Christopher Miller

AFP#11 | 2013 – 2014

Current place of employment:

Tufts University

Title:

Assistant Professor

Placement on Fellowship:

Carnegie Moscow Center

My career has depended on building a network of relationships in Russia and on-the-ground experience with the country. The Alfa Fellowship was crucial in giving me the opportunity to do this. There is no other program that provides young professionals with a year in Moscow in which to gain work experience. I used my time in Moscow to help launch my career as an analyst of Russian politics and economics, deepening my experience with the country and taking advantage of the Alfa Fellowship’s network to build professional relationships that have been crucial to my career development.  

Given the state of U.S.-Russia relations, there are very few exchange programs left that give Americans an opportunity to deepen their expertise and knowledge of Russia. The Alfa Fellowship is unique in that it not only focuses on cultural exchange–which is crucial–but also on practical work experience. All of the fellows come from different disciplines, so I learned not only from the people I met in Moscow, but also from the other fellows in my cohort. There was no better way to deepen my experience with Russia and to prepare myself for the next steps in my career.