Your Support Matters
Your gift to the Department of European, German, and Russian Studies helps us to achieve our mission of discovery, exploration, and the creation of knowledge—to find solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
From Our Chair
The Department of European, German, and Russian Studies brings together students and faculty with a shared passion for the languages, cultures, and histories of Europe—from the early modern period to the present. Whether your interests lie in German literature and philosophy, Russian fiction and film, the politics of the European Union, or the intellectual and artistic ferment of the twentieth century, EGRS offers a scholarly home that takes languages seriously and believes that immersion in another culture fundamentally reshapes one’s intellectual horizon.
Our faculty are active researchers whose internationally recognized work spans literary and intellectual history, media and aesthetic theory, nationalism and political culture, and gender and diversity studies. Their scholarship informs a curriculum designed to combine rigorous linguistic training with broad cultural and historical knowledge—skills that give our graduates a real edge in a wide range of careers, from academia, journalism, and the arts to law, diplomacy, and international business.
The department offers competitive awards to support students at every stage: funding for research projects, language study, and internships abroad ensure that a semester or year in Germany, Austria, the Baltic region, or elsewhere in Europe is within reach for motivated students. These experiences abroad are, for many, the defining chapter of their undergraduate years.
Closely affiliated with the department is the Max Kade Center for European and German Studies, one of Vanderbilt’s most vibrant hubs for international exchange. The center brings visiting scholars and experts of European politics, culture, and history to campus, enriching the intellectual life of the entire department and offering students direct access to the wider world of European scholarship.
Please explore our website. I look forward to welcoming you to EGRS.
Joel F. Harrington
Interim Chair, Department of European, German, and Russian Studies
Centennial Chair of History
Why European, German, and Russian Studies?
Students in European, German, and Russian studies gain a sophisticated skillset to understand the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of a vibrant and significant region of the world. Whether seeking a career in law, medicine, finance, technology, politics, intelligence, marketing, business, or something else entirely, students have a toolkit that employers desperately need in our increasingly global and interconnected world.
Students gain the following marketable proficiencies:
Linguistic Skills
Students develop genuine multilingual expertise that opens doors everywhere. In our globalized economy, companies prize employees who can navigate complex international partnerships, negotiate across cultures, and communicate nuanced ideas in multiple languages.
Cultural Competency
Students master the art of reading between the lines—understanding how history, values, and social structures shape behavior across different societies, which helps students learn to build trust with diverse teams, bridge differences, and anticipate challenges that mono-cultural colleagues miss entirely.
Media Literacy
In an era of misinformation, students develop razor-sharp skills for analyzing sources, detecting bias, and synthesizing complex information from multiple perspectives. They learn to navigate domestic and foreign media landscapes, understand how different cultures frame identical events, and critically evaluate competing narratives.
Human Storytelling and Meaning-Making
Through studying literature, film, philosophy, and cultures, students understand storytelling as one of the foundations of humanity. They learn how societies weave together the fabric that connects us, process past trauma, and envision their futures through narrative. This is not just about novels and poetry; it is about grasping how humans make meaning across all contexts.
Global Perspective and Creative Thinking
With exposure to different worldviews, students develop intellectual flexibility that is increasingly rare and valuable. They learn to question assumptions, adapt quickly to new contexts, find unexpected connections, judge when a novel concept is likely to be fruitful, and develop creative solutions by drawing on diverse intellectual traditions. This mental agility is exactly what employers need as they navigate rapid technological change in an age of AI and expanding global markets.
Contact Us
Department of European, German, and Russian Studies
Max Kade Center for European and German Studies
Building Address
Furman Hall 121 (Director’s Office)
2111 West End Ave.
Nashville, TN 37240
Mailing Address
Vanderbilt University
VU Station B #351567
2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37235-1567
Phone: 615-322-6900