Ekaterina Rashkova-Gerbrands

Dr. Ekaterina Rashkova-Gerbrands is an Associate Professor of Comparative Politics at the Public Governance and Management unit within the School of Governance at Utrecht University. She also serves as the LEG Faculty co-director of the PPE College Utrecht since Spring 2024, managing curriculum development and strategic positioning of this interdisciplinary program.

Her academic background includes:

• PhD in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh (2010)
• Master in Political Economy and Public Policy from Washington University in St. Louis
• Bachelor in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Rashkova-Gerbrands specializes in electoral and party systems, political representation, and the strategic behavior of political actors. Her research examines how institutions shape political decisions and outcomes, with particular focus on party system development, electoral regulation, and representation of marginalized groups. She has developed significant expertise in gender politics and immigrant integration within both established and new democracies, with special attention to Central and Eastern Europe.

Her recent scholarly work demonstrates a consistent trajectory examining institutional effects on political behavior, with increasing attention to transnational dynamics such as diaspora politics and the representation of non-citizen residents. Her publications span top political science journals with emphasis on comparative European politics, particularly focusing on Southeastern Europe and post-communist transitions.

Notable awards and recognitions:

• UniCredit and Universities Foundation Best CEE PhD Thesis Award (2011)
• EURIAS Junior Fellowship Grant (2015-2016)
• Swarovski Research Foundation award for "Women in High Politics" project (2015)

Dr. Rashkova-Gerbrands has served as editor of European Political Science journal from 2015 to 2022 and has been an active peer reviewer for numerous prestigious journals including European Political Science Review, West European Politics, and Politics & Gender. She has supervised multiple PhD students focusing on comparative party politics and representation, and has secured competitive research funding for projects examining electoral systems in Central and Eastern Europe and gender politics in Southeastern Europe.

She is currently leading research on "the party abroad," investigating connections between national political parties and their diaspora communities, while also examining the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on party system development and electoral accountability.