Founded in 1965 by Professor Leon Twarog as a United States Department of Education-funded (Title VI) Comprehensive National Resource Center based at the Ohio State University (OSU), the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES) promotes the study of Russia, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia.

CSEEES' overall goal is to promote the study, knowledge, and teaching of this region and its languages at the Ohio State University, in the state of Ohio, in the Midwest, and beyond. The Center fosters East European area and language studies at OSU by seeding positions, supporting lectures, and funding language courses. In addition to this, CSEEES has an outreach program that extends throughout the state of Ohio and the Midwest, working with K-12 schools, community colleges, and other universities throughout the region.