open to diverse ways of understanding and making sense of the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Russian Flagship Program believes that all students should be empowered to engage in global and language-learning opportunities that strengthen and enhance their academic, professional, and personal goals. The program also believes in the importance of providing opportunities for students with different interests and backgrounds to gain a deeper understanding of diverse Russophone cultures, histories, and societies.

The Russian Flagship is committed to fostering an inclusive program that values the many ways that differences in ability, age, culture, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, viewpoints, and other aspects of individual and social identities and lived experiences enrich language and culture learning and the pursuit of new forms of knowledge.