Matthew Burkard

Matt Burkard is a graduate of the Russian and Eurasian Studies Stream. Before joining EURUS, Matt completed a degree in History and Philosophy at Wilfrid Laurier University. He was unsure about what he wanted to do post-graduation and learned about the EURUS program through one of his professors.

At EURUS, Matt learned Russian from a beginner level, having had no prior knowledge of the language. This experience led him to pursue many interesting opportunities through the program such as studying Russian in Kyrgyzstan in the summer of his first-year. With his Russian language skills, Matt wrote a thesis using original, Russian-language Soviet documents. Matt appreciates his time at EURUS, as it allowed him to develop both his research and argumentative writing skills, which helped him succeed in the job market. After graduation, Matt began a career at the Global Center for Pluralism in Ottawa, where he remains to this day. His work focuses on developing pluralism and diversity around the world.

Interested to learn more about Matt’s experiences abroad learning Russian in Kyrgyzstan? Listen to our interview with him on the Getting to Know EURUS Podcast!