Simonas Čepėnas

Dr. Simonas Čepėnas is an Assistant Professor at the ISM University of Management and Economics. He holds a PhD in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia (UVA), an MA in Government and Foreign Affairs from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and a BS in Economics from ISM with a double degree from BI Norwegian Business School. His research focuses on comparative authoritarianism, interstate conflict, political economy, and game theory applications in governance.

Teaching areas include International Relations, Political Economy, Data Analytics, and AI applications. He has presented research at the American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting and other international conferences. Prior to academia, he worked as a researcher at PPMI and EESC.

• Education: PhD (UVA), MA (SIU Carbondale), BS (ISM + BI Norway)

Research interests span transboundary conflict economics, political institutions in authoritarian regimes, and the intersection of AI with governance strategies. His publications analyze topics such as firm survival in crises, electoral strategies, and sustainability leadership models.