Expert Faculty
World-Class Academic & Applied Experts
Dr. Ludmilla Lobova
Dr. Ludmilla Lobova is a political scientist, Scientific Director and Vice President of ICEUR-Vienna, specializing in political forecasting, international affairs, and the analysis of political processes under uncertainty.
A central focus of her work at ICEUR is the methodology of political forecasting. She examines the limitations of conventional expert analysis, the sources of systematic forecasting errors, and the ways in which probabilistic and Bayesian reasoning can provide a more rigorous framework for dealing with uncertainty. Rather than seeking a single “correct” prediction, this approach emphasizes assigning probabilities to possible outcomes, updating assessments as new information becomes available, and systematically learning from forecasting errors.
Her academic and analytical work also covers international relations, Russian foreign and security policy, political conflicts, and transformation processes across the post-Soviet space.
Dr. Lobova studied law, history, and political science and received her doctoral degree in 1995. In Austria, she was a Lise Meitner Fellow of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), conducting research on Russian perceptions of Austrian neutrality and its significance for European security.
She has worked with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on the Consequences of War, the Austrian State Archives, and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM). She has also delivered lectures and seminars at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the University of Vienna.
Dr. Lobova is the author of publications on Russian foreign and security policy, European security, political Islam, and ethno-political conflicts. Together with Prof. Hans-Georg Heinrich, she has also served as an editor of the academic series ICEUR Insight Studies.
At the ICEUR School of Political Forecasting, she combines decades of experience in political and regional analysis with Bayesian reasoning, scenario analysis, and probabilistic forecasting, emphasizing an approach in which the quality of a forecast depends not on an expert’s confidence, but on the ability to formulate testable assessments, account explicitly for uncertainty, and revise conclusions as new evidence emerges.
A central focus of her work at ICEUR is the methodology of political forecasting. She examines the limitations of conventional expert analysis, the sources of systematic forecasting errors, and the ways in which probabilistic and Bayesian reasoning can provide a more rigorous framework for dealing with uncertainty. Rather than seeking a single “correct” prediction, this approach emphasizes assigning probabilities to possible outcomes, updating assessments as new information becomes available, and systematically learning from forecasting errors.
Her academic and analytical work also covers international relations, Russian foreign and security policy, political conflicts, and transformation processes across the post-Soviet space.
Dr. Lobova studied law, history, and political science and received her doctoral degree in 1995. In Austria, she was a Lise Meitner Fellow of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), conducting research on Russian perceptions of Austrian neutrality and its significance for European security.
She has worked with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on the Consequences of War, the Austrian State Archives, and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM). She has also delivered lectures and seminars at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the University of Vienna.
Dr. Lobova is the author of publications on Russian foreign and security policy, European security, political Islam, and ethno-political conflicts. Together with Prof. Hans-Georg Heinrich, she has also served as an editor of the academic series ICEUR Insight Studies.
At the ICEUR School of Political Forecasting, she combines decades of experience in political and regional analysis with Bayesian reasoning, scenario analysis, and probabilistic forecasting, emphasizing an approach in which the quality of a forecast depends not on an expert’s confidence, but on the ability to formulate testable assessments, account explicitly for uncertainty, and revise conclusions as new evidence emerges.
Ilja Vorontsov
Ilija Vorontsov is a software engineer and Team Lead at LOYTEC Electronics in Vienna, specializing in embedded systems, software development, and the design and verification of complex technical systems. His professional experience includes Zephyr RTOS, Bluetooth LE and Bluetooth Mesh, embedded Linux, hardware design, as well as software testing and verification.
He studied Computer Engineering at TU Wien, with a focus on automation and control theory, software validation and verification, dependable and distributed systems, FPGA and microcontroller programming, and SAT solving. His academic work includes real-time performance analysis on ARM Cortex microcontrollers and proof transformation for SAT solver verification — areas that require rigorous approaches to modelling, logical reasoning, and the analysis of complex interconnected systems.
This engineering and analytical background provides the foundation for his work with probabilistic models and Bayesian networks. His approach places particular emphasis on translating real-world problems into structured models, defining variables and dependencies, examining assumptions, and understanding how new evidence changes model outcomes.
Since 2025, Ilija has taught probabilistic and Bayesian modelling at ICEUR and is ICEUR’s leading specialist in the practical application of GeNIe 5.0. His teaching covers Bayes’ theorem, Bayesian networks, and the complete process of developing, analysing, and interpreting probabilistic models — from defining variables and their states to specifying dependencies, entering evidence, analysing posterior probabilities, and exploring alternative scenarios.
A central focus of his teaching is the transition from Bayesian reasoning as a theoretical concept to Bayesian networks as a practical analytical tool. Through hands-on work with GeNIe 5.0, he demonstrates how complex problems can be transformed into transparent probabilistic structures and how such models can be refined and used for systematic analysis and decision-making under uncertainty.
He studied Computer Engineering at TU Wien, with a focus on automation and control theory, software validation and verification, dependable and distributed systems, FPGA and microcontroller programming, and SAT solving. His academic work includes real-time performance analysis on ARM Cortex microcontrollers and proof transformation for SAT solver verification — areas that require rigorous approaches to modelling, logical reasoning, and the analysis of complex interconnected systems.
This engineering and analytical background provides the foundation for his work with probabilistic models and Bayesian networks. His approach places particular emphasis on translating real-world problems into structured models, defining variables and dependencies, examining assumptions, and understanding how new evidence changes model outcomes.
Since 2025, Ilija has taught probabilistic and Bayesian modelling at ICEUR and is ICEUR’s leading specialist in the practical application of GeNIe 5.0. His teaching covers Bayes’ theorem, Bayesian networks, and the complete process of developing, analysing, and interpreting probabilistic models — from defining variables and their states to specifying dependencies, entering evidence, analysing posterior probabilities, and exploring alternative scenarios.
A central focus of his teaching is the transition from Bayesian reasoning as a theoretical concept to Bayesian networks as a practical analytical tool. Through hands-on work with GeNIe 5.0, he demonstrates how complex problems can be transformed into transparent probabilistic structures and how such models can be refined and used for systematic analysis and decision-making under uncertainty.
Dr. Ullrika Sahlin
Dr. Ullrika Sahlin is an Associate Professor at Lund University, Sweden, specializing in Bayesian modelling, risk analysis, uncertainty quantification, and decision-making under uncertainty.
A central focus of her research is how uncertainty can be represented, quantified, and communicated in scientific assessments and complex decision-making. Her work draws on Bayesian analysis, robust Bayesian methods, expert knowledge elicitation, and evidence synthesis to support reasoning and decision-making when information is incomplete, uncertain, or based on multiple sources.
A particularly important area of her research is the use of Bayesian networks and predictive models. She has studied how Bayesian networks can integrate empirical data, scientific models, and expert judgement while explicitly accounting for different sources of uncertainty. Her research on epistemic uncertainty in Bayesian networks demonstrates how these models can be used for risk assessment and for reasoning about uncertain future events.
Dr. Sahlin has extensive experience working at the interface between academic research and applied risk assessment. She has contributed to the work of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on uncertainty analysis and has led EFSA-related projects focused on the development and application of Expert Knowledge Elicitation methods.
Her interdisciplinary academic background combines mathematical statistics with applied risk and ecological modelling. She holds a Master’s degree in Mathematical Statistics from Lund University, a Master’s degree in Forestry from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and a PhD in Ecology, where her research focused on risk assessment related to invasive species.
Her current research interests include robust Bayesian analysis, evidence synthesis, expert judgement, risk analysis, and decision-making under uncertainty. She also teaches doctoral-level courses in Bayesian analysis and decision theory, as well as risk, uncertainty, and decision-making.
A central focus of her research is how uncertainty can be represented, quantified, and communicated in scientific assessments and complex decision-making. Her work draws on Bayesian analysis, robust Bayesian methods, expert knowledge elicitation, and evidence synthesis to support reasoning and decision-making when information is incomplete, uncertain, or based on multiple sources.
A particularly important area of her research is the use of Bayesian networks and predictive models. She has studied how Bayesian networks can integrate empirical data, scientific models, and expert judgement while explicitly accounting for different sources of uncertainty. Her research on epistemic uncertainty in Bayesian networks demonstrates how these models can be used for risk assessment and for reasoning about uncertain future events.
Dr. Sahlin has extensive experience working at the interface between academic research and applied risk assessment. She has contributed to the work of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on uncertainty analysis and has led EFSA-related projects focused on the development and application of Expert Knowledge Elicitation methods.
Her interdisciplinary academic background combines mathematical statistics with applied risk and ecological modelling. She holds a Master’s degree in Mathematical Statistics from Lund University, a Master’s degree in Forestry from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and a PhD in Ecology, where her research focused on risk assessment related to invasive species.
Her current research interests include robust Bayesian analysis, evidence synthesis, expert judgement, risk analysis, and decision-making under uncertainty. She also teaches doctoral-level courses in Bayesian analysis and decision theory, as well as risk, uncertainty, and decision-making.
Dr. Trefor Bazett
Dr. Trefor Bazett is a mathematician and lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Victoria, Canada, with expertise in mathematical education and a strong focus on making advanced mathematical concepts accessible and intuitive.
A significant part of his educational work covers probability theory, conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem, and Bayesian inference — the mathematical foundations for reasoning under uncertainty and updating probabilistic assessments as new information becomes available. His teaching demonstrates how Bayesian reasoning provides a rigorous framework for moving from prior assumptions to updated conclusions based on new evidence.
Dr. Bazett is the author of an educational series on Bayes’ theorem and Bayesian inference, published by Springer Nature. The series explores conditional probability, prior and posterior probabilities, different formulations of Bayes’ theorem, false positives, and the practical interpretation of probabilistic evidence.
Known for his ability to explain complex mathematical ideas clearly and intuitively, Dr. Bazett has created more than 500 educational mathematics videos reaching an international audience. His online mathematics courses and lectures have attracted hundreds of thousands of learners worldwide.
He received his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Toronto and has taught at the University of Toronto and the University of Cincinnati before joining the University of Victoria. His contributions to mathematics education have been recognized with major teaching distinctions, including the PIMS Education Prize (2024) and the University of Victoria Faculty of Science Award for Teaching Excellence (2025).
A significant part of his educational work covers probability theory, conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem, and Bayesian inference — the mathematical foundations for reasoning under uncertainty and updating probabilistic assessments as new information becomes available. His teaching demonstrates how Bayesian reasoning provides a rigorous framework for moving from prior assumptions to updated conclusions based on new evidence.
Dr. Bazett is the author of an educational series on Bayes’ theorem and Bayesian inference, published by Springer Nature. The series explores conditional probability, prior and posterior probabilities, different formulations of Bayes’ theorem, false positives, and the practical interpretation of probabilistic evidence.
Known for his ability to explain complex mathematical ideas clearly and intuitively, Dr. Bazett has created more than 500 educational mathematics videos reaching an international audience. His online mathematics courses and lectures have attracted hundreds of thousands of learners worldwide.
He received his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Toronto and has taught at the University of Toronto and the University of Cincinnati before joining the University of Victoria. His contributions to mathematics education have been recognized with major teaching distinctions, including the PIMS Education Prize (2024) and the University of Victoria Faculty of Science Award for Teaching Excellence (2025).
Prof. Hans-Georg Heinrich
Prof. Hans-Georg Heinrich is a political scientist, political forecasting expert, and co-founder of ICEUR (Institute for the Comparative Study of European and Eurasian Regions) in Vienna.
His academic and professional career spans several decades of research into political systems, international relations, conflicts, and political transformation, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe, Russia, and the post-Soviet space. A central element of his work is the structured analysis of complex political processes and the development of methods for forecasting under conditions of uncertainty.
At ICEUR, Prof. Heinrich has played a key role in developing and teaching approaches to political forecasting based on probabilistic reasoning and Bayesian networks. His methodology combines expert political analysis with formal modelling techniques, transforming complex relationships between political, economic, and social factors into structured models and scenarios.
Prof. Heinrich previously held a professorship at the University of Vienna and has held visiting teaching and research positions at universities and academic institutions in Russia, Hungary, Poland, Iraq, Egypt, and other countries.
Alongside his academic career, he has extensive experience working in international environments, including assignments with the OSCE in Tbilisi, Chechnya, and Belgrade. This combination of academic research and field experience has informed his approach to analysing political instability, conflict, and complex international developments.
He is the author and editor of numerous academic publications on Soviet and Russian politics, Eastern Europe, political transformation, conflict, and international relations.
At ICEUR, Prof. Heinrich brings together decades of experience in comparative politics and international affairs with Bayesian modelling and structured political forecasting, applying these methods to the analysis of complex political scenarios and the systematic assessment of possible future developments.
His academic and professional career spans several decades of research into political systems, international relations, conflicts, and political transformation, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe, Russia, and the post-Soviet space. A central element of his work is the structured analysis of complex political processes and the development of methods for forecasting under conditions of uncertainty.
At ICEUR, Prof. Heinrich has played a key role in developing and teaching approaches to political forecasting based on probabilistic reasoning and Bayesian networks. His methodology combines expert political analysis with formal modelling techniques, transforming complex relationships between political, economic, and social factors into structured models and scenarios.
Prof. Heinrich previously held a professorship at the University of Vienna and has held visiting teaching and research positions at universities and academic institutions in Russia, Hungary, Poland, Iraq, Egypt, and other countries.
Alongside his academic career, he has extensive experience working in international environments, including assignments with the OSCE in Tbilisi, Chechnya, and Belgrade. This combination of academic research and field experience has informed his approach to analysing political instability, conflict, and complex international developments.
He is the author and editor of numerous academic publications on Soviet and Russian politics, Eastern Europe, political transformation, conflict, and international relations.
At ICEUR, Prof. Heinrich brings together decades of experience in comparative politics and international affairs with Bayesian modelling and structured political forecasting, applying these methods to the analysis of complex political scenarios and the systematic assessment of possible future developments.
Dr. Benedikt C. Harzl
Benedikt C. Harzl is an Associate Professor of International Law and International Relations and is Deputy Director of the Centre for East European Law and Eurasian Studies of the Law Faculty of the University of Graz.
He is the General Editor of the quarterly peer-reviewed journal Review of Central and East European Law and the book series Law in Eastern Europe (Brill Nijhoff).
He graduated in Law at the University in Graz and completed the “East European Studies” MA program at the Free University of Berlin in 2010. After working at the Institute for European Studies in Minsk and the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin he was a researcher at the European Academy in Bolzano/Bozen (2007–2012) and worked as a university researcher at the REEES Centre between 2012 and 2016.
He completed his PhD in law at the University of Frankfurt and was based at Johns Hopkins University between 2016 and 2017 as a Marshall Plan Foundation Fellow. He held a number of guest professorships in the US including at Rutgers University (Camden, New Jersey) as well as recently at the University of California in Berkeley (2024).
His habilitation thesis examined matters pertaining to international law in the post-Soviet space. He is the author of “Secessionist Entities and International Law: The South Caucasus Disputes between Self-Determination, Territorial Integrity, and the Quest for a European Engagement Policy”(Brill Nijhoff, 2025) and he is co-editor of “Unrecognized Entities: Perspectives in International, European and Constitutional Law” (Brill Nijhoff, 2022) as well as “Diversity Management in Russia” (Routledge, 2013).
He is the General Editor of the quarterly peer-reviewed journal Review of Central and East European Law and the book series Law in Eastern Europe (Brill Nijhoff).
He graduated in Law at the University in Graz and completed the “East European Studies” MA program at the Free University of Berlin in 2010. After working at the Institute for European Studies in Minsk and the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin he was a researcher at the European Academy in Bolzano/Bozen (2007–2012) and worked as a university researcher at the REEES Centre between 2012 and 2016.
He completed his PhD in law at the University of Frankfurt and was based at Johns Hopkins University between 2016 and 2017 as a Marshall Plan Foundation Fellow. He held a number of guest professorships in the US including at Rutgers University (Camden, New Jersey) as well as recently at the University of California in Berkeley (2024).
His habilitation thesis examined matters pertaining to international law in the post-Soviet space. He is the author of “Secessionist Entities and International Law: The South Caucasus Disputes between Self-Determination, Territorial Integrity, and the Quest for a European Engagement Policy”(Brill Nijhoff, 2025) and he is co-editor of “Unrecognized Entities: Perspectives in International, European and Constitutional Law” (Brill Nijhoff, 2022) as well as “Diversity Management in Russia” (Routledge, 2013).
Dr. Marek J. Drudzel
Prof. Marek J. Druzdzel is a leading expert in Bayesian networks, probabilistic reasoning, and decision support systems, Professor at Białystok University of Technology and Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh.
For nearly four decades, his research has focused on decision-making under uncertainty, probabilistic inference, and intelligent decision support systems based on probability theory, statistics, and decision theory. A major part of his work has been devoted to Bayesian networks, ranging from their theoretical foundations and inference algorithms to their practical application in modelling complex real-world systems.
Prof. Druzdzel is the principal conceptual designer of GeNIe and SMILE, software tools for building Bayesian networks and graphical decision models. These tools have been developed over decades of academic research and are now used internationally in research, education, and applied decision modelling.
In 1995, he founded the Decision Systems Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, which he directed until 2019. The laboratory conducted research on decision analysis, probabilistic modelling, and intelligent decision support systems and played a central role in the development of GeNIe and SMILE.
In 2015, Prof. Druzdzel co-founded BayesFusion, continuing the development of GeNIe and SMILE and bringing Bayesian modelling and decision-support technology to a broad range of practical applications.
He received his PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, where his research focused on probabilistic reasoning in decision support systems. His academic background also includes two Master’s degrees from Delft University of Technology and a habilitation from the Institute of Computer Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
His research and publications span Bayesian networks, causal reasoning, probabilistic inference, decision theory, knowledge engineering, and decision-making under uncertainty, with applications ranging from medical decision support and diagnosis to risk analysis and complex systems modelling.
For nearly four decades, his research has focused on decision-making under uncertainty, probabilistic inference, and intelligent decision support systems based on probability theory, statistics, and decision theory. A major part of his work has been devoted to Bayesian networks, ranging from their theoretical foundations and inference algorithms to their practical application in modelling complex real-world systems.
Prof. Druzdzel is the principal conceptual designer of GeNIe and SMILE, software tools for building Bayesian networks and graphical decision models. These tools have been developed over decades of academic research and are now used internationally in research, education, and applied decision modelling.
In 1995, he founded the Decision Systems Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, which he directed until 2019. The laboratory conducted research on decision analysis, probabilistic modelling, and intelligent decision support systems and played a central role in the development of GeNIe and SMILE.
In 2015, Prof. Druzdzel co-founded BayesFusion, continuing the development of GeNIe and SMILE and bringing Bayesian modelling and decision-support technology to a broad range of practical applications.
He received his PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, where his research focused on probabilistic reasoning in decision support systems. His academic background also includes two Master’s degrees from Delft University of Technology and a habilitation from the Institute of Computer Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
His research and publications span Bayesian networks, causal reasoning, probabilistic inference, decision theory, knowledge engineering, and decision-making under uncertainty, with applications ranging from medical decision support and diagnosis to risk analysis and complex systems modelling.
Dr. Andrew Wilson
He is a British historian and political scientist specializing in Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine. He is Professor in Ukrainian Studies at UCL’s SSEES and a Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR. His key publications—The Ukrainians, Virtual Politics, Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship, and Ukraine Crisis—have significantly influenced both scholarly and policy dialogues. His recent output continues to explore Ukraine's identity, wartime politics, and the broader dynamics in post-Soviet democratizatio
Dr. John Lough
Dr. John Lough is a geopolitical expert with a background in Russia and Eastern Europe whose 35-year career has spanned the worlds of business, diplomacy, and research. He is an Associate Fellow of the Russia & Eurasia Programme at Chatham House (since 2009) and is a regular commentator on Russian and Ukrainian affairs. He spent three years with Highgate (2021-2024), a leading London-based strategy consulting firm, and was a partner in the company before moving to the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, a recently established think tank focused on the future of Russia.
He ran his own consultancy business for five years advising clients on political and investment risk in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries of the former Soviet Union. From 2008 to 2016, he ran the Russia/CIS practice of BGR Gabara, a public affairs consultancy. From 2003 to 2008, he was an international affairs adviser at TNK-BP, Russia’s third-largest oil company at the time. He spent six years with NATO managing information programmes aimed at Central and Eastern Europe, including a posting to Moscow where he set up NATO’s Information Office in Russia.
He was the first Alliance official to be permanently based in Russia (1995-1998). During this time, he developed media and public affairs programmes designed to contribute to better understanding of NATO and its policies in Russian society and was NATO’s spokesman in Russia. Before joining NATO, he was a senior lecturer at the Soviet Studies (later Conflict Studies) Research Centre in the UK, writing on a wide range of defence, security, and foreign policy issues related to the former Soviet Union.
He studied German and Russian literature at Cambridge University. He is the author of Germany’s Russia Problem (Manchester University Press 2021).
He ran his own consultancy business for five years advising clients on political and investment risk in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries of the former Soviet Union. From 2008 to 2016, he ran the Russia/CIS practice of BGR Gabara, a public affairs consultancy. From 2003 to 2008, he was an international affairs adviser at TNK-BP, Russia’s third-largest oil company at the time. He spent six years with NATO managing information programmes aimed at Central and Eastern Europe, including a posting to Moscow where he set up NATO’s Information Office in Russia.
He was the first Alliance official to be permanently based in Russia (1995-1998). During this time, he developed media and public affairs programmes designed to contribute to better understanding of NATO and its policies in Russian society and was NATO’s spokesman in Russia. Before joining NATO, he was a senior lecturer at the Soviet Studies (later Conflict Studies) Research Centre in the UK, writing on a wide range of defence, security, and foreign policy issues related to the former Soviet Union.
He studied German and Russian literature at Cambridge University. He is the author of Germany’s Russia Problem (Manchester University Press 2021).
Dr. Nina Khrushcheva
Nina Khrushcheva is Professor in the Julien J. Studley Graduate Programs of International Affairs at The New School (New York), a research university, for 24 years now. Her primary research interests are Global Media and Culture, World Politics, Russian Politics and Culture, Art and Politics, Propaganda and Hollywood, and Post-Truth.
After receiving her Ph.D. from Princeton University, she had a two-year appointment as a research fellow at the School of Historical Studies in Princeton and then served as Deputy Editor of East European Constitutional Review at the NYU School of Law. She is a member of Council on Foreign Relations, an independent American think tank focused on U.S. foreign policy and international relations.
Ms. Khrushcheva is an editor of and an author for Project Syndicate, a nonprofit media organisation that publishes and syndicates commentary and analysis on a variety of global topics. Their membership currently comprises over 500 media outlets active in 156 countries. Ms. Khrushcheva is also a recipient of Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award from Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2013 and of a 2019 Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage from Trinity College Dublin
After receiving her Ph.D. from Princeton University, she had a two-year appointment as a research fellow at the School of Historical Studies in Princeton and then served as Deputy Editor of East European Constitutional Review at the NYU School of Law. She is a member of Council on Foreign Relations, an independent American think tank focused on U.S. foreign policy and international relations.
Ms. Khrushcheva is an editor of and an author for Project Syndicate, a nonprofit media organisation that publishes and syndicates commentary and analysis on a variety of global topics. Their membership currently comprises over 500 media outlets active in 156 countries. Ms. Khrushcheva is also a recipient of Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award from Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2013 and of a 2019 Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage from Trinity College Dublin
Dr. Vladislav Inozemtsev
Economist, sociologist, publicist
Vladislav Inozemtsev is a Russian economist and sociologist, Doctor of Economics, and professor. He is the founder and director of the Center for Post-Industrial Studies. He has served as a visiting professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and at the Higher School of Economics.
He is the author of more than 15 books and hundreds of articles on issues of economic development, political transformation, and globalization. His work has been published in The Moscow Times, Vedomosti, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, as well as in leading international outlets.
In recent years, he has been actively commenting on international and Russian politics, participating in expert discussions in Europe and the United States.
Vladislav Inozemtsev is a Russian economist and sociologist, Doctor of Economics, and professor. He is the founder and director of the Center for Post-Industrial Studies. He has served as a visiting professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and at the Higher School of Economics.
He is the author of more than 15 books and hundreds of articles on issues of economic development, political transformation, and globalization. His work has been published in The Moscow Times, Vedomosti, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, as well as in leading international outlets.
In recent years, he has been actively commenting on international and Russian politics, participating in expert discussions in Europe and the United States.
- Director of the Center for Post-Industrial Studies
- Special Advisor to the MEMRI project on Russian media studies (Washington, D.C.)
- In May 2024, together with Dmitry Nekrasov and Dmitry Gudkov, he co-founded CASE — the “European Center for Analysis and Strategies.”
Dr. Anatol Lieven
Dr. Anatol Lieven is Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington DC. He was a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar from 2014 to 2021. He holds a BA and PhD from Cambridge University in England. His latest book, Climate Change and the Nation State, was published in paperback in 2021 by Penguin (UK) Oxford University Press.
- From 1986 to 1998, Anatol Lieven worked as a British journalist in South Asia, Afghanistan, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe, and is author of several books on these regions, including Pakistan: A Hard Country and Ukraine and Russia: A Fraternal Rivalry. His book The Baltic Revolutions: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence won the Orwell Prize for political writing and the Oxford University Press Governor’s Award. America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism (updated second edition 2012) delineated the main dividing lines in US politics and political culture concerning national identity and foreign policy. He writes frequently for the media, and his articles have appeared in The Financial Times, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Time, and Newsweek. In March 2023, Anatol Lieven was seriously injured in an accident while researching in Ukraine.
Konstantin Eggert
Konstantin Eggert is an independent journalist, political analyst and communications consultant. He has been a Baltic States correspondent for Deutsche Welle (Germany) since 2014. As a journalist Eggert carried out assignments in the Middle East, Iraq, Iran, Tajikistan, Yemen, Afghanistan and the Balkans. His opinion pieces featured in the International Herald Tribune, The Times, The Financial Times, and he regularly appears on the BBC, CNN, and NPR.
- In 1998-2009 Mr. Eggert was Senior Correspondent, then Editor-in-Chief of the BBC Russian Service Moscow bureau. For this work he received the honorary title of Member of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II in 2008. The same year President Valdas Adamkus awarded him Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Lithuania.
Prof. Reinhard HEINISCH
Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Salzburg. Receiving his PhD from Michigan State University, he subsequently taught at the University of Pittsburgh from 1994 to 2009. Heinisch's research focuses on comparative politics, the radical right, populism as well as US-European relations. He is the author of over 40 peer-reviewed research articles and more than 50 other academic publications, including 14 books.
- His research has been published in the Journal of European Political Research, Political Studies, Journal of Common Market Studies, West European Politics, and many others. His books include Understanding Populist Party Organization (Palgrave 2016); The People and the Nation (Routledge 2019), and Politicizing Islam in Austria (Rutgers' University Press 2024). His research has been funded by grants by the European Union as well as the, the Austrian and Swiss Research Funds. He is the recipient of the National Science Award of the Austrian Parliament (2017), comments frequently on US and Austrian politics in international media, and lectures widely on US politics, most recently at the European Defense Academy in Brussels. He has been a regular visiting lecturer at Renmin University of China in Beijing since 2014.
Arkady Mil-Man
Arkady Mil-Man is a senior researcher and the Head of the Russia Program at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel. His research interests are focused on the Post-Soviet countries and their impact and posed risks to the Middle East from a security perspective.
- Mr. Mil-Man’s career began at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Senior researcher of the Soviet Union at the Center for Political Research, and he later headed a department there. He was the founder of the Israeli Embassy in Kazakhstan in 1992, the Ambassador to Azerbaijan in 1997-2000, and to Russia in 2003-2006. He also held different positions in the headquarters of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the diplomatic career, Mr. Mil-Man worked, among other positions, in the Israeli high-tech sector, managing a venture capital fund with his partners that invested in Israeli start-ups.
Dr. Anatoliy Kruglashov
Anatoliy Kruglashov is a professor and a chairman of the Department of Political Science and Sociology at the Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University (Ukraine), as well as professor of Faculty of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Lodz (Poland), and a full Member of the Group of independent Experts on the European Charter of local self-government with the Council of Europe.
- Mr. Kruglashov is the author of over 250 scientific papers; his wide research interests include history and theory of political science, political science in the Eastern European countries, their regional dynamics and development, political history of Ukraine and its international affairs, and European integration.
Dr. Taras Kuzio
Dr. Taras Kuzio is a British-Ukrainian political scientist specializing in Ukraine, Russia, and the post-Soviet space. Born in 1958 in Halifax, UK, he holds degrees from the University of Sussex (Economics), the University of London (Soviet Studies), and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Birmingham, with postdoctoral work at Yale. He served as Director of NATO’s Information and Documentation Centre in Kyiv (1998–1999), was a professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and a senior research fellow at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies.
- Author of over 20 books, including Russian Nationalism and the Russian-Ukrainian War (2022)
Edmon Marukyan
- Edmon Marukyan is a leader of the Bright Armenia party, former Ambassador-at-Large involved in peace treaty negotiations with Azerbaijan. He was a member of the National Assembly – Parliament of Armenia, for three consecutive terms in 2012-2021. Edmon Marukyan holds two Master’s Degrees, in Jurisprudence from the Public Administration Academy of Armenia and in International Human Rights Law (LL.M.) from the University of Minnesota Law School. Marukyan is a Member of Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia and founder of the Center for Strategic Litigations.
dr. Mikhail MINAKOV
Senior Advisor, Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Editor-in-chief of Kennan Focus Ukraine, of the Ideology and Politics Journal, and of the Koinè Almanac
Professor, The Free University
His recent books:
Editor-in-chief of Kennan Focus Ukraine, of the Ideology and Politics Journal, and of the Koinè Almanac
Professor, The Free University
His recent books:
- From Servant to Leader. Chronicles of Ukraine under the Zelensky Presidency, 2019–2024 (Stuttgart: ibidem Verlag, forthcoming in 2025)
- The Post-Soviet Human. Philosophical Reflections on Post-Soviet History
- in Ukrainian [Kyiv: Laurus — Milano: Kοινὴ, 2024];
- in Russian [Riga: School for Civic Education, 2024];
- in English [Stuttgart: ibidem Verlag, 2024]
- Philosophy Unchained. Developments in Post-Soviet Philosophical Thought (ed. by M. Minakov) (Stuttgart: ibidem Verlag, 2023)
- Inventing Majorities. Ideological Creativity in Post-Soviet Societies (ed. by M. Minakov) (Stuttgart: ibidem Verlag, 2022)
Dr. Robert Mueller
Dr. Robert Müller, born in Graz, Austria, is the current Ambassador of Austria to Ukraine. He studied at the University of Graz, earning a Mag. phil. in History, Geography, and Philosophy (1987–1993) and a Dr. phil. in History (1993–1995), and later graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna with a diploma in International Relations (1995–1997). Over the course of his diplomatic career, he has held a variety of senior positions within the Austrian Foreign Ministry as well as postings abroad, including in New York and at NATO.
- In April 2025, Dr. Müller was appointed Ambassador to Ukraine, arriving in Kyiv in May and presenting his credentials to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in June. Since taking up his post, he has emphasized Austria’s unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, while actively engaging in humanitarian and reconstruction initiatives. His work has focused on areas such as assistance to children, demining efforts, energy efficiency projects, and the development of bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
Dr. Nikolay Petrov
Senior Research Fellow, Head of the Laboratory for the Analysis of Transformational Processes, New Eurasian Strategies Center (NEST).
Political expert with four decades of experience spanning academia, politics, and business, specializing in Russian domestic politics, elites, and decision-making. Former visiting researcher at SWP (Berlin) and consulting fellow at Chatham House (London).
Previously served as senior research fellow at Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme (2019-2022), professor and head of a laboratory at the Higher School of Economics (2013–2021), and scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center, where he co-directed the Society and Regions project. Adviser to the Russian parliament, government, and presidential administration (1990-1995).
Political expert with four decades of experience spanning academia, politics, and business, specializing in Russian domestic politics, elites, and decision-making. Former visiting researcher at SWP (Berlin) and consulting fellow at Chatham House (London).
Previously served as senior research fellow at Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme (2019-2022), professor and head of a laboratory at the Higher School of Economics (2013–2021), and scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center, where he co-directed the Society and Regions project. Adviser to the Russian parliament, government, and presidential administration (1990-1995).
- Author and editor of numerous works on Russia’s political regime, federalism, elections, and regional development, including The Dynamics of Russian Politics (2004, 2005), Russia 2020, Russia 2025, and The State of Russia (2015).
Dr. Andreas Umland
CertTransl (Leipzig), AM (Stanford), MPhil (Oxford), DipPolSci, DrPhil (FU Berlin), PhD (Cambridge). Fellow or lectureships at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, Harvard University, St. Antony’s College Oxford, Urals State University in Yekaterinburg, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation in Kyiv, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Ukrainian Institute for the Future in Kyiv, and Institute of International Relations in Prague. Since 2020, Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, and Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
- General editor of the book series Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Ukrainian Voices. Member of the boards of the International Association for Comparative Fascist Studies, Boris Nemtsov Centre for the Academic Study of Russia at Charles University of Prague, book series Explorations of the Far Right, Fascism: Journal of Comparative Fascist Studies, Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society, World Affairs journal, Forum noveishei vostochnoevropeiskoi istorii i kul’tury, and The Ideology and Politics Journal.
Dr. Doris Vogl
Doris Vogl is a sinologist, with PhD in Political Science from the University of Vienna.
Her research is focused on China and European security policy. She was a lecturer at Salzburg University, and has been teaching at her alma mater, the University of Vienna, for over 7 years.
Her research is focused on China and European security policy. She was a lecturer at Salzburg University, and has been teaching at her alma mater, the University of Vienna, for over 7 years.
- Ms. Vogl was seconded (employed via nomination by a member state) or contracted (employed directly by the mission) for European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy missions: EUMM Georgia (2008-2010), EUPOL Afghanistan (2011-2013), EUCAP Sahel Mali (2014-2015). She was also seconded for OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Luhansk Region (2015-2017) and OSCE Office in Yerevan, Armenia (2010 – 2011). Before that, she had also studied and worked in PR in China, Taiwan, Cambodia, and Southern Caucasus.
Dr. Jerzy Jozef Wiatr
He is a Polish sociologist, political scientist and politician. Professor of the University of Warsaw, Chairman of the European School of Law and Administration rector of a private tertiary education institution in Warsaw. Member of the Polish United Workers Party, he supported the party's line in communist-era Poland. In post-communist Poland, member of the leftist parties (Democratic Left Alliance), deputy to Polish parliament (Sejm) from 1991 to 1997. Minister of National Education 1996–1997. Received the Commander's Cross with Star of the Polonia Restituta order in 1996.
MA BA Christoph Bilban
Researcher and chief teaching officer at the Institute for Peacekeeping and Conflict Management responsible for conflicts in the former Soviet states.
Research work and lectures on conflicts in the post-Soviet space with a focus on the conflict in and around Ukraine, on Russian military theory, and on Russian foreign and security poli
Research work and lectures on conflicts in the post-Soviet space with a focus on the conflict in and around Ukraine, on Russian military theory, and on Russian foreign and security poli
Mete Aksoy
Mete Aksoy is a Turkish author and strategy practitioner specializing in geopolitics, military theory, and strategic thinking. He currently works as an independent consultant and trainer, focusing on leadership, strategy, and the practical application of classical and contemporary strategic frameworks.
He holds an engineering degree and completed graduate-level studies in leadership at the University of San Diego. He has also undertaken executive and professional training programs in negotiation, leadership, and management at Harvard University and MIT.
Mete Aksoy is the author of Savaşçının Dokuz İlkesi (The Nine Principles of the Warrior), a bestselling strategy book in Turkey. He has extensive experience in international professional environments and regularly engages in public speaking, analytical briefings, and educational activities.
He holds an engineering degree and completed graduate-level studies in leadership at the University of San Diego. He has also undertaken executive and professional training programs in negotiation, leadership, and management at Harvard University and MIT.
Mete Aksoy is the author of Savaşçının Dokuz İlkesi (The Nine Principles of the Warrior), a bestselling strategy book in Turkey. He has extensive experience in international professional environments and regularly engages in public speaking, analytical briefings, and educational activities.
Ivan Preobrazhensky
Russian political scientist, publicist, commentator, and PhD in Political Science.
Education & Early Life
Born in Moscow in 1981.
Graduated from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University).
Earned a Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Political Science with a dissertation on political discourse in post-Soviet states (including Russia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan).
Career
Began his career as a media expert and political analyst, working in various editorial and analytical roles in Russian media.
Has worked as an expert and deputy head of media projects at the Center for Political Technologies.
Contributed to Russian political and economic journals and portals such as Politcom.ru, Profil, Strana.ru, and Vedomosti.
Served as political editor at Rosbalt news agency and later as a columnist for Deutsche Welle.
Coordinator of the Moscow Political Club and European observer for independent media.
Public Engagement & Views
Preobrazhensky is known for his commentary on Russian politics, foreign policy, and regime dynamics.
After Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, he left Russia and has been based in Prague, Czech Republic.
He participates in European civil society and anti-war initiatives, and regularly offers analysis in major media outlets on Russian governance and international affairs.
Recognition & Status
Preobrazhensky is sometimes cited in Russian official registers related to journalistic and political expression.
Education & Early Life
Born in Moscow in 1981.
Graduated from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University).
Earned a Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in Political Science with a dissertation on political discourse in post-Soviet states (including Russia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan).
Career
Began his career as a media expert and political analyst, working in various editorial and analytical roles in Russian media.
Has worked as an expert and deputy head of media projects at the Center for Political Technologies.
Contributed to Russian political and economic journals and portals such as Politcom.ru, Profil, Strana.ru, and Vedomosti.
Served as political editor at Rosbalt news agency and later as a columnist for Deutsche Welle.
Coordinator of the Moscow Political Club and European observer for independent media.
Public Engagement & Views
Preobrazhensky is known for his commentary on Russian politics, foreign policy, and regime dynamics.
After Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, he left Russia and has been based in Prague, Czech Republic.
He participates in European civil society and anti-war initiatives, and regularly offers analysis in major media outlets on Russian governance and international affairs.
Recognition & Status
Preobrazhensky is sometimes cited in Russian official registers related to journalistic and political expression.
Hossein Kermani
Hossein Kermani is a Senior Researcher at the Political Communication Research Group at the University of Vienna.
His research focuses on social media, digital repression, computational propaganda, and political activism in restrictive political contexts, with a particular emphasis on Iran.
Kermani’s work addresses two main areas of inquiry. First, he studies the discursive power of social media and its role in reshaping the microphysics of power and transforming political and social structures. Second, he examines the strategies used to manipulate, control, and dismantle social media activism in non-democratic societies.
Methodologically, his research combines social and communication theory with computational approaches, including Social Network Analysis (SNA), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and critical discourse analysis.
Kermani is the Principal Investigator of the BeyondCBA project, funded by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund.
His work has been published in leading academic journals such as New Media & Society, Big Data & Society, Information, Communication & Society, and Asian Journal of Communication.
His first book, Social Media Research in Iran (in Persian), was published in 2020. His first English-language book, Twitter Activism in Iran, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2025.
He is currently working on his second monograph, The Art of Delirium: Social Media Suppression in Authoritarian Regimes, forthcoming with Springer Nature in 2027.
His research focuses on social media, digital repression, computational propaganda, and political activism in restrictive political contexts, with a particular emphasis on Iran.
Kermani’s work addresses two main areas of inquiry. First, he studies the discursive power of social media and its role in reshaping the microphysics of power and transforming political and social structures. Second, he examines the strategies used to manipulate, control, and dismantle social media activism in non-democratic societies.
Methodologically, his research combines social and communication theory with computational approaches, including Social Network Analysis (SNA), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and critical discourse analysis.
Kermani is the Principal Investigator of the BeyondCBA project, funded by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund.
His work has been published in leading academic journals such as New Media & Society, Big Data & Society, Information, Communication & Society, and Asian Journal of Communication.
His first book, Social Media Research in Iran (in Persian), was published in 2020. His first English-language book, Twitter Activism in Iran, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2025.
He is currently working on his second monograph, The Art of Delirium: Social Media Suppression in Authoritarian Regimes, forthcoming with Springer Nature in 2027.
Dr. Marc P. Berenson
Marc P. Berenson is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the Department of War Studies at King’s College
London. Prior to joining King’s in September 2013, Dr. Berenson was serving, since 2007, as a research fellow on the
Governance Team at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
His projects on governance, public administration, state capacity and state-society relations in Poland, Russia and Ukraine have been empirically, conceptually and methodologically ground-breaking, with a particular focus on the ways in which citizens’ interactions with the bureaucracy shapes and is shaped by their perceptions of the state and the meaning of their own citizenship.
His book – Taxes and Trust: From Coercion to Compliance in Poland, Russia and Ukraine, and his articles have appeared in
Comparative Political Studies, East European Politics, the Journal of Communist Studies, Transition Politics and elsewhere.
Previously, Dr Berenson worked as a research analyst for the American Bar Association, the EastWest Institute, The
Carter Center and the Strengthening Democratic Institutions Project at Harvard's Kennedy School.
He also has undertaken several consultancies, for, among others, the World Bank in Russia and the OECD’s Tax and
Development Programme. After receiving his BA from Harvard University, Dr Berenson founded and directed from
1996 to 1998 the "Law in Action" program for Freedom House in Kyiv, Ukraine, before receiving his Ph.D. in
Political Science from Princeton University in 2006.
London. Prior to joining King’s in September 2013, Dr. Berenson was serving, since 2007, as a research fellow on the
Governance Team at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
His projects on governance, public administration, state capacity and state-society relations in Poland, Russia and Ukraine have been empirically, conceptually and methodologically ground-breaking, with a particular focus on the ways in which citizens’ interactions with the bureaucracy shapes and is shaped by their perceptions of the state and the meaning of their own citizenship.
His book – Taxes and Trust: From Coercion to Compliance in Poland, Russia and Ukraine, and his articles have appeared in
Comparative Political Studies, East European Politics, the Journal of Communist Studies, Transition Politics and elsewhere.
Previously, Dr Berenson worked as a research analyst for the American Bar Association, the EastWest Institute, The
Carter Center and the Strengthening Democratic Institutions Project at Harvard's Kennedy School.
He also has undertaken several consultancies, for, among others, the World Bank in Russia and the OECD’s Tax and
Development Programme. After receiving his BA from Harvard University, Dr Berenson founded and directed from
1996 to 1998 the "Law in Action" program for Freedom House in Kyiv, Ukraine, before receiving his Ph.D. in
Political Science from Princeton University in 2006.
Dr. Stephen M. Norris
Stephen M. Norris is a Professor of History at Miami University (Ohio, USA) and Director of the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, one of the leading academic centers in the United States for the study of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia.
His research focuses on modern Russian history, with particular emphasis on visual culture, propaganda, nationalism, and historical memory. His work explores how images—from popular prints and caricatures to film—shape political perception, collective identity, and historical narratives.
He is the author of several influential books, including A War of Images: Russian Popular Prints, Wartime Culture, and National Identity, 1812–1945 and Blockbuster History in the New Russia: Movies, Memory, Patriotism, which examine the role of visual media in constructing national identity and state ideology.
He is currently working on a biographical project on the Soviet caricaturist Boris Efimov, using his life to explore the evolution of propaganda and political culture in the twentieth century. The project combines biography, cultural history, and media analysis to offer a new perspective on the Soviet experience.
In addition to his research, he is actively involved in international academic initiatives and public discussions, and teaches courses on Russian and Soviet history, world history, and visual culture, combining academic rigor with the analysis of contemporary media and cultural processes.
His research focuses on modern Russian history, with particular emphasis on visual culture, propaganda, nationalism, and historical memory. His work explores how images—from popular prints and caricatures to film—shape political perception, collective identity, and historical narratives.
He is the author of several influential books, including A War of Images: Russian Popular Prints, Wartime Culture, and National Identity, 1812–1945 and Blockbuster History in the New Russia: Movies, Memory, Patriotism, which examine the role of visual media in constructing national identity and state ideology.
He is currently working on a biographical project on the Soviet caricaturist Boris Efimov, using his life to explore the evolution of propaganda and political culture in the twentieth century. The project combines biography, cultural history, and media analysis to offer a new perspective on the Soviet experience.
In addition to his research, he is actively involved in international academic initiatives and public discussions, and teaches courses on Russian and Soviet history, world history, and visual culture, combining academic rigor with the analysis of contemporary media and cultural processes.