University politics were not limited to campus last week.
Duke Student Government President Mike Lefevre, a senior, joined 14 university student body presidents from March 8 to 15 on a trip to Russia designed to introduce student leaders to the rapidly developing country. The seminar introduced campus leaders to prominent business and education leaders as well as government officials—including a Duke graduate, Arkady Dvorkovich, the Russian president’s top economic advisor and Graduate ’98.
Mikhail Mamonov, head of the international relations department of the Federal Agency on Youth Affairs of the Russian Federation, invited the students through the Open World Leadership Center, a congressional agency located at the Library of Congress. The Russian government paid for all but the incidental expenses of the student leaders.
“Because they met with the leadership in Russia in an informal setting, [the students] got to understand the questions that advisors and presidents have to consider on a regular basis,” said Open World Executive Director John O’Keefe.
Lefevre was nominated for the trip by Rep. David Price, D-N.C., after the center—which seeks to foster relations between the United States and the countries of Eurasia and the Baltic States—asked members of Congress to nominate future leaders in their districts.
Donna Lisker, associate dean of undergraduate education, said Lefevre’s ability to manage unexpected issues while fulfilling long-term campaign promises made him an asset to the program.
“[Lefevre] has faced this year as much change and challenge as any student leader we’ve seen, and I think he reacted well to that,” Lisker said. “I think it’s great he had the opportunity to talk with other student body presidents and to broaden his idea of leadership in Russia.”
Lefevre was part of the second such exchange of U.S. students since the collapse of the Soviet Union, said Maura Shelden, public affairs officer at Open World. The first exchange took place last November.
During last week’s seminar, students arrived in Moscow and met with notable figures, including First Vice Premier Igor Shuvalov, Vladislav Surkov, first deputy chief of staff for the president of the Russian Federation and Alexander Torshin, first deputy speaker of the Russian Senate.
“To be honest, I expected a dog and pony show, where they would show me a bunch of model Russian towns and say this is the new Russia,” he said. “I got something much deeper and got to see the actual problems that still face the country.”
He added that the Russian government hoped the student leaders would be able to bring back their new understanding of Russia to campus.
“They were hoping we could build relations with our university and... spread the gospel about Russia through word of mouth,” Lefevre said.
Students are particularly relevant to Russia’s changing landscape, O’Keefe said. He noted that the Russian leaders appreciated the fresh perspective the university presidents brought.
“As one of the student body presidents pointed out, [the students] don’t carry the baggage of the Cold War,” he said. “This is a generation that doesn’t see [Russia in] the same way as their parents.”
This article has been modified to reflect the students' itinerary in Moscow, which was changed during the visit. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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