Background and formation In the aftermath of
World War II, the face of
Europe was greatly changed. A number of countries of central and eastern Europe were influenced or controlled by the
Soviet Union following the defeat of Germany. Throughout the non-
communist world, political decision-makers felt a need for additional academic analysis of the politics and history of the USSR and the
Soviet bloc nations as well as improved facilities for language training for a new generation of foreign affairs specialists. A number of American universities established area studies programs and research institutes in the immediate postwar period, including notably
Harvard University in
Cambridge, Massachusetts,
Columbia University in
New York City, and the
University of Washington in
Seattle. These institutions successfully produced the leading scholars of Slavic studies in North America. A number of graduates and professors from these programs were instrumental in forming the
American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS). The change in name coincided with the move of the Association's headquarters from
Harvard in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, to the
University of Pittsburgh in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Organization ASEEES' national office is located at
the University of Pittsburgh. It handles membership, publication subscriptions,
NewsNet, and organizes and coordinates programmatic activities like the annual convention. It has six regional affiliates and a geographically committee structure to enable cooperation by members across the country. In addition, ASEEES has organizational ties with scholarly societies within the broad field of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies. These affiliates normally sponsor panels and hold meetings at the annual ASEEES convention. ==Membership==