Faculty of Arts

Central and East European Studies Program

Students will gain an understanding of this crucial part of Europe through interdisciplinary study of the region's history, politics, languages, literatures and cultures. Faculty from areas of study across the university train a new generation of specialists in the cultures and societies of Central and Eastern Europe and their global relevance and impact.

Our faculty and staff
Budapest, Hungary skyline at night.

Department statement

Please read the statement from the Department of German and Slavic Studies and the Central and East European Studies Program at the University of Manitoba (March 3, 2022).

Statement against Russia's invasion of Ukraine

A Statement by the Department of German and Slavic Studies and the Program in Central and East European Studies at the University of Manitoba (March 3, 2022)

The Department of German and Slavic Studies and the Program in Central and Eastern European Studies at the University of Manitoba strongly condemn the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine. Since 24 February 2022, 5:00 a.m. Kyiv time, Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine has started the worst security and humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War Two. This assault causes suffering, devastation, and damage to the people and cultural heritage of Ukraine. All the programs of our department (Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German, and Hungarian) and the multi-disciplinary Program in Central and East European Studies stand united with Ukraine and its people in these perilous times. As scholars and educators, we reject President Putin’s justifications of this war and its misrepresentation as a “special military operation.” We declare our support for all those in Ukraine and beyond who are suffering because of this invasion. We stand together with the people of Ukraine, our students, partners, and colleagues from all ethnic backgrounds who are in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, and around the world who oppose this war. The Department of German and Slavic Studies expresses solidarity with our partner institutions in Ukraine:  Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, and the Lviv Polytechnic National University. If you feel the direct impact of the war (especially international students from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, who are enrolled in the courses taught by our Department) and need assistance, please let us know at: german_slavic@umanitoba.ca

News and events

Public talks, conferences, publications and more regularly showcase research, history and current events from the region.

The Central and East European Program Lecture Series

Local, national and international experts present academic and community roundtables, book launches, graduate student presentations and more in this annual program sponsored by the CEES Program and the Department of German and Slavic Studies.

Check back for future events.

 

Call for Papers

The University of Manitoba - University of Trier Biennial Partnership Conference:
Resistance: Transnational Perspectives

Call for papers deadline: closed
Conference: September 17-19, 2025
University of Manitoba

Proposals are invited for an interdisciplinary conference on the subject of resistance. The conference, to be held at the University of Manitoba, is in partnership with University of Trier. The scope of the conference is broad, and the theme is intended to encompass scholarship on all forms of resistance in culture and society (personal, collective, institutional, etc.). Of particular interest is work pertaining to resistance as it is understood, and circulates (is celebrated, contested, etc.) in Canadian, German, and related transnational academic and cultural contexts. Presentations are welcome to address works and issues from different fields, media and conceptual perspectives across and beyond the humanities and social sciences.

Open to academics and graduate students. It is expected that funding will be available to subsidize accommodation for scholars from Trier University and local costs for all participants. Participants from other Canadian and German institutions are welcome. There will be no registration fee.

Potential presenters and panels are requested to send a maximum 300-word proposal and a 150-word bio to Stephan Jaeger and Adam Muller by January 31, 2025. 

2025 conference description

Resistance: Transnational Perspectives

Conveners:
Stephan Jaeger (German & Slavic Studies, University of Manitoba)
Adam Muller (Peace & Conflict Studies, University of Manitoba)

“Every people, every society, needs a culture of resistance, a culture of being difficult and disobedient, that is the only way they will ever be able to stand up to the inevitable abuse of power by whoever runs the state apparatus, the capitalists, the communists, the socialists, the Gandhians, whoever.” - Arundhati Roy

We live in an age with massive struggles about the right forms of human society, shaped by new wars and threats, by antagonistic identities that hardly allow for dialogue and discourse, and challenges to democratic systems unimaginable in post Second-World-War society, and by technological innovation challenging or fundamentally altering human existence. Resistance can be approached in many ways, literally and metaphorically, as forms of cultural resistance in our present, as forms of media, memory, and the (fictive) imagination depicting various cultural, political, and historical forms of resistance. Resistance – to be distinguished from mere opposition – can be defined as a cultural form or as a form of action for either change or for defending values. It is usually delineated through its opposition to an existing power or system. In societies divided by opposing ideologies, it is a challenge to understand forms of resistance.

Proposals are invited for an interdisciplinary conference on the subject of resistance. The conference, to be held at the University of Manitoba, is in partnership with University of Trier. The scope of the conference is broad, and the theme is intended to encompass scholarship on all forms of resistance in culture and society (personal, collective, institutional, etc.). Of particular interest is work pertaining to resistance as it is understood, and circulates (is celebrated, contested, etc.) in Canadian, German, and related transnational academic and cultural contexts. Presentations are welcome to address works and issues from different fields, media, and conceptual perspectives across and beyond the humanities and social sciences.

Papers are invited on any topic relating to resistance, including but not limited to the following:

  • Resistance during warfare, occupation, and genocide
  • Resistance as moral obligation in a totalitarian society or dictatorship
  • Populist Resistance
  • Political Resistance
  • Resisting technology (AI, drones, etc.)
  • Resisting change or innovation
  • Transnational resistance
  • Violent resistance
  • Resistance and religious faith

Call for Papers

Identity and Poetics of Ukrainian Canadian Literature Conference

Call for papers deadline: February 15, 2025
Conference: March 14, 2025
University of Manitoba

We invite scholars, writers, and literary enthusiasts to submit proposals for this international conference.

Ukrainian Canadian literature occupies a unique space in the broader context of Canadian multiculturalism and diaspora studies. It is shaped by the historical and cultural experiences of Ukrainian immigrants and their descendants. Despite the substantial amount of fiction written and published in English by Canadian-born Ukrainians featuring authors such as Myrna Kostash, Janice Kulyk Keefer, Lisa Grecul, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Maurice Mierau, Laisha Rosnau, Randall Maggs, Laura Langston, Daria Salamon, Lindy Ledohowski, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Erin Moure, Barbara Sapergia, Thomas Trofimuk, and many others Ukrainian Canadian literature remains largely invisible in university curricula, academic programs, and research. We hope that this conference will draw active attention to Ukrainian Canadian literature, highlighting its rich topicality, diverse genre, and poetic forms that not only preserve cultural heritage but also enrich Canadian literary tradition as a whole.

Possible topics for submission include (but are not limited to):

  • Memory and nostalgia in Ukrainian Canadian literature
  • The Ukrainian Canadian identity in contemporary fiction and poetry
  • Diaspora and transnationalism: Ukrainian Canadian literature in a global context
  • Intersections of language, culture, and identity in Ukrainian Canadian writing
  • Representation of historical events and collective memory in Ukrainian Canadian literature
  • The impact of migration and settlement on literary expression
  • Gender and feminist perspectives in Ukrainian Canadian literary works
  • The Ukrainian folklore and mythology in Canadian literary contexts
  • Comparative studies of Ukrainian Canadian literature and other ethnic literatures in Canada
  • The role of Ukrainian Canadian literature in cultural preservation and resistance to assimilation
  • The contribution of Ukrainian Canadian writers to Canadian multiculturalism
  • Religious and spiritual themes in Ukrainian Canadian literature
  • Ukrainian Canadian literary responses to political and social changes in Ukraine and Canada

We welcome proposals for papers, panel discussions and roundtables. Submissions should include a title, an abstract (250-300 words), a brief bio (100 words) and contact information. Please submit your proposals by February 15, 2025, to Mariya Shymchyshyn or complete the submission form. Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by March 1, 2025. This conference will offer a hybrid format, allowing participants to join either in person at the University of Manitoba or virtually.

Programs of study

Study with us

Countries of the region include:

    • Austria
    • Belarus
    • Bosnia
    • Bulgaria
    • Croatia
    • Czechia
    • Estonia
    • Germany
    • Hungary
    • Latvia
    • Lithuania
    • Macendonia
    • Moldova
    • Montenegro
    • Poland
    • Romania
    • Russia
    • Serbia
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia
    • Ukraine

Courses investigate topics such as:

    • state formation, democratization and economic reforms
    • totalitarianism, nationalism and military conflicts
    • social, political, cultural and religious history
    • the arts and contemporary society (literature, fine arts, architecture, gender, religions)
    • the role of language (identity and citizenship, maintenance, shift and endangerment)
    • security (terrorism, trafficking of women and children, organized crime syndicates)
    • demographic movement (displaced peoples, diasporic formations, refugees, guest workers)
    • education (rewriting of curricula, establishment of new institutions for higher learning)

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Student resources and opportunities

Career opportunities

The study of Central and Eastern Europe provides training for a wide range of professions that require skills in communication, interpretation and research. A first-hand understanding of an area, and fluency in one of its languages, can open doors to careers in industries such as:

  • business
  • academia
  • journalism
  • politics
  • commerce
  • education
  • travel
  • translation

Undergraduate research awards (URA)

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to work with our leading faculty researchers and gain valuable experience.

Learn more and apply for a UM URA

Financial aid and awards

The Central and East European Studies Program provides awards, scholarships and bursaries at all levels of study (usually administered by the Department of German and Slavic Studies). Students are also eligible for university fellowships and national awards. Further awards and scholarship opportunities might be found in conjunction to specific study and work abroad programs and travel courses.

You'll find awards in the UM-wide awards database, including the following:

  • Special Departmental Achievement Awards and Scholarships: For high achievement / promise in undergraduate courses in Central and East European Studies (administered by the Department of German and Slavic Studies).
  • C. E. L'Ami Prize in Slavic Studies: For demonstrating outstanding achievement in Slavic studies.
  • Anastasia Sawula Prize: For highest standing in Ukrainian I or another Slavic literature course.
  • Sam and Mary Szach Scholarship: For completion with good standing of at least one year in a Slavic studies program.

Study and work abroad

Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Ukraine — these are the exciting destinations where you can study abroad. The reasons for studying abroad vary, but students almost universally describe these experiences as life-changing.

Join a student group

  • German Students' Association (GSA)

    Through their various activities they promote an environment where students can feel free to practice and improve their language skills, meet other students with similar interests and above all, have fun!

    Follow GSA on Instagram

    Follow GSA on Facebook
     

  • Polish Student Association (PSA)

    PSA creates a student community that promotes Polish language and culture courses, offers an opportunity for Polish students to connect and hosts fun events to get students through the year.

    Follow PSA on Instagram

  • Russian Language Club (UMRLC)

    A club where students can practice and improve their language skills, meet other students with similar interests and organize events related to Russian language and culture.

    Follow UMRLC on Instagram

  • Ukrainian Students Association (UMUKRN)

    UMUKRN offers events and fun activities for students to connect, practice language skills and learn more about Ukrainian-Canadian culture.

    Follow UMUKRN on Instagram

    Follow UMUKRN on Facebook
     

Row of students wearing headphones, looking at laptops in the Language Centre.

Practice your skills at the Language Centre

As in all language departments, students have access to the Faculty of Arts Language Centre with language laboratories that are well stocked with a variety of recorded material (to help with learning through listening), language practice software, books, videos, games and programs designed specifically for certain courses that contain a lab component. Language tutors are also available.

Learn more and visit the Language Centre

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Contact us

At times, departmental support staff are working from home and can be reached via phone or email.

Central and East European Studies Program
328 Fletcher Argue Building
15 Chancellor Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

CEES@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9516
Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm