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GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING SSU, THE SAMARA REGION, AND EXCHANGES AVAILABLE

Samara State University is one of about a dozen universities and colleges in the Samara Region. It has tremendously grown in its international relations over the past several years and due to its aggressive efforts to network with other colleges outside of Russia, SSU has managed to build quite a respectable name for itself.

The University is located on the Volga River about 700 miles SE of Moscow. It is in a city of about 1.5 million people (in a region which geographically is about the size of a small state with a population of near 3 million). Samara, a city of well over 400 years of age, has long been recognized for its intelligencia and for its economic contribution to the country.

Samara has a very distinctive history. Among the incredible litany of items that identify Samara are the following. . . The famed dictator, Lenin, was born in Samara. The city is home to Russia's cosmonaut program. It houses the "secret" bunker to which Stalin could have retreated had Moscow ever fallen (it is a most incredible place to visit). The Samara Region was also responsible for much of Russia's military machine, playing host to numerous factories, originally in service to build everything from aircraft to basic equipment. Many of those factories have since been retrofitted for other uses. Samara has a very healthy arts community with ballet, theater, numerous gifted musicians, and some wonderfully talented oil & charcoal artists (one of which has become a dear friend to Boneem). NOTE: If you are interested in seeing some of Russia's finest contemporary art contact Boneem and we will be happy to email you scanned images of the some of the most powerful Russian art you've ever seen.

As for the development of international exchanges, SSU is relatively new to this type of work but is rapidly becoming well versed. Here is a quote from a note recently received from the Director of International Relations at the school:

"As for student exchange and teaching American students at Samara State University in the one-month or one-year-courses of Russian, I am glad to tell you that the programs are successfully going on. Northern Kentucky University, University of North Dakota and Saint Louis University as well as the Universities of Texas and Oklahoma, the participation of which has become traditional, have shown interest in participating in these programs. [Additionally, a project] might come out with the Germans. . . [The] groups for this summer are selected, as well as the groups for the next year. That's why I think it makes sense to discuss cooperative opportunities for organizing trips for student groups or individual students."

As you can see, SSU is on the map when it comes to international exchange. Regarding what kinds of exchanges are available, the international department at Samara State University is willing to help develop whatever type of exchange you seek for your university student body. At this time Boneem is primarily willing to help coordinate exchanges to SSU. However, we will consider coordinating opportunities for SSU staff to visit here in the U.S. also. Here are a couple of the options:

1. Professor exchange to SSU: Boneem has already had one professor spend many months in Samara working with the medical university there. SSU has an even wider possibility due to the diversity of its curriculum base. A US professor wishing to take a sabbatical to Russia would find a wonderful opportunity with SSU. As well, professors who would be willing to teach at SSU for one or two semesters would be highly welcomed in a number of subject areas.
   
2. Student exchanges to SSU: These can be customized to fit the needs of your course work. These can definitely be "FOR CREDIT" exchanges, can take place over the summer months, and can be shaped according to specifications. Samara is quite rich in history and is near enough to Moscow to insure inclusion of the riches of that city as well. These exchanges may even include a multi-day boating trip to major ports along the Volga, taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and history that those cities possess.
   
3. Student and professor exchanges to SSU: Because SSU has some limited dormitory facilities available for exchange visitors, housing does not present a problem. Indeed there is a cost for these trips, but the cost is extremely reasonable and less than most exchange opportunities to Russian through other agencies. For more information on cost read below under "What Is The Cost".

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WHAT IS THE COST?

The cost is actually determined by the nature of the exchange you wish to put together. For a professor wishing to go over and participate on SSU staff for a period of time, cost is largely airfare, food and some incidentals.

For a student group going over for a summer study, the cost will be based upon where the group wishes to go, how many interpreters would be needed to service the group, and the size of the group. Usually one interpreter for a small group (5-8 students) is sufficient. However, depending on the nature of the study trip, additional interpreters may be necessary and these costs, though not large, must be factored into the overall cost. With these considerations in mind we can say that the approximate cost for an average exchange of 5-10 students for a several week stay would range in the vacinity of $2500-$3000 (including airfare). Keep in mind that if this trip is organized as a "for credit" trip then the cost per credit hour would have to rendered through your home institution according to their standard course tuition fees.

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HOW TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to make inquiry with regard to university level exchange opportunities please contact Boneem International directly via e-mail at info@boneem.org or write to us or phone us. Boneem International will ask for you to provide some basic information regarding the size of group you wish to send, some of the basics of what you seek (i.e. history, culture, professor coming with or must one be supplied, etc.), and at what time of year would you seek to travel. With this information in hand Boneem can work up a proposal for you in a matter of days and then we can take it from there.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE WORK OF BONEEM INTERNATIONAL

We welcome your questions about this opportunity for university level academic exchange to Russia. However, we also recognize that the person reading this might not personally be interested in going but rather might be interested in endowing this type of effort, or in some way helping to sponsor a group to go. Indeed, some retired history buff out there might just be looking for a way to give back to the university of which he/she is an alumnus. Please give us a call and we can talk with you further about this possibility.

Additionally, at the present time, Boneem is seeking donors willing to give undesignated contributions. As always, we are willing to accept designated gifts for any of the projects and programs that we have listed on this site. Presently, over 95% of Boneem's support comes in designated for specific projects. This is a good thing in some ways, however, it does make it very difficult for Boneem to tend to some of its "incidental" expenses (i.e. annual fees to the State Corporation Commission, maintaining a web site, storage space rental for humanitarian supplies, etc.) or to expand its capabilities. Presently, even Boneem's office space is donated, but that may not always be the case.

We welcome your gifts in any form. If you would like to give on-line, please just click on the Helping.org icon on this page. Your credit card donation will be transacted through a secure connection and your donation will be direct deposited to Boneem's account. If you would like for your donation to be applied to a specific project, please be sure to identify which of Boneem's projects you wish to support. If you would like to know more about Helping.org please visit www.guidestar.org (where, by the way, Boneem also has a listing). Guidestar hosts one of America's largest available listings of public charities. If you have questions you would like to submit directly to us, please send us an e-mail at info@boneem.org

If you would like to give directly to Boneem, please feel free to forward your check to us at the following address. We thank you for your support and your input.

Boneem International
P. O. Box 36260
Richmond, VA 23235
Phone: 800-475-6963
Fax: 804-897-1160

If you would like to make Boneem the beneficiary of an insurance policy or endowment gift, please contact us directly. We would most certainly welcome such generosity.

If you own your own business and you would like to add an employee to your payroll---an employee for Boneem International---please contact us directly and we will map out how your commitment to a specified period of support (i.e. two years) could greatly help Boneem move toward having a full time staff person. We have a Russian national we would like to hire. We only need now to secure funds to sponsor her position.

If you have unused cemetery property in a NON city-owned, perpetual care park in your area or city, and you would be willing to donate those arrangements to Boneem, please contact us for information.

If you have real estate that you would like to make available to Boneem for use or for resale, please contact us directly.

All donations are acknowledged immediately. Additionally, at the end of each year Boneem sends out a year-end summary of donations received during that year. Boneem operates on a calendar year.

One note on Boneem finances---after a year or two of "rest" in an effort to structure Boneem more effectively so the administrative responsibilities of the agency would be better distributed among its volunteers---Boneem is once again operating in an affirmatively upward mode. Just in the past year Boneem's receipts have gone from $9K to over $64K plus tens of thousands of dollars in medical supplies and humanitarian aide. Won't you help in Boneem's efforts to reach a needy world?

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