May 19, 2012
Conference Program
The SURF Program has three parts:
Autumn Conference (Moscow):
Delegates assemble for five-days in Moscow, where they begin exploring the most salient issues in contemporary US-Russian relations. Delegates attend events including panel discussions led by Russian scholars and policymakers, seminars and symposiums, and delegate-led debates. Delegates also participate in a role-playing foreign policy simulation. They have time to tour Moscow and brainstorm ideas for their research projects.
Collaborative Research Projects:
Delegates are assigned to research teams including both American and Russian delegates, based on shared interests. Working with a faculty advisor, each team research and write a policy article examining a current issue in US-Russian relations and propose a new way to enhance bilateral cooperation. Between December and March, groups meet weekly via phone or videoconference. Research may focus on longstanding issues like nuclear nonproliferation or arms reduction or less well-known "Track-2" initiatives such as joint energy exploration or business case studies
Capstone Conference:
Having finished their collaborative projects, delegates convene at Stanford for a five-day conference in spring. Events include panel discussions, seminars, and keynote addresses with policymakers, scholars, journalists, and businessmen and women. Delegates participate in a role-playing security simulation, a community service day in San Francisco, and a variety of other social events. Most importantly, they present the results of their collaborative research projects. Most events are open to the general public. The best articles from the collaborative research projects are collected and published in the SURF Journal after the conference.