Ulrich Schmid

Ulrich Schmid serves as Vice-President for External Relations and Professor of East European Studies at the University of St. Gallen's School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS-HSG). His academic career includes roles as Professor of Slavic Literatures at Ruhr University Bochum, assistant professorships at the Universities of Bern and Basel, and visiting fellowships at Harvard University and the University of Oslo. He holds a PhD (1995) and Habilitation (1999) from the University of Basel, with research focusing on Russian literature and Eastern European cultural politics.

His research interests span the interplay between state and nation in Eastern Europe, Ukrainian cultural nationalism, Polish memory politics, and Russian media dynamics. Notable projects include studies on Ukrainian literary history, the cultural dimensions of the Euromaidan protests, and the evolution of Putinism as a political phenomenon.

Publications emphasize post-Soviet cultural transformations, transnational right-wing movements, and the role of literature in shaping national identities. Recent work critically analyzes Russian cultural policies, the geopolitical implications of Ukraine's contested nationhood, and the literary portrayal of Soviet atrocities.

Professional activities include curating cultural dialogues between Eastern Europe and Western institutions, advising on external relations strategies, and maintaining active research collaborations across Slavic studies networks.