Peter Busscher is originally from Holland, Michigan, and holds a Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) from the University of Pittsburgh with majors in History, Linguistics, and Russian Studies. His academic background is rooted in the social sciences, with particular interests in nationalism, sociolinguistics, and digital methods in the humanities. Before joining CERES, Peter served in AmeriCorps as an English as a Second Language instructor, working closely with Ukrainian refugees and immigrants from Central Asia, and currently works in due diligence at Kroll. He has also interned with the International Tax and Investment Center and studied abroad in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Peter’s regional experience includes travel through Poland, Belarus, and Russia, which has informed his focus on contemporary Russia, Central Asia, and the shifting political order of the post-Soviet space. At CERES, he is pursuing a certificate in International Business Diplomacy and is particularly interested in national identity formation, trade dynamics, and commercial diplomacy. His long-term goal is to establish an independent media organization that provides in-depth coverage of contemporary Eurasian affairs for an English-speaking audience.