Interesting Online Reads about U.S.-USSR Educational & Cultural Exchanges

"Unofficial thaw in the Cold War: Unofficial exchanges, tourism and trade are rapidly increasing contacts between U.S. and Soviet citizens, establishing mutual good will that should eventually be reflected on the official level" by James Cracraft (1986, May) Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

“The Cultural Agreement” [ Chapter 3] from Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: Raising the Iron Curtain (2003) by Yale Richmond. 

“U.S, Soviets OK Cultural Exchanges” by Peggy Pagano in the August 6, 1986 Los Angeles Times.

Advertisement from the July 17, 1987 The Washington Times.  The advertisement argues against U.S.-Soviet exchange agreements on all levels and subjects to prevent the "Sovietization (internationalization) of the American classroom."  They crunched a lot of text into what appears to be a full-page advertisement.

Address to the Nation on the Upcoming Soviet-United States Summit Meeting in Geneva [November 14, 1985] by President Ronald Reagan

“The Scientific and Cultural Exchange” by the Central Intelligence Agency [approved for release 1994, CIA Historical Review Program, 18 Sept 1995].

“U.S.-U.S.S.R.  Interacademy  Exchanges” (1967, November) by Lawrence C. Mitchell  in Applied Optics, Vol. 6, No. 11.

“Report: U.S. vs. Soviet Exchange” (1959, October) by Kenneth Holland [President, Institute of International Education] in The Rotarian.

"U.S.-USSR Cooperation in Health-the First 5 Years" (1978) by Robert Fischer in Public Health Reports.

U.S.-Soviet/Russian academic & cultural exchanges have been an interest of mine for some time now and I have previously posted to IHEC Blog which you can read here and here.

The P’yongyang Project - Academic Cooperation and Cultural Exchange between North Koreans and Americans

During my recent research efforts I came across a very interesting program called The P'yongyang Project.  The P'yongyang Project is an academic cooperation and cultural exchange program for Americans in North Korea.  Their mission follows:


Our mission is to forge a new level of academic cooperation and cultural exchange between North Koreans and Americans. We believe that through personal experience, interaction and continued dialogue, we can lay the foundation for peace and prosperity between our nations.


Currently, four different programs make up The P'yongyang Project.  I have copied and pasted descriptions of these four programs below:  


Delegation Trips allow participants to interact with and explore the DPRK in an intimate and academic way. These programs combine group discussions, travel, meetings, and group bonding activities, to take students and professors well beyond the surface of the DPRK. This kind of in-depth access provides participants with a comprehensive introduction to the core issues facing the nation and region.


The North South Dialogue Project (NSDP) was started as an offshoot of P’yongyang Project delegation trips and incorporates many of the academic components of a delegation trip. The key difference is that NSDP delegates work toward creating a consensus document that offers policy suggestions for maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula. In order to draft this document, participants will spend a significant amount of time in South Korea participating in workshops and discussions.


THiNK (Transcending History in North Korea) is an intensive Korean Language Summer Study Program in P’yongyang—the first study abroad program for Westerners in the DPRK. We have worked hard to negotiate a joint deal between The P'yongyang Project, KIYCTC, the Ministry of Education of the DPRK and Kim Il Sung University to make this program a reality.


Independent Programsare tailor-made for schools looking to establish their own program in the DPRK. We are currently working with several North American universities and colleges to create programs that match their goals and curriculum. Individuals or small groups may also contact us if they are interested in traveling to North Korea independently.


You can learn more about all of these programs at http://www.pyongyangproject.org/programs.html as well as in articles from the Harvard Crimson and the Brown Daily Herald.


You can read related posts on academic and cultural exchanges with North Korea at:


U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium
Another Call for Exchanges with North Korea


Photo credit:  John Pavelka