Research

The Centre for Russian and East European Studies (CREES) is one of the world’s leading research institutes in its field. Established in 1963, CREES is a multi-disciplinary centre with a strong orientation towards the social sciences and history. The Centre has been very successful in obtaining external research grants, for example from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Leverhulme Trust and UK Government departments.

The wide-ranging research programme of the Centre includes studies of Russian, Ukrainian and Central European politics, society and culture, post-socialist economic transformation, the history of Russia and the Soviet Union, and security studies.

Established scholars come to discuss research and collaborative work, and to use the resources of the library. Representatives of government, industry, international organisations and the media also draw on its expertise.

Research in the Department is concentrated around the various research themes:

  • History, Politics and Society of the Soviet Union and its Successor States
  • Europe in a Globalised World: East and Central
  • Identity, Ethnicity and Citizenship
  • Political Economy
  • Political Parties

Members of CREES are actively involved in the policy process, with long-established relations with UK government, international organisations, the business community and the media. Scholars wishing to spend time at CREES to undertake research are always welcome.

Latest research

Exploring the Role of the EU in Domestic Change in the Post-Soviet States (2011 - 13)

Description
The project seeks to answer the following question: 'What role does the European Union (EU) play in domestic change in the post-Soviet states'?

Innovative Teaching and Research through Academic Partnership (2010 - 13)

Description
The project will seek to develop innovative educational and research links between The University of Birmingham and the Kazakh-British Technical University.

Negotiating worker identity under post-socialism: an ethnographic approach (2010 - 11)

Description
The project will theorise, and provide a basis for comparative evaluation of, the impact of neoliberalism on the working class outside the normal.

More research projects throughout the department

Please direct any queries about the research conducted in the department to the Director of Research: Tim Haughton, Tel: + 44 (0)121 414 6360, Email: t.j.haughton@bham.ac.uk.

 

Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) result - The department celebrated its success as an international centre of excellence with yet another outstanding performance - placed 2nd in the ranking of world leading research and 4th on the Grade Point Average measure, in the European Studies unit of assessment. 

 

The results of a UK-wide research quality survey published on Thursday 18 December prove that the University of Birmingham’s research power has global reach and leads the world in a broad range of disciplines.

 

Learn more about the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)