معرفی
Dr Sarah Whitmore is a Reader in Politics at Oxford Brookes University's School of Law and Social Sciences, where she has held a faculty position since 2003. Her expertise centers on post-Soviet political systems, with specialized focus on Ukrainian and Russian legislative institutions, state-building processes, and governance dynamics.
Education
- PhD (awarded Ashley Prize for Best PhD in Social Sciences) from University of Birmingham
- MSocSc (Distinction) from University of Birmingham
- BA (Hons) in History and Politics from Staffordshire University
Research Profile: Her work examines how formal political institutions interact with informal practices to shape power structures in Ukraine and Russia. Current projects include British Academy-funded research on Ukrainian military reform and state functionality during wartime. She bridges comparative politics with area studies, emphasizing legislative behavior and authoritarian resilience.
Publication Evolution: Recent works (2019-2021) analyze protest dynamics and democratic disruption in Ukraine's parliament, reflecting heightened focus on conflict-era politics. Earlier publications (2003-2014) established foundational insights into parliamentary oversight, party system development, and state-building under Kuchma, consistently exploring institutional-informal practice interplay.
Scientific Recognition
- Ashley Prize for Best PhD in Social Sciences (University of Birmingham)
- British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (awarded but declined)
- ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship
- ESRC Research Studentship
Mentorship and Funding: She has supervised five PhD completions including Jasmin D'allagnola (2021) on post-Soviet identity politics and Rico Isaacs (2009) on Kazakh party development. Current supervisees include Carl Mohr and Sofya Omarova. Her research is supported by competitive grants such as the British Academy project on Ukrainian military reform and ESRC funding for parliamentary oversight studies.
Professional Impact: As a State and Society Research Group member, she provides consultancy to UK FCO, US Department of State, and OSCE, with frequent media analysis for BBC, LBC, and international outlets on Ukrainian political developments.
