Cohort Project

The ASEEES Cohort Project facilitates peer-to-peer connection and offers substantive support for professionalization for doctoral students, with the goal of making a meaningful impact during this critical phase of scholarly development.

Although this is a one-year pilot initiative, ASEEES hopes that the cohort will continue beyond the first year, accompanying students through graduate school as a sustained form of field-wide community and professional support.

Program Overview

During the 2026-27 academic year, participants will attend ten 2-hour networking and skill-building sessions via Zoom (schedule below). The Cohort Project is designed to build a cohort of peers and foster a strong sense of community; as such, participation is a yearlong commitment.

The sessions, led by ASEEES Deputy Director Leah Valtin-Erwin and featuring guest speakers from across the ASEEES membership, are designed to give participants the foundational tools to navigate graduate school with purpose and intention.

Each session is devoted to a specific topic central to graduate school success:

• Establishing expectations with your advisor
• Building a plan to completion
• Developing a strong CV
• Crafting grant proposals
• Making the most of the summer
• Navigating academic conferences
• Belonging to an academic field
• Understanding the peer review process
• Anticipating the job market

In advance of the meeting, participants complete a short reading and a brief practical assignment. During the session, participants reflect on the topic in structured discussion.

Together, the sessions create a sustained space for participants to think strategically and holistically about their graduate careers alongside peers from across the field, offering participants an opportunity to unpack the “hidden curriculum” of graduate school, think critically about professional development, and build fellowship with colleagues across the field.

Eligibility

The ASEEES Cohort Project is open to first- (incoming Fall 2026) and second-year students enrolled in a PhD or MA/PhD program pursuing studies related to Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies at any university in the United States or abroad.

Although sessions will center the norms and structures of graduate education in the US and Canada, we anticipate that this foundation will be useful to all participants, including those studying in international contexts.

ASEEES membership is not required.

Students in terminal MA programs are not eligible. Prospective participants who are unsure of their eligibility are encouraged to contact ASEEES.

Benefits of Participation

In addition to broad professionalization support and the opportunity to become part of a field-wide peer community, participants will receive:

• One complimentary year of ASEEES membership (following attendance at the first three sessions)
• A certificate of participation (following attendance at at least 9 of the 10 sessions)

Program

Sessions will be held from 1:00–3:00 PM Eastern on the last Sunday of each month, with three exceptions: November 22 (to avoid conflicts with Thanksgiving weekend), December 13 (to avoid conflicts with the winter holidays), and May 23 (to avoid conflicts with Memorial Day weekend):

• September 27, 2026
• October 25, 2026
• November 22, 2026
• December 13, 2026
• January 31, 2027
• February 28, 2027
• March 28, 2027
• April 25, 2027
• May 23, 2027
• June 27, 2027

Attendance

Regular attendance across all sessions is expected. We understand that unforeseeable absences are inevitable. If you are aware of a prior commitment that conflicts with a specific session, please note it in the “Other” field of the application form. In the case of an unforeseeable absence, please alert ASEEES as soon as possible.