The undeclared Russo-Ukrainian war has substantially changed the political views and geopolitical orientations of many Ukrainians. It has also caused a shift in identities and value systems. Mykola Riabchuk, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Political and Nationalities Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, discussed how political attitudes have shifted

Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and current U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Policy Board Member Nicholas Burn spoke recently on the challenges and opportunities for US foreign policy during a visit to the University of Washington. Burns, who previously also served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, discussed the conflict in Syria,

This podcast features Michelle O’Brien, a doctoral candidate in the Sociology Department and a Graduate Fellow at the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology. Ms. O’Brien spoke about relationships between groups within Russia, such as the “Night Wolves” biker gang and Vladimir Putin. She also discussed the importance of films in instruction, highlighting “Putin’s

At the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies summer teacher workshop, experts spoke about populism movements across Europe and Russia. This podcast based on those talks features Phillip Shekleton, a lecturer at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and the former Managing Director of the Center for West European

This podcast features James Felak, a Professor of History at the University of Washington. Professor Felak spoke about the historical development of political groups and movements such as the Law and Justice Party in Poland and the Fidesz and Jobbik parties of Hungary. Dr. Felak’s talk was part of a day-long workshop for K-12 educators

At the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies summer teacher workshop, experts spoke about populism movements across Europe and Russia. This podcast based on those talks features Steve Pfaff, a Professor in the Department of Sociology and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Washington. Dr. Pfaff formerly served as the

The United States and Central Asia – 25 Years After Independence, Why Should We Care? By Daniel Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia at the U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Rosenblum visited UW and spoke at the Ellison Center hosted a talk to a room full of students, faculty, and community

Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative. She served from 2012 to 2015 as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia, responsible for policy toward Russia, the Black Sea, Balkans, and Caucasus regions and conventional arms control. From 2010 to 2012 she served as Senior Advisor

During her 34-year reign, Catherine the Great embarked on a single-minded quest to modernize and westernize Russia. Among her tactics was a ravenous acquisition of art, which she used to strengthen her image and that of her empire. A self-proclaimed “glutton for art,” the wily tsarina created St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum and spearheaded the expansion

The case of Kyrgyzstan, mired in a durable oscillation between abrupt descents into violence and swift returns to stability, represents a useful vantage point to capture the trans-national dimension of post-Soviet conflicts. Kyrgyzstan’s post-independence political trajectory has been marked by stateness issues and the contestation of nationhood, rendering more acute perceptions of threats to the