The Institute for European Studies is proud of our recent MA graduate Jack Rosswurm, who successfully defended his thesis titled “Changing Circumstances: Why the European Union’s Accession Process no Longer Fits the Political Moment” in May. Jack is continuing his graduate studies this fall in the department of Second Language Studies, for which he has been awarded a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship for Estonian language. Jack shares EURO’s dedication to promoting scholarship of Europe, the European Union, and lesser-known European languages here in the US, and his presence will be missed in our office.
Jack is a great example of the versatility of the EURO MA degree. He says that he was drawn to the program because he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of a second language while also having the ability to explore the culture and wider political matters that inform it. For this reason, he balanced courses like “The Politics of the European Union” with Dr. Justyna Zając alongside Estonian language with Dr. Piibi-Kai Kivik and Baltic History with Dr. Toivo Raun.
Jack is a dedicated scholar of second languages, particularly Estonian, for which he has received numerous honors and awards. “IU is the only school in the United States to regularly offer three years of Estonian language instruction,” says Jack, “and one of only two schools in the US that offers any instruction in the language”. Jack received three FLAS fellowships to study Estonian language in his time at EURO and also received an Alo Raun Award for Excellence in Estonian Studies in the fall 2023 semester.
Jack received the prestigious Hamilton Lugar School Dean’s Scholarship in the summer 2023 semester, which helped to support him while he completed an internship with the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC). In the summer 2024 semester, Jack also received a Title VIII award to study Hungarian language and culture.
Jack was heavily involved with the Baltic and Finnish Students Association (BaFSA) while a EURO MA student. He says that a highlight of his time with the club was helping to plan and host the Estonian Independence Day Celebration on February 22, 2024. Jack was involved in every detail of the event, working with Dr. Piibi-Kai Kivik to outline the itinerary, emailing other departments to secure donations for the food and materials, and working with staff at EURO to design a flyer advertising the evening. The event was attended by many members of the local Estonian community, and featured Estonian trivia, cuisine, and traditional music sung by the IU Slavic Choir. Estonian Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Kristjan Prikk, addressed attendees to kick off the celebration.
Looking ahead, Jack sees himself applying his skill set to work at a think tank or in a role within the federal government. “After completing my MA in European Studies, I am excited to continue learning Estonian and gaining a deeper understanding of the Baltic region,” says Jack.
We wish Jack great luck in the Second Language Studies Department!
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