Join an innovative hub of training and expertise!
Indiana University’s Byrnes Institute (REEI) is recognized as one of the top Russian and East European Area Studies institutions in the United States, and we have been a continuously-funded U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource/FLAS Center for more than sixty years.
Boasting nearly 100 affiliated faculty members across the campus, we provide an interdisciplinary home to experts and students of Russia and Eastern Europe (REE). Our mission is to expose students with diverse career goals to the languages, cultures, and politics of the REE region by supporting research and instruction of the highest caliber at all levels. The Byrnes Institute offers opportunities to travel, study, and intern abroad. The Byrnes Institute’s over 2,000 alumni have built careers across the globe in a wide variety of sectors government service and NGOs, have careers in the corporate world and academia, and even fly airplanes!
The Byrnes Institute presents a wide variety of programming, including lectures by affiliated faculty and visiting scholars, roundtables and symposia devoted to timely themes, concerts, films, exhibits, and professional development events. The Прямая речь! (Straight Talk!) colloquium features Russian-language lectures by native speakers; the new series Українські діалоги (Ukrainian Dialogs) presents Ukrainian-language talks. We collaborate with other area studies centers in the Hamilton Lugar School and units across campus to develop and co-sponsor projects and events of interest to IU students, faculty, and the community at large.
Our undergraduate and graduate programs will help you meet your personal academic and professional goals by preparing you for a career of your dreams!
The Byrnes Institute has been designated as one of 10 U.S. Department of Education-funded Title VI National Resource/FLAS Centers for Russia and Eastern Europe for the 2018-2022 grant period. We offer students many funding opportunities including support for studying and research abroad, as well as conference travel.
Byrnes Institute Directofr Dr. Halina Goldberg Receives American Musicology Society Grant
NOVEMBER 18, 2025
Dr. Halina Goldberg, Director of the Byrnes Institute, has been awarded the American Musicology Soviety's 2025 Thomas Hampson Fund for her project,"Editions and Recording of Songs from Friendship Albums to Accompany the Book Albuming Beyond Borders: Music, Memory, Material Culture.” Congratulations, Dr. Goldberg!
Byrnes Institute Affiliate Faculty Members Receive Trustees Teaching Award
NOVEMBER 17, 2025
Byrnes Institute affiliate faculty members Josh Malitsky, Valeria Varga, and Maria Bucur were all recipients of the Trustees Teaching Awards. Congratulations to them on their accomplishments!
Byrnes Institute Affiliate Faculty Members Piibi-Kai Kivik and Valeria Varga Highlighted by the IDS
OCTOBER 30, 2025
Two Byrnes Institute affiliate faculty members, Piibi-Kai Kivik and Valeria Varga, were recently featured in a publication by the IDS. The article discusses their work in teaching Estonian (Kivik) and Hungarian (Varga).
OCTOBER 10, 2025
Thirty years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, the Byrnes Institute (REEI) at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies will host a conference on October 17, together with a pre-conference lecture on October 16, to honor the legacy of Congressman Frank McCloskey for his tireless efforts advocating for peace and democracy in the Balkans. The event will feature a keynote lecture and a conversational roundtable moderated by IU’s Timothy Waters, IU Law and Byrnes Institute (REEI) affiliate, who published widely on the topic and is a co-organizer of the event.
Byrnes Insitute Director Halina Goldberg Receives Distinguished Faculty Research Award
OCTOBER 1, 2025
Byrnes Institute Director Halina Goldberg has received the 2025 Distinguished Faculty Research Award for her work studying Jewish Stereotypes in Polish Culture. This annual honor recognizes one IU Bloomington faculty member whose research has had a notable impact on society and includes a public lecture to showcase their scholarly achievements.
Byrnes Insitute Affiliate Faculty Member Marianne Kamp Featured in ASEEES Publication
SEPTEMBER 30, 2025
Byrnes Institute-affiliated faculty member Marianne Kamp's article "Oral History in Central Asia" has been featured in the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies' (ASEEES) publication NewsNet, where she spoke about the trends in oral history in Central Asia.
Byrnes Insitute Affiliate History Faculty Featured in ASEEES Publication
SEPTEMBER 15, 2025
Byrnes Insitute-affiliated historians Andy Bruno, Claire Griffin, and Tatiana Saburova were interviewed for a feature in the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies' (ASEEES) publication NewsNet, where they spoke on new directions and trends in the field of Russian history.
Béla Bartók’s 1942 visit to IU resonates in recent conference and concert
JULY 14, 2025
Bartók (1881-1945), a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, and pianist known for gathering, transcribing, and promoting folk musics, was featured prominently this past April, 83 years later.
Byrnes Insitute FLAS Recipient Receives Prestigious Boren Fellowship
JUNE 5, 2025
Layaan Hajiyev chose to study Russian at IU explicitly because it is one of the few universities in the country that offers both a nationally recognized Language Flagship and expertise in the field of cybersecurity.
Prof. Russell Valentino named one of IU Presidential Arts and Humanities Fellows 2025
MAY 19, 2025
Indiana University has selected eight faculty members for the fourth cohort of the Presidential Arts and Humanities Fellows Program. The annual program supports the work of faculty who are poised to become national and international leaders in their fields.
Prof. Valéria Varga receives Trustees Teaching Award
MAY 02, 2025
Byrnes Insitute affiliate faculty member Prof. Valéria Varga, Senior Lecturer of Hungarian in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, has been awarded the Trustees Teaching Award! This award is a testament to Prof. Varga's profound influence on her students and excellence in language teaching. See the full list of this year's teaching award recipients by clicking the link above.
GLOBAL & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES BUILDING
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Drop in any time between 1:00 - 2:00 pm to chat with REEI staff and students over some hot tea & coffee. Ask us your questions about our programs, discuss current regional events with other studen...Read more
GLOBAL & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES BUILDING
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RESCHEDULED The Russo-Ukrainian War through the Eyes of a Historian
Presidents Hall in Franklin Hall
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Serhii Plokhii, Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University
RESCHEDULED Nuclear Roulette: Atoms for Peace at the Time of War
Presidents Hall in Franklin Hall
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Serhii Plokhii, Mykhailo S. Hrushevs’kyi Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University
HLS Summer Abroad 2026: Applications Due!
Interested in studying abroad this summer? Click here for more information
Contact, Address and Additional Links
HAMILTON LUGAR SCHOOLBLOOMINGTON
355 North Eagleson Avenue