SSEES joins UCL Arts & Humanities

The union brings together two distinguished academic entities, each with a legacy of excellence in their respective fields. SSEES will be joining the nine departments already housed within UCL Arts & Humanities, increasing the student number to just under 5,000 across undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study.

SSEES, founded in 1915, has long been celebrated for its pioneering research and is one of the UK's largest institutions for research and teaching on Russia, the Baltics, and Central, Eastern and South-East Europe. In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, SSEES ranks 3rd in the UK for research power amongst Area Studies units.

SSEES staff and students have been informed of the outcome, with students reassured that their studies, including degree content, title and award, as well as day-to-day teaching and learning will not change but that they will now be able to benefit from Faculty-wide initiatives in addition to the support received within SSEES.

Professor Diane P. Koenker, SSEES Director said, "The integration...marks a new chapter in the storied history of SSEES, and it will provide the benefits of belonging to a welcoming Faculty within UCL while protecting our unique identity as a centre of language-based and interdisciplinary area studies. I want to thank everyone who participated in the discussions and helped to shape the Memorandum of Understanding and this outcome."

Executive Dean of UCL Arts & Humanities, Professor Stella Bruzzi comments, "I would like to express my gratitude to colleagues in SSEES and the Director, Professor Diane Koenker, for their contributions throughout the consultation process – this will mark a new chapter in the history of both SSEES and UCL Arts & Humanities, and I am confident the work to implement the change will be expertly driven forward by incoming Director of SSEES, Professor Richard Mole. I am very much looking forward to welcoming SSEES into our community coinciding with the new academic year, in full support of the School’s academic endeavours in interdisciplinary languages and Area Studies."

Links

• UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) website
• UCL Arts & Humanities website
• SSEES news story