For centuries the University of Cambridge has cultivated a deep understanding of and respect for the diverse nations of Europe. It is home to a vibrant, engaged community of students and scholars in the Department of Slavonic Studies who work hard to advance the study of the languages and cultures of Poland, Russia and Ukraine.

Today’s news of the result of the British referendum to leave the European Union only underscores the urgency and importance of our mandate. In the ‘Brexit’ debate, politicians frequently mobilised xenophobia and employed nativist rhetoric with particular reference to immigrants and migrants from Central and Eastern European countries. In a recent speech in Poland, our Vice Chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz rightly condemned such anti-immigration discourse on the whole as ‘an absolute failure of the imagination, of empathy, and of vision’.

Now more than ever, it is the study of language and culture that can combat stereotypes and foster the communicative skill and cross-cultural understanding needed to ensure peaceful and prosperous relations between European states. In the Department of Slavonic Studies, we are steadfast in our commitment to our work in the spheres of teaching and research, which is ranked the best in the United Kingdom. We are also leading the way in public engagement, inviting ever-growing audiences across Great Britain to explore such topics as Polish poetry and intellectual history, Russian cinema and art, and Ukrainian literature and music.

Expanding upon this teaching, research and public engagement – and preparing a new generation of British leaders with an extensive knowledge of the languages, cultures and histories of Central and Eastern Europe – are goals we embrace with even greater enthusiasm and resolve today.   

Dr Rory Finnin Head, Department of Slavonic Studies Director, Cambridge Ukrainian Studies programme University of Cambridge

24 June 2016