Stanford US–Russia Forum

The Stanford US–Russia Forum (SURF) is an organization dedicated to bringing students at leading Russian and American universities together for research in public policy, business, economics and many other disciplines.

SURF’s first public event was a one-day conference in November 2008 at Moscow State University focused on the most pressing problems in US-Russian relations.

During the fall, the SURF delegates participated in a series of virtual seminars with guest lecturers including Dmitri Trenin (Director, Carnegie Moscow Center) and Donald Kennedy (Editor, Science).

The first SURF Exchange Program was formally recognized for its work fostering civil society ties between the US and Russia by Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov.

The program opens each fall with a week-long conference in Moscow where delegates meet with experts in academia, business, and policy to learn about current issues in U.S.-Russia relations.