معرفی
Dr. Mihail Chiru serves as a Departmental Lecturer in Politics at the University of Oxford, jointly appointed with the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) and the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) since 2019. Previously, he taught at the University of Southampton and Central European University. His academic work centers on legislative behaviour, party politics, and voting behaviour within the European Union and Central and Eastern Europe, with regional expertise in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, and broader Eastern European contexts.
Dr. Chiru's research spans three interconnected agendas: (1) analyzing how single-shot and relational clientelism shapes political party organization and intra-party democracy in young democracies; (2) examining the European Parliament's institutional responses to democratic backsliding in EU Member States and assessing whether this has catalyzed an East-West political cleavage; and (3) investigating the evolution of programmatic linkages between citizens and political parties in Eastern Europe. His methodological approach combines quantitative analysis of legislative behaviour with qualitative insights into party organization, published in leading journals including European Journal of Political Research and West European Politics.
His recent publications demonstrate a concentrated focus on European Parliament dynamics, democratic backsliding, and electoral systems. Key trends include empirical analysis of parliamentary oversight during crises (notably the COVID-19 pandemic), the role of clientelism in party organization, and the impact of electoral rules on representation and candidate selection. His work consistently bridges theoretical political science with empirical analysis across Central and Eastern European contexts, emphasizing institutional responses to democratic challenges.
Scientific recognition includes:
- Achieving Impact Award from Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations (2023) for applied work with the European Parliament's Special Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic
Dr. Chiru has secured competitive funding from the European Parliament Research Service and the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, with his grant-supported projects directly informing policy work. While specific student advising details are not provided, his research profile suggests active engagement with graduate students in legislative studies and comparative politics. His institutional affiliations with OSGA and DPIR position him within Oxford's core political science research infrastructure despite no explicitly mentioned laboratory teams.
