Research school: Russia in focus
Location: Online
Application Deadline: 3 November 2025
Overview
The programme aims to provide young Russia-focused scholars living and studying outside the country with access to a wide range of expert perspectives on key issues of international security, Russia’s transformation following the end of the Cold War, and the collapse of the USSR, as well as practical tools to advance their own research.
The school will take place online from November 24 to 28, 2025, with sessions held in the evenings. Each session will last 90 minutes and will include time for discussion. A schedule with timings will be shared closer to the start date. The lectures will be in English.
Lecture topics:
- Failed Expectations: Russia and the West after the Cold War
- Russia and Western Institutions: NATO and EU Enlargement and Division
- Russia and the Middle East: Optics and Interests
- Russia and China’s ‘Peaceful Rise’
- A Pre-War Period? Russia and the West after February 2022
Requirements
Applications are open to:
- MA and PhD students at universities in Europe and the US, as well as recent graduates (up to 2 years) working in academia in political science, history, sociology, or international relations;
- Researchers with Russian and English language skills at B2+ level;
- Candidates whose dissertation topic or research interests are directly relevant to Russian studies.
Applications should be sent to [email protected] with the subject line: ‘NEST Centre Competition + [Surname]’.
Required documents:
- Academic CV;
- Short description (up to 1,000 characters) of your dissertation topic or research interests in English;
- Motivation letter (up to 1,000 characters) describing your research focus and how you plan to continue it within the framework of the mini-grant, in Russian.
Additional Information
Selection results and support
- Decisions will be announced by November 10, 2025.
- Up to 20 participants will be admitted to the online school.
- On completion of the course, each participant will submit an essay on a subject related to the programme. Essays will be reviewed by a panel, with written feedback provided.
- The authors of the three best essays will be awarded mini-grants of €3,000 each to continue their research over a three-month period. At the end of the grant, participants will be invited to prepare a publication for the NEST Centre presenting interim results of their dissertation-related research.
Selection committee
The selection committee includes political scientists, historians, sociologists and other experts on Russia and Eastern Europe.
Course Director
James Sherr OBE, a distinguished expert on Russia, Ukraine and European security, will lead the course. Mr Sherr taught international relations at Oxford University for over 20 years and has held senior positions at Chatham House and the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn.