Baltics

REES 222B: The Baltic World

This course traces and analyzes the interconnectedness that shaped the Baltic region, side by side with the cataclysms that repeatedly fragmented it from the Viking marauders, WWI and the Russian Revolution, WWII and the totalitarian nightmare of Nazi & Soviet policies, the Cold War and present-day geopolitics.

Sponsored by the Stanford Global Studies Internship Program and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, discover the many summer internship opportunities available in the Baltic region. Covering a wide range of fields, including business, non-profit, media, education, art, technology, science and government, all students - including co-terms and those not yet declared - are eligible to apply.

Past Interns

Baltic Short-Term Travel/Research Grant

The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREEES) invites applications for travel grants for short-term study and research trips to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea Region. The grants are awarded to Stanford University’s graduate students who are engaged in Russian and East European/Baltic studies and wish to travel to the Baltic region to attend conferences, conduct research, and participate in academic exchange with local faculty and students. Possible areas of research include the history, politics and culture of the Baltic states and region; international relations between Russia, the EU, and the USA; foreign and domestic policy and development of Estonia and the Baltic states; and e-governance, digital transformation, and (cyber) security. There are two independent deadlines for this grant:

1. For trips between mid-March 2026 and June 2026, the deadline is January 15, 2026
2. For trips between mid-June 2026 and August 14, 2026 the deadline is April 15, 2026
   • Note: All travel activities, including return flights, must be completed by August 14, 2026

Apply for grant 
Learn more about Baltic Short-Term Travel/Research Grants

In addition to these Baltic-specific grants, CREEES offers other grant opportunities whose funds can be applied for travel and research in the Baltics. 

From grant-supported travel and study within the region, to international conferences, to thesis topics, research in and on the Baltics takes a wide variety of forms. Extending beyond region-specific study, summer internships also prove to be a strong foundation for developing lasting connections with Baltic organizations, offering a myriad of research and creative opportunities.

Research and Presentations Abroad: Ali Karakaya

"This experience deepened my appreciation of the Baltics as a culturally distinct and autonomous region within Eastern Europe, not simply a peripheral extension of larger states. Inspired by this enriching experience, I am now considering studying Latvian during the summer of 2026."

Ali Karakaya, Slavic Languages and Literatures Ph.D. student, visited Riga, Latvia and Tartu, Estonia where he conducted research for and presented on his project titled “When the Periphery Becomes Central: Russian and Ukrainian Perspectives on the Holocaust Beyond National Borders.”

International Conference Travel: Danielle Amir-Lobel

"At the Smart City Exchange Forum and the Baltic Security Conference, I gained insights into how governance structures shape tech development and how emerging technologies like AI present both promise and risk in the region and beyond. I was especially inspired by Estonia’s strong digital infrastructure and citizen-centered public services."

Danielle Amir-Lobel, Management Science & Engineering M.S., '26, attended conferences in Tallinn, Estonia; Helsinki, Finland; and Riga, Latvia.

CREEES M.A. Thesis: Ashley Meyer ('25)

Staging the State: Strategic Role Construction in Independent Estonia

This thesis examines the evolution of Estonia’s national identity from 1992 to 2025 through a qualitative discourse analysis of presidential rhetoric. Through the lens of national role conceptions, this thesis contributes to broader discussions on small-state agency, the performative construction of national identity, and the discursive boundaries of European belonging in the security landscape.

Read a copy of the thesis in Stanford's Digital Repository

Publication Opportunities: Christina Cheng

Similar Outcomes, Different Paths: Comparing the Exclusion of Huawei in the United Kingdom and Vietnam

After interning in 2023 at the China Studies Centre at Riga Stradins University, Christina Cheng - history and computer science major, minor in East Asian studies, '27 - now serves as affiliate researcher for the Centre and recently wrote a book chapter published in Bridging Asia-Europe Relations (2025). She also wrote the article, "Is the EU Finally Headed Towards a Ban on Huawei?" for China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe. 

Artistic Projects: Parker Watt

Resilient Expression: Ukrainian Artists in Estonia

After his 2023 internship at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies in Tartu, Parker Watt (B.A. International Relations '24) spent a year in Estonia creating a series of documentary short films focused on Ukrainian artists in the country, exploring artistic work as a mode of healing, integration, and cultural continuation. This project was made possible by the U.S. Fulbright Student Research Grant and the AABS Baumanis Grant for Creative Projects in Baltic Studies.

Learn more about Parker's documentary series.

In collaboration with Stanford University Libraries and Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom,  CREEES hosts short-term Estonian visiting scholars for a 6-8-week fellowship each year. Additionally, in collaboration with Stanford University Libraries, Vilnius University, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, the Freeman Spogli Institute (FSI) hosts short-term Lithuanian visiting scholars for 6-8-week fellowships. These fellowships enable Baltic researchers, especially early- to mid-career scholars, to utilize of Stanford’s rich collections, carry out research related to the study of the history, society, and politics of  the Baltic region, and deliver a seminar or lecture in their field of expertise. Beyond these opportunities, through collaboration across institutions, Stanford hosts other fellows from the region as well.

Read reflections of past scholars

Past Fellows

Stanford Libraries' collection of Baltic books, periodicals, and manuscripts focuses on the occupation, resistance, freedom, and recovery (i.e. post-1991 transformation) of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and highlights the countries’ connections to Finland and the other Nordic states. With more than thirty thousand titles, this is one of the largest collections in the United States on the history, culture, literature, and current geopolitical and socio-economic challenges of the Baltic region. The collection is curated by Stanford Libraries' Curator for Estonian and Baltic Studies, Liisi Esse.

Numerous faculty from departments and centers across the university are actively engaged with Baltic studies through research, teaching and institutional collaborations.

Your contribution can further our academic and outreach programs.  If you would like to support Baltic studies at Stanford, please follow the link below and be certain to designate your gift for Baltic studies @ CREEES (Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies). 

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