Prof. Dr. Olena Palko is a historian specializing in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine. She holds the SNSF Professorship at the University of Basel's Department of History, focusing on East European History. Her research emphasizes Soviet minority policies, cultural politics, and national identity formation in interwar Ukraine. She is a leading scholar with notable works including Making Ukraine Soviet (2021), awarded the 2023 Alexander Nove Prize. Her current SNF-funded project, Red Tower of Babel , examines Soviet minority experiments in Ukraine. Education: PhD from University of East Anglia (2017); Kandydat nauk from National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2013). Research Interests: Soviet nationality policy, minority history, Ukrainian twentieth-century history, transnational border dynamics. Her work bridges archival analysis with transnational perspectives, addressing contested borderlands between Poland and the USSR. Key publications include co-edited volumes like Making Ukraine (2022) and Ukraine's Many Faces (2023). She actively contributes to academic governance roles, including co-convening the BASEES Study Group for Minority History and serving on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Council of Europe's history observatory.
Norman M. Naimark serves as the Robert & Florence McDonnell Professor of East European Studies and Professor of History at Stanford University, with courtesy appointments in German Studies. He holds senior fellowships at both the Hoover Institution and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and is affiliated with The Europe Center and the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law. Education: Ph.D. in History, Stanford University (1972) Naimark specializes in Soviet-era Eastern European history, with dual research pillars: Soviet policies in post-WWII Europe and 20th-century genocide/ethnic cleansing phenomena. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary human rights discourse, emphasizing geopolitical power dynamics and systematic violence against civilian populations. Methodologically, he combines archival rigor with comparative frameworks across national contexts. His publication trajectory from 1979–2019 reveals evolving focus from Marxist movements in partitioned Poland to Soviet occupation mechanics, culminating in comprehensive genocide studies. The 2019 monograph on Stalin's postwar European sovereignty struggles synthesizes decades of research into Soviet imperial practices. Scientific awards: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1996) Richard W. Lyman Award for outstanding faculty volunteer service (1995) Stanford Dean's Teaching Award (1991-92, 2002-3) Naimark's academic leadership includes directing Stanford's Global Studies Division, Bing Overseas Studies Program, and Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. His research informs current policy discussions on authoritarianism and democratic resilience, as evidenced by recent engagements with Belarusian democracy movements and U.S.-Russia relations. He collaborates extensively through Stanford's interdisciplinary centers, particularly contributing historical perspectives to The Europe Center's sovereignty research and the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law's governance initiatives.
Kamila Kociałkowska is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History of Art at the University of Warwick, Faculty of Arts. She joined the department in 2024 after holding postdoctoral fellowships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty/ACLS, and Harvard University’s Davis Center. Education: PhD in History of Art, University of Cambridge MA in History of Art, Courtauld Institute of Art MA in Fine Art, University of Edinburgh Her research centers on modernism in Eastern Europe, especially the interplay between artistic production and systems of censorship and surveillance in the Soviet Empire and its peripheries. She employs new materialist approaches to analyze redacted and fragmented visual and textual sources, rethinking the origins of abstraction beyond traditional resistance narratives. Her work also explores the cryptographic imagination and the impact of surveillance technologies on interwar avant-garde aesthetics. Her recent publications span topics such as Suprematist resistance, undead imagery in Stalinist propaganda, and explosive futurist texts, reflecting a deep engagement with avant-garde experimentation under repression. These works reveal recurring themes: the materiality of censorship, subversive semiotics, and the transformation of political constraint into aesthetic innovation. Scientific Awards and Fellowships: Leonard A. Lauder Postdoctoral Fellow, Metropolitan Museum of Art Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellow in the History of Art Visiting Scholar, Davis Center, Harvard University She is currently completing her first book, The Black Square and the Blue Pencil: Censorship and the Stimulation of Modernist Style , which charts how censorship shaped avant-garde aesthetics in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. Her second project, Coding Modernity: The Cryptographic Imagination and the Interwar Avant-Garde , investigates the cultural history of spying and secret policing in interwar Europe. She does not currently have any listed advisees or research grants in the provided text.
Anna Lukina is a Research Fellow in Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Law. Her research focuses on jurisprudence, legal history, and public law, with a specialization in Soviet legal systems, Nazi legal frameworks, and the philosophical underpinnings of 'evil law.' She holds a B.A. (Jurisprudence) and B.C.L. from the University of Oxford, and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. Her doctoral work, Towards a Jurisprudence of Evil Law , examines the relationship between law and immorality in authoritarian regimes, funded by the Institute for Humane Studies, Modern Law Review, and Cambridge Law Journal. Key research areas include: Legal justifications for totalitarian regimes Resistance to morally corrupt legal systems Historical analysis of Soviet, Nazi, and antebellum U.S. legal structures Publications span legal-historical analyses of Soviet legal education, Schmittian dictatorship theory, and Kelsen's critiques of communist jurisprudence. She actively engages with legal theory through blogs like Legal Form and academic networks such as the Cambridge Legal Theory Discussion Group. Her work bridges theoretical jurisprudence and historical case studies, offering critical perspectives on law's role in enabling or resisting evil. Grants and fellowships support her exploration of legal systems' moral boundaries and their societal impacts.
Tomila Lankina is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE), specializing in democratization, popular protest, and Russian and Eastern European politics. She holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and has held research appointments at institutions such as Stanford University and Humboldt University in Berlin. Her work examines historical legacies of social structure and their implications for democracy, inequality, and political regimes. Her groundbreaking book The Estate Origins of Democracy in Russia (Cambridge University Press, 2022) explores how pre-communist social stratification in Russia shapes contemporary political outcomes. The book has received major accolades, including the 2023 J. David Greenstone Prize and Davis Center Book Prize. Lankina’s research also addresses modern issues like Russian media manipulation, post-communist social resilience, and the impact of historical institutions on modern governance. Active in supporting Ukrainian scholars during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Lankina co-founded an LSE Taskforce to assist displaced students and researchers. She has been recognized for her excellence in PhD supervision by LSE and has published widely in top journals like the American Political Science Review and World Politics . Her interdisciplinary approach combines historical analysis with contemporary political dynamics, emphasizing the persistence of social hierarchies and their role in shaping autocracy and democracy. Current projects include a book on Russian dissent history and comparative studies of post-colonial and post-communist societies.
Dr. Sarah Young is an Associate Professor at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London. Her academic journey includes a BA (Honours) in Russian and French from Trinity College, Cambridge, followed by an MA in European Languages and Culture at the University of Manchester and a PhD in Russian Literature from the University of Nottingham. Her research focuses on Russian literature, particularly Dostoevsky’s narrative structures, prison narratives, and the history of penal systems in Russia. She has held a Leverhulme Fellowship and previously taught at the University of Leeds and the University of Toronto. Her work explores themes like Siberian exile, political imprisonment, and revolutionary memoirs, as seen in her book Writing Resistance: Revolutionary Memoirs of Shlissel’burg Prison, 1884-1906 . She also investigates Gulag literature, societal impacts of quantum technologies, and inclusive STEM education for neurodivergent students. Her blogs ( www.sarahjyoung.com ) and websites ( Mapping Petersburg , Shlisselburg ) further her interdisciplinary research. Her scholarly contributions span literary criticism, historical analysis, and policy studies. Awards include the Leverhulme Special Research Fellowship (2001-2003). She actively engages in academic mentoring and has published on research practices across disciplines like environmental engineering and marine conservation.
Ana Antic is a Professor in the Department of English, Germanic and Romance Studies at the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Humanities. She is also affiliated with the Centre for Culture and the Mind, where she leads an ERC-funded project titled Decolonising madness: Transcultural psychiatry, international order and the birth of a ‘global psyche’ . Her academic journey includes a PhD in Modern European History from Columbia University (2012) and prior appointments at universities in the UK and US before joining the University of Copenhagen in August 2020. PhD in Modern European History, Columbia University (2012) Ana Antic’s research lies at the intersection of social and cultural history, focusing on the history of modern Europe, war and violence, and the 'psy' sciences—particularly psychiatry and psychoanalysis. Her work critically explores the decolonisation of psychiatric practices and concepts in the second half of the 20th century, examining how transcultural psychiatry emerged in the aftermath of WWII and during decolonisation. She investigates how Western and non-Western experts redefined the relationship between culture, race, and the individual psyche, and whether new frameworks succeeded in moving beyond colonial legacies. Her recent publications reflect a strong trend in global and transnational history, especially in the fields of transcultural psychiatry, Cold War science, and postcolonial mental health. The articles span interdisciplinary journals in history, global health, and medical humanities, often emphasizing decolonial critique and the politics of knowledge. A recurring theme is the role of experts from the Global South and Eastern Europe in shaping global psychiatric discourse. She has received multiple prestigious awards, including: Fraenkel Prize for Contemporary History (2016) British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award (2017) ERC Starting Grant (2019) Dan David Prize (March 2023) Ana Antic is actively involved in research leadership and academic collaboration. She currently heads the DNRF Centre for Culture and the Mind and leads a major ERC-funded project. She has organized international conferences and workshops, including the DECOLMAD Workshop and New Perspectives in Transcultural and Postcolonial Psychiatry . While no direct list of PhD students is provided, her leadership roles suggest active supervision and mentorship. Her work bridges history, psychiatry, and global health, contributing to a deeper understanding of the cultural and political dimensions of mental health. She is involved with the Centre for Culture and the Mind, a research environment that fosters interdisciplinary work on the intersections of culture, cognition, and history. Her project Decolonising madness brings together historians, anthropologists, and mental health professionals to re-examine the foundations of global psychiatric knowledge.
Jocelyn Alexander is Professor of Commonwealth Studies and Head of Department at the University of Oxford's Department of International Development (ODID). She teaches primarily on the MPhil in Development Studies and the DPhil in International Development, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Southern African Studies and the publications committee of the International Africa Institute. Her research interests include: Southern African social and political history Liberation movements and their legacies Violence and memory Political imprisonment Rural politics and state-making Political & International Dimensions of Development Sub-Saharan Africa Professor Alexander is currently working on a Leverhulme-funded collaborative research project titled 'Global Soldiers in the Cold War: Making southern Africa's liberation armies', and writing a history of political imprisonment in Zimbabwe. Her research uses qualitative methodologies, notably oral history and archival research, and she is interested in cross-disciplinary approaches combining history, anthropology, politics, and literature. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on transnational histories of Southern African liberation movements, political imprisonment in Zimbabwe, and the legacies of violence in post-colonial states. She has made significant contributions to understanding the connections between liberation movements, the Cold War context, and the formation of post-colonial states in Southern Africa. Scientific awards: Leverhulme grant for project on Cold War-era 'global soldiers' (2019) Professor Alexander has supervised numerous doctoral students working on topics related to Southern African politics, history, and development. She has also co-authored important works including 'Violence and Memory: One Hundred Years in the 'Dark Forests' of Matabeleland' (2000) and authored 'The Unsettled Land: The Politics of Land and State-making in Zimbabwe, 1893-2003' (2006). She has taught at Sussex and Bristol Universities and has been a Research Associate at the University of Zimbabwe, bringing extensive regional experience to her academic work.
Pertti Ahonen is a Professor in the Department of History and Ethnology at the University of Jyväskylä. He completed his PhD at Yale University in 1999 and held teaching positions at the University of Sheffield and the University of Edinburgh for fifteen years before joining Jyväskylä in 2014. His research focuses on modern and contemporary European history, particularly post-1945 Germany and Central Europe, with emphasis on forced migrations, transnational history, and ethno-national categorizations. Notable publications include After the Expulsion (Oxford UP, 2003) and Death at the Berlin Wall (Oxford UP, 2010). Current research projects include Expellees and Ethno-National Categorizations in Europe , funded by the Research Council of Finland (2021-2025) Collaboration on Rethinking the Politics of Environment (2020-2022). His academic contributions span book reviews, journal articles, and conference organization, reflecting engagement with postwar European political discourse, Germany's Cold War dynamics, and migration studies.
Maziar Behrooz is an Associate Professor in the History Department at San Francisco State University (SFSU), where he has held academic positions since 1995. He specializes in the history of the Near East, modern Iran, and the Islamic world, with particular focus on political movements, international relations, and revolutionary dynamics. Behrooz holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from UCLA (1993), alongside advanced degrees from SFSU and Saint Mary's College. His academic career includes visiting positions at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and other institutions. His research interests encompass Iranian foreign policy, the Iranian Left's historical trajectory, Russo-Iranian relations, and the socio-political dimensions of the Islamic Revolution. He has authored seminal works such as Rebels with a Cause: The Failure of the Left in Iran (1999) and Iran at War: Interaction with the Modern World (2023). His scholarship critically examines themes like state formation, ideological fragmentation, and geopolitical conflicts. Behrooz frequently presents at international conferences (MESA, AIS) and reviews major works in peer-reviewed journals like International Journal of Middle East Studies . He is affiliated with professional organizations including the Middle East Studies Association and holds proficiency in English, Persian, and French. His academic contributions bridge historical analysis with contemporary political discourse, particularly regarding Iran's domestic and international challenges.
Vladislav Zubok is a Professor of International History at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he also leads the Russia International Affairs Programme at LSE IDEAS. His career spans teaching roles at institutions like Amherst College, Ohio University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and Temple University (tenured in 2004). Born and educated in Moscow (Moscow State University BA, PhD from the Institute for the USA and Canada), his work focuses on Cold War history , Soviet Union , Stalinism , and Russian intellectual history in the 20th century. Research Interests : Zubok’s scholarship bridges political history and cultural analysis , particularly examining the USSR’s Cold War dynamics, the collapse of authoritarian regimes, and the role of intellectuals in post-Stalinist Russia. His publications reveal trends in ideological evolution , geopolitical miscalculations , and economic fragility of superpowers. Recent works like Collapse (2021) emphasize authoritarian state failure and democratic populism in the USSR’s final decade. Awards & Grants : Lionel Gelber Prize (for A Failed Empire ) Marshall Shulman Prize (for A Failed Empire ) Grants from MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Yeltsin Foundation, and Russkii Mir Foundation Fellowships at Norwegian Nobel Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center, Collegium Budapest, Rockefeller Center (Bellagio), Hoover Institute
Dr Filip Slaveski is a Senior Lecturer in Russian/Soviet and East European History at the School of History, The Australian National University. He specializes in Soviet Empire studies, focusing on mass conflict, food crises, political control, and their contemporary echoes. His work examines Ukraine, Russia, and post-WWII dynamics, particularly Soviet governance and post-war reconstruction. Slaveski holds a PhD in History and has published extensively on Soviet famines, post-war Ukraine, and Soviet-German occupation policies. His notable works include Remaking Ukraine after WWII (2021) and The Soviet Occupation of Germany (2013). He has received funding through ARC DECRA grants and contributed to major projects on Soviet famines and post-war recovery. Research Interests: Soviet Union, Ukraine, Conflict Studies, Famine, Repression, Nationalism. Grants: ANU Futures Scheme (2023–2026) and The Last Soviet Famine Project (2021–2025).
Ted Gerber is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with active affiliations at the Center for Demography and Ecology, Center for Russian East Europe and Central Asia, Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, and University of Wisconsin Survey Center. Education: Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Berkeley, 1995 His research integrates Demography and Ecology, Education, Statistical Methods, and Social Stratification to analyze post-Soviet societies—particularly Russia—through quantitative lenses. Key investigations include housing regimes, migration patterns, social mobility, and collective memory of historical trauma like Stalinist repressions, examining how geopolitical contexts shape socioeconomic outcomes and public attitudes. Gerber's 2016-2021 publications reveal consistent focus on stratification dynamics in transitional economies, utilizing survey data from Russia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. Recurring themes include the interplay between migration and gender, propaganda effects on public opinion, and methodological innovations in measuring housing status and social mobility within hybrid political systems. Scientific Awards: No major scientific awards listed in provided information Teaching Soc 360 (Statistics), Soc 496 (Population in Russia), and advanced seminars on stratification/migration, Gerber's mentorship appears through co-authored publications with colleagues like Jane Zavisca and Qian He, though specific student advisees and grant details remain unmentioned in the text. His collaborative work across four UW-Madison research centers enables interdisciplinary exploration of demography, post-Soviet transitions, and science-policy interfaces, particularly regarding how historical legacies influence contemporary social structures in Eurasia.
Adeeb Khalid is the Jane and Raphael Bernstein Professor of Asian Studies and History at Carleton College, where he has been a faculty member since 1993. His scholarship bridges Central Asian history, Soviet studies, and postcolonial theory, with a focus on cultural transformations under imperial and revolutionary contexts. PhD and MA from University of Wisconsin-Madison President of Central Eurasian Studies Society (2005-06) Executive Board, Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (2013-15) Key research areas include: Modern Central Asian history (1860s-present) Islam under Russian/Soviet rule Nation-building and colonialism Comparative imperial formations Language and identity politics Anticolonial movements in Eurasia His publications have been translated into Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Korean. Recent articles examine: Post-Soviet Islamic historiography Colonial Turkestan's exclusion/inclusion dynamics Decolonizing Central Asian national identities Methodological debates in area studies Scientific recognitions: Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize (2008) Reginald Zelnik Book Prize (2016) Honorable Mention, Joseph Rothschild Prize Active in international academic collaborations, Khalid has held visiting positions at Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris and the Library of Congress's Kluge Center. He teaches courses on Russian Empire, Soviet Revolution, and Middle Eastern cultural history.
Daniel L. Schlafly is a Professor in the Department of History at Saint Louis University 's College of Arts and Sciences . His career spans decades of research in Russian and East European history, with a focus on cross-cultural exchanges between Russia and Western Europe. Education : Ph.D. (Columbia University, 1972), M.A. in Russian Studies (Columbia, 1965), Certificate from the Russian Institute (Columbia, 1965), A.B. (Georgetown University, 1961), and M.B.A. (Saint Louis University, 1998). Research interests include cross-cultural history, Jesuit educational institutions in Russia and America, religious minorities in post-Soviet Russia, and East-West encounters during the Enlightenment. His work emphasizes primary source analysis in original languages like Russian, French, and Italian. Publication trends highlight comparative studies of Jesuit schools, diplomatic records, and religious identity formation. His articles span 1970-2008 , with a focus on Russia's engagement with Catholicism and Western institutions. Scientific awards and grants include: Mellon grants for international research (1991-1996) Adenauer Scholarship for German studies (1961-62) Conference funding from 2002-2014 Grants for translating Marek Inglot's Jesuit history (2008-2013) He has taught courses on the origins of the modern world , history of Eastern Europe , Russian history , and nationalism studies .
