Deadline: February 14, 2025
Course Date: July 14–18, 2025
The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only endangered Ukraine’s sovereignty but also highlighted the regional power dynamics and the ongoing struggle between autocratic and democratic governance structures in Eastern Europe. This course examines Ukraine’s structural evolution since its independence, providing an essential framework for understanding the contemporary shifts in its political, economic, and social landscape—particularly through the lens of “patronal democracy,” which governs Ukraine’s unique political dynamics.
Led by renowned Eastern European experts and Ukrainian émigré scholars, this course offers a comprehensive exploration of the post-communist challenges Ukraine has faced since independence, delving into themes like oligarchic power structures, regime cycles, and Ukraine’s resilience in the face of both internal and external pressures. Going beyond the conventional “hybrid regime” paradigm, the course introduces interdisciplinary methods tailored to Eurasian contexts, with a focus on informality, patronal politics, and the evolving relationship between governance and national identity. Through lectures and discussions, participants will critically assess Ukraine’s political-economic tendencies and examine the structural consequences of the ongoing war, preparing for an authentic understanding of the forces shaping Ukraine’s future trajectory.
The course structure revolves around thematic exploration across five days:
- Day 1: Theoretical introduction and clarification of fundamental concepts.
- Day 2: Analysis of the regime change and the political experience of Ukraine’s Third Republic.
- Day 3: Study of Ukraine’s economic system and local governance dynamics.
- Day 4: Exploration of ideology and national identity in Ukraine.
- Day 5: Comparative analysis of Ukraine’s development and the war-induced changes.
By the end of this course, participants will gain practical skills to critically assess Ukraine’s evolution and to apply comparative analytical methods to contextualize the country’s contemporary challenges within the broader Eurasian landscape. The course materials, including The Anatomy of Post-Communist Regimes (CEU Press, 2020) and its companion, A Concise Field Guide to Post-Communist Regimes (CEU Press, 2022) will provide insights into the latest developments and scholarly debates, enriching participants’ understanding of the region’s intricacies and their global impact.