Business Russian Language & Internship Program (BRLI)

The BRLI program is a unique learning opportunity that you cannot find anywhere else. It provides you with amazing learning instruction, taught by extremely caring and dedicated professors, while also allowing you to have a chance to see what the Russian business culture is like through an internship. The courses you take are specific to business. They are the same courses that fortune 500 companies enroll their employees in to learn the business language of Russia. This means the knowledge and experience you gain from this program can become an asset, not only a new bullet point on your resume but a cultural and business awareness that companies and professionals value all around the world. You will leave Moscow with a better language ability, enhanced knowledge of the complicated Russia Business world, and numerous memories.

Study abroad in Russia is very different from study abroad in any other country. Many aspects of the summer in Moscow were challenging and required a change in mindset. The American councils BRLI program was very helpful in preparing students for the realities of studying abroad in Russia. In general some of the complaints of students were that the dorms weren't suitable. These students generally had troubles with adapting to everything in Russia. American councils told students never to say "This should be different" while abroad, and this was the perfect advice to set the stage for the summer. The BRLI program was well managed and students were given many opportunities to meet Russians and fully immerse themselves in the culture. Concerning the internship aspect of the program, students were placed at internships depending on their interests and level of Russian ability. People considering the BRLI program should consider whether they've attained a sufficiently high level of Russian to gain something from an internship (approximately three years of study in my opinion). Overall, the summer was amazing, the program wasn't academically overwhelming, and at the end we took a (free) cruise from near Moscow to St. Petersburg, getting a taste of many different Russian cities along the way.