ler ▁established ▁a ▁ 2 0 - year ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁Russian ▁government , ▁supporting ▁educational , ▁political ▁and ▁business ▁initi atives . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁K utt ler ▁hosted ▁his ▁first ▁Russian ▁deleg ation ▁at ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁College ▁and ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁a ▁ 1 0 - day ▁exchange ▁program ▁in ▁which ▁Vladimir ▁Put in , ▁then ▁an ▁associate ▁vice ▁president ▁at ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁State ▁University ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁Russia , ▁was ▁his ▁daily ▁host . ▁K utt ler ▁made ▁another ▁two ▁vis its ▁to ▁Russia ▁over ▁the ▁years , ▁giving ▁inter views ▁on ▁Russian ▁national ▁television ▁and ▁receiving ▁inv itations ▁and ▁several ▁awards ▁from ▁Russian ▁univers ities ▁and ▁institutions . ▁ ▁For ▁two ▁weeks ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁K utt ler ▁served ▁as ▁honor ary ▁re ctor ▁of ▁L ening rad ▁State ▁University ▁( former ly ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁State ▁University ) ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁exchange ▁that ▁brought ▁that ▁university ’ s ▁re ctor , ▁Stanis lav ▁P . ▁Mer kur iev ▁to ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁College , ▁where ▁Mer kur iev ▁was ▁named ▁honor ary ▁president . ▁In ▁May ▁and ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁K utt ler ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Russia ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Information ▁Agency ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁technical ▁ad visor ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁national ▁community ▁college ▁system . ▁After ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁" F ather ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Community ▁College ▁System ". ▁ ▁K utt ler ▁wel com