FELLOWS 2016
LIANA SEMCHUK
University of Oxford
Bucerius Ph.D. Fellow
Separatist Movements: A Comparative Analysis of Intra-Regional Variation of Separatism in Ukraine
ABSTRACT
Between independence and November 2013, Ukraine witnessed no major regional tensions or ethnic antagonism. The current, violent inter-regional conflict is, therefore, unique and presents scholars with a puzzle: why did separatism gain momentum in Donetsk and Luhansk, but not in the neighboring Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhiadespite many similarities between all five oblasts? The project will examine how differences in media content, public attitudes and local power structures may have contributed to this regional variation. The implications of this research are both practically and academically important as the study explores the currently unexplained differences in the regional outcomes.
BIOGRAPHY
Liana is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Nuffield College. Liana completed a Master in Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Politics: Comparative Government at Oxford in June 2016. Additionally, Liana holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (magna cum laude) in Political Science from DePaul University, Chicago. Alongside her academic training, Liana previously worked for the United States Senate, and Illinois State Government.
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