The Fulbright Program has been supporting academic exchanges between the U.S.A. and Russia/U.S.S.R. for thirty years. Grantees from both countries continue to report on the differences in the academic cultures that they encounter. The following is a brief summary of the observations on those differences.
   Teaching. Russian students tend to see the instructor as the authority in the classroom, the source of information and knowledge. Professors are given a great deal of respect. Instructors present formal lectures in their fields of expertise, and students take notes on the lectures. The physical arrangement of Russian classrooms reinforces this. The desks and chairs are usually arranged in traditional rows. In some classrooms, and in large lecture hall, the desks and benches are fastened to the floor and simply cannot be moved. Russian students generally do not see their peers in any other role other than that of fellow students. The student’s grade for a course is often determined by an oral final exam.
    American students usually see the instructor as a facilitator in learning. Professors are less highly respected. Students expect to participate in classroom discussion and activities where sharing their own information, insights, and experiences play a role. Students are expected to listen to each other, and then respect each other's opinions. Furniture in many US classrooms is easily re-arranged. The student’s grade for a course is usually determined by a combination of written papers, projects, and exams or tests administered over the course of the term.
   Faculty/Student Interaction. Many Russian faculty members hold several positions simultaneously, simply to make ends meet. Traditionally, they have little, if any, space to meet with students for consultations or do classroom preparations. Consequently, students do not expect to consult with instructors outside of class. When instructors must dash off as soon as class is over in order to make their next job, they have no real need for such space and students still do not have well-developed needs for the consultative services of their instructors.
    American faculty members are expected to consult with students and have an office and regular hours each week for doing so. American students expect access to faculty members.
   Instructional and Institutional Resources. Russian universities often have less office equipment (computers, copies, printers, fax machines) than American institutions. American instructors usually expect all students to purchase individual copies of textbooks and other course materials, while Russian instructors usually do not. Classroom facilities in the USA tend to reflect the large sums of money devoted to universities, both public and private, since the end of World War II. Russian universities continue to struggle with financial costs associated with deferred maintenance and inadequate state funding.
   Expectations of Faculty. In most US colleges and universities, faculty members are expected to be engaged in both research and teaching. They are usually given a great deal of freedom in setting the curriculum for their courses. They have an expectation of deciding their own affairs (“faculty governance”) with minimal interference from university or governmental officials. They are encouraged to be independent educational entrepreneurs as long as their outside activities (writing, speaking, consulting) does not interfere with their institutional responsibilities. American faculty members tend to insist on strict limits to their teaching loads and class sizes. They apply for grants (like Fulbright) in order to be freed from teaching responsibilities and to have time for individual research projects.
    Most Russian university faculty are expected to teach rather than be engaged in research. Their schedules and curricula are subject to scrutiny by university and government officials. Institutional structures tend to be more hierarchical and less horizontal.