Since my bachelor’s studies, I have been exploring Ukraine’s place in the world, particularly why neighbouring powers have consistently sought to control the country and how Ukrainians have fought for their freedom over the centuries.
With Ukraine’s independence in 1991, Ukraine faced the challenge of navigating itself in a rapidly evolving world. Positioned at a crucial geopolitical crossroads, it became entangled in the complex dynamics of West-Ukraine-Russia relations. Mutual misperceptions, conflicting interests, and, most significantly, Russian imperialism culminated in a prolonged and bloody war.
My primary research interests include Ukraine’s foreign policy, EU-Ukraine-Russia relations, EU-Ukraine integration, the Russian-Ukrainian war, foreign policy analysis, and European security.
In my research, I often use elite interviewing and documents’ analysis. For my doctoral dissertation, I developed novel game theory approach for foreign policy analysis.
I love teaching. It is a great joy to share my knowledge and experience with my students. I have taught “Comparative Politics” at the University of Manchester, “European Politics and European Integration” at ETH Zurich, “European Affairs”, “Focal Points of Current Affairs”, and “Doing Business in Europe” at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. I am teaching “The EU’s Geopolitical Evolution: Understanding Current Enlargement Dynamics” at TU Dresden. I regularly visit universities and summer schools to give guest lectures.
I can teach any course in Political Science, but I am best placed to teach courses dealing with EU politics (EU foreign affairs, EU enlargement), Ukraine’s and Russia’s politics, security, war studies, and interviewing. I would be happy to develop my own course, e.g. on the history of EU-Ukraine-Russia relations or Ukraine’s foreign policy.
Awards and grants
- Gold Medal for School Graduation – Sumy School № 29
- Bachelor’s Degree with honours (Red Diploma) – Kyiv National Economic University
- Certificate of Appreciation as the Best Master’s Graduate of the Year – Wroclaw University of Economics
- PhD Studentship – The University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences
- Swiss Government Excellence Postdoctoral Scholarship – ETH Zurich
- SNSF Scholars at Risk Postdoctoral Grant – ZHAW
Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung FOTAR (the Future of Transatlantic Relations) Scholarship 2024