Andrey Makarychev elected academy research professor by Estonian Academy of Sciences

The board of the Estonian Academy of Sciences elected Andrey Makarychev, Professor of Regional Political Studies at Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, as the academy research professor in Russian studies.

Andrey Makarychev’s research group will explore the emerging debate on future changes in Russian studies. The need for the change has been triggered by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The war has shown that Russia’s understanding of key political concepts is very different from the meaning of these concepts in Western democratic societies. This shift in meaning has brought about the need to think beyond traditional assumptions and categories of political analysis. The central output of the study will be an analytical framework suitable for interpreting the processes taking place in Russia during and after the current war.

The current nomination is part of a bigger initiative supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. The targeted grants funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aim to support the participation of Estonian researchers in Arctic studies, increase Estonian researchers’ knowledge of the Arctic and of Russia, as well as raise their capability to participate in significant high-level international research and explain the nature of the problems related to the Arctic and Russia and the possible solutions for Estonia.

A total of 12 researchers with their research teams participated in the competitions organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Based on the recommendation of a broad-based evaluation committee, the board of the academy selected the candidates who will get a proposal to become academy research professors and establish an academy research professorship at their university.

For more information, please see the University of Tartu website.