Summary

At the University of Portsmouth, I am a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations. I am also a member of the Centre for European and International Studies Research. 

My academic and research interests include European geopolitics, European regionalisation, and Central and Eastern European affairs (with a particular focus on post-communist transformation and civic activism in Ukraine, Russia, and Poland). I also have a background in mass communication and mass information. 

I have written, edited, or co-edited three books on Russo-Ukrainian relations (Ukraine and Russian Neo-imperialism: The Divergent Break), regionalisation in Central and Eastern Europe (Intermarium: Polish-Ukrainian Linchpin of Baltic-Black Sea Cooperation), and post-communist transformation (Meandering in Transition: Thirty Years of Reforms and Identity in Post-Communist Europe). Apart from this, I have authored more than 25 peer-reviewed research articles/chapters and dozens of publications in the media.  

In 2022-23 I worked as a political analyst for the Forum for Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta (Canada), to identify and counter Russian disinformation in North American Media. 

Since 2015, I have served as a member of the editorial board of the Central European Journal for International and Security Studies (CEJISS).

I am a supporter of the informational society and Western values. Philosopher on the topics of astropolitics and the digitized world. Populariser of science and car blogger. Fantasy writer.

For regular updates and insights into my work, you can follow me on @OstapKushnir.

Teaching responsibilities

I currently teach several modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels: 

At the undergraduate level, I coordinate Analysing Foreign Policy (Level 5), and co-deliver Key Themes (Level 4) and Security Challenges in the 21st Century (Level 6). All three modules are a core for the BA (Hons) degree in International Relations programme. 100% of our graduates who take this degree are in work or further study. 

At the postgraduate level, I co-deliver Defence and Deterrence (Level 7). This module introduces students to the challenges and issues associated with deterring modern security threats. This is a core module for the following Master's level programmes: MA International Relations (Campus based) and MA International Relations and Politics. 

I also supervise students tasking the Humanities and Social Science MRes programme and PhD research.