Olga Vlasova

Dr. Olga Vlasova is a Visiting Researcher at King’s Russia Institute, part of King’s College London’s Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy and School of Politics & Economics. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Lomonosov Moscow State University and has over a decade of teaching experience, including roles as Assistant Professor at the State Academic University for the Humanities and instructor at University City London. Her research focuses on authoritarian politics, propaganda, and media’s role in conflict, with recent work analyzing Russia’s Ukraine war strategies and pacification narratives. Professionally, she has led international education initiatives at institutions like the Higher School of Economics and Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. She actively contributes to public discourse on authoritarian governance through media commentary in outlets like The Guardian and The National Interest.

• Education: PhD in Political Science (Lomonosov Moscow State University), Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s degrees

Her research interests include emotional governance strategies, the psychology of public sentiment during conflict, and state-society dynamics in Russia. She combines qualitative methods with policy analysis to explore contemporary authoritarian tactics. Vlasova is affiliated with the King’s Russia Institute, which focuses on Russian studies amid geopolitical shifts.

Notable professional roles include senior positions in political training, electoral campaigns, and democratic institution-building in Russia. She has organized national election campaigns and developed political education programs.