Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REEES) is an interdisciplinary program that provides a broad range of courses in the history, language, literature, and social and political life of Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and former Soviet Eurasia. This region, which spans half the earth's time zones, is positioned at the crossroads between East and West. The region has undergone numerous political, social, economic, and cultural changes, especially since the end of the Soviet Union. The program is designed both for students of Russian who do not wish to restrict their Russian studies to literature, and students interested in studying the culture and history of the broad region from the Balkans to the Northern Steppes of Central Asia. The REEES program at UC San Diego consists of faculty members from across disciplines, and offers majors and minors that include courses in literature, history, communication, film, linguistics, sociology, and political science. Students are encouraged to pursue an independent study project with a faculty mentor in an area that directly interests them, and to take advantage of UC San Diego's study abroad program.