Professor Kataryna Wolczuk

Professor Kataryna Wolczuk

Department of Political Science and International Studies
Professor of East European Politics

Contact details

Address
Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies
School of Government
Muirhead Tower
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Qualifications

  • PhD Russian and East European Studies (Birmingham)
  • MSocSc Russian and East European Studies (Birmingham)
  • Magister of Law (University of Gdansk, Poland)

Biography

Professor Wolczuk specialises in East European politics. Currently she is researching relations between the EU and the post-Soviet countries within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership. She is also conducting research on Russia's role in the 'shared neighbourhood' and any potential impact for EU's role and policies in the post-Soviet space.

Previously she studied the dynamics of state-building in Ukraine (especially constitutional reforms, institutional framework, legislative-executive relations), as well as the conception of nationhood and national identity in Central and Eastern Europe. Her research interests also included Polish-Ukrainian relations in the context of EU enlargement and relations between Ukraine and the enlarged EU.

Professor Wolczuk contributed to numerous policy-related initiatives and cooperated with and advised a number of UK governmental bodies, international organisations and think-tanks on East European politics, the consequences of EU enlargement and the relations between the EU and its eastern neighbours.

She has extensive media experience, including TV and radio interviews, as well as publications in the British and international press.

Kataryna Wolczuk interviewed on BBC3

In 2002-03 she was Jean Monnet Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, the European University Institute, Florence.

Her language competencies include:

  • Polish - native
  • Russian - advanced
  • Ukrainian - near-native
  • Belarussian - full comprehension
  • French - intermediate
  • Italian - introductory

Teaching

Undergraduate

  • Contemporary Russian and East European Politics (2nd and Final year options)
  • Cultural Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe (2nd and Final year options)

Postgraduate supervision

Professor Wolczuk has extensive experience in successful supervision of PhD students from numerous countries on various topics related to Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. She is happy to supervise doctoral researchers on domestic politics and international relations of the post-Soviet countries, especially with regard to the EU and/or Eurasian integration.

She has recently competed supervising the following doctoral students: Katharina Hoffmann (Germany), Duncan Leitch (UK) and Nino Kemoklidze (Georgia).

Research

Research interests

  • Relations between the EU and the post-Soviet states in Europe in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership
  • Impact of the EU on domestic change in the eastern partner countries
  • Integration processes in the post-Soviet space (with particular reference to the Eurasian Economic Union)
  • Institutional framework, constitutional politics and executive-legislative relations in the post-Soviet states
  • Nationalism, nation-building and national identity in the post-communist countries

Current and recent projects

  • Partner in the EU-funded H2020 consortium EU-STRAT ‘The EU and Eastern Partnership Countries: An Inside-Out Analysis and Strategic Assessment’, coordinated by Free University Berlin (overall funding of the consortium: 2.3mln). Duration: 2016-2019.
  • UoB Lead for the EU-funded FP7 project ‘CASCADE: Security and democracy in the neighbourhood: the case of the Caucasus’. The project provides a comprehensive, inter-disciplinary analysis of the challenges related to security and democratisation in the Caucasus region. Project duration: 3 years (2014- 2016).
  • ESRC-funded interdisciplinary project ‘Russia and the EU in the Common Neighbourhood: Export of Governance and Legal (In)Compatibility‘ under the ‘Rising Powers’ call. The project investigates how and with what effect Russia engages in the export of governance to the post-Soviet states in Europe and its implications for the EU's system of regional governance. The project involves empirical research in Russia as well as Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia. The co-applicant is Dr Rilka Dragneva-Lewers (School of Law, UoB). The total funding of the project is just over £380,000 and the project’s duration is 3 years (Jan 2013- Dec 2015).
  • ESRC-funded international collaborative project EUIMPACTEAST - Exploring the Impact of the EU on Domestic Change in the Post-Soviet States (Jun 2011- June 2014). The project examines domestic changes in Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership. This is an international UK-French project in collaboration with Dr Laure Delcour (under the Open Research Area in Europe scheme).
  • 'Declarative Europeanisation': Ukraine and its Policy towards the European Union (funded by the British Academy, 2006-7)
  • RIME (Releasing Indigenous Multiculturalism in Eastern Europe) funded by the European Commission under EIDHR programme on 'Combating Racism, Xenophobia & Discrimination against Ethnic Minorities & Indigenous People' (2003-6)
  • (participant in) an international project 'Ukraine and the Enlarging EU' by the Stefan Batory Foundation, Warsaw (2002-4 & 2009-10)
  • ESRC-funded project 'Fuzzy Statehood' and European Integration in Central and Eastern Europe' (1999-2001)

Other activities

Current activities:

  • Associate Fellow, Chatham House (Russia and Eurasia Programme)
  • Member of the Advisory Board of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House.
  • Judge for the annual book prize on East-Central Europe for the British Association for Slavic and East European Studies (BASEES)
  • Member of the Editorial Board of the Review of Central and East European Law

Previous activities:

  • Member of the Advisory Board of the Polish-American-Ukrainian Cooperation Initiative (PAUCI) Warsaw / Kyiv
  • Member of the Advisory Board of the East European Studies Distance Learning Programme, the Free University Berlin.
  • Acted as an Expert to the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament

Publications

Books/Edited Volumes

Ukraine between the EU and Russia: The Integration Challenge (Palgrave Pivot, 2015) [with R. Dragneva]

‘The Ukrainian Crisis and the Post-Post-Cold War Europe’ Special Issue of the Europe-Asia Studies, 64(4), 2016 [co-edited with Derek Averre]

‘Beyond geopolitics: exploring the impact of the EU and Russia in the “contested neighborhood”’. Special Issue of the Eurasian Geography and Economics, 57(1), 2016.

Dragneva, R. and Wolczuk, K (eds.) (2013)  Eurasian Economic Integration: Law, Politics and Policy , Chelthenham: Edward Edward, [http://www.e-elgar.com/bookentry_main.lasso?id=15316].

Wolczuk, K (with others) (2010) Beyond Colours: Assets and Liabilities of 'Post-Orange' Ukraine (PDF 1.2MB, opens new window)  (Stefan Batory Foundation, Warsaw).

Wolczuk, K. and Yemelianova, G. (eds) (2008) 'When the West Meets the East: Exploring Ethnic Diversity in Eastern Europe', Nationality Papers, Vol. 36, No. 2 (May) [guest editors of the Special Issue]

Wolczuk, K. (2002) The Moulding of Ukraine: The Constitutional Politics of State Formation (Budapest: Central European University Press), pp. XXI + 315

Wolczuk, K. and Wolczuk, R. (2002) Poland and Ukraine: A Strategic Partnership in a Changing Europe? (opens new window) (London: Royal Institute of International Affairs)

Wolczuk, K. and Batt, J. (2002) Region, State and European Enlargement in Central and Eastern Europe (Frank Cass) (co-edited with Judy Batt) [Also published as a special issue of Regional and Federal Studies (Vol 12, No. 2, 2002)]

Journal Articles and Book Chapters (selected)

Wolczuk, K. (2016). ‘Ukraine and Europe: Re-Shuffling the Boundaries of Order’. Thesis Eleven 136(1): 54-73.

Ademmer, E. Delcour, L. & Wolczuk, K. (2016). ‘Beyond geopolitics: exploring the impact of the EU and Russia in the “contested neighborhood”’. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 57(1), 1-18.

Wolczuk, K. (2016). ‘Managing the flows of gas and rules: Ukraine between the EU and Russia’. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 57(1), 113-137.

Lightfoot, S. Szent-Iványi, B. & Wolczuk, K. (2016). ‘Mesmerized by Enlargement: The EU’s Eastern Neighborhood Policy and New Member State Transition Experience’. East European Politics & Societies 30(3), 664-684

Dragneva, R. & Wolczuk, K. (2016). ‘Between Dependence and Integration: Ukraine's Relations with Russia’. Europe-Asia Studies, 68(4), 677-698.

Delcour, L. & Wolczuk, K. (2015). ‘The EU’s Unexpected ‘Ideal Neighbour’? The Perplexing Case of Armenia’s Europeanisation’. Journal of European Integration, 37(4), 491-507.

Delcour, L. & Wolczuk, K. (2015). ‘Spoiler or facilitator of democratization? Russia's role in Georgia and Ukraine’. Democratization, 22(3), 459-478.

Delcour, L. and Wolczuk, K (2013) ‘Eurasian Economic Integration and Implications for the EU's policy in the Eastern Neigbhourhood’ in R. Dragneva and K. Wolczuk (eds.) Eurasian Economic Integration: Law, Policy, and Politics, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 179-203 

Wolczuk, K. (2011) ‘EU Law Export to the Eastern Neighbourhood and an Elusive Demand for Law’ in P. Cardwell (ed) EU External Relations Law and Policy in the Post-Lisbon Era, TMC Asser Press, (with R. Dragneva)

Wolczuk, K. (2012)  ‘Convergence without Membership? The Impact of the European Union in the Neighbourhood: Evidence from Ukraine’, Journal of European Public Policy, 19:6, pp. 863-881 (with J. Langbein)

Wolczuk, K. (2010) ‘Convergence without Finalité: EU strategy towards post-Soviet states’, in K. Handerson and C. Weaver (eds.), The Black Sea Region and EU Policy: the challenge of divergent agendas (Ashgate).

Wolczuk, K. (2009) 'Implementation without Coordination: The Impact of the EU Conditionality on Ukraine under the European Neighbourhood Policy', Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 61, No. 2 (March).

Wolczuk, K. and Yemelianova, G. (2008) 'Introduction: When the West Meets the East: Exploring Ethnic Diversity in Eastern Europe', Nationality Papers, Vol. 36, No. 2 (May)

Wolczuk, K. (2008) 'Ukraine and its relations with the EU in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy', Chaillot Paper No.108 (Paris: EU Institute for Strategic Studies), pp. 87-118.

Wolczuk, K. (2007) 'Whose Ukraine?: Language and Regional Factors in the 2004 and 2006 Elections in Ukraine', European Yearbook of Minority Issues. Vol. 5 (2005/2006), Leiden, Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers

Briefing Papers and Newspaper Articles (selected)

Dragneva, R and Wolczuk, K. (2017) 'The Eurasian Economic Union: Deals, Rules and the Exercise of Power', Research Paper, Chatham House, London, 2017

Delcour, L. and Wolczuk, K. (2013) ‘Approximation of the National Legislation of Eastern Partnership Countries with EU Legislation in the Economic Field’, Study, Directorate General for External Policies of the Union, European Parliament, Brussels, 2013

Dragneva, Rilka and Wolczuk, Kataryna, 'Russia, the Eurasian Customs Union and the EU: Cooperation, Stagnation or Rivalry?' (August 6, 2012). Chatham House Briefing Paper REP BP 2012/01 [a shortened version of the paper was also published in Ukraine]

Wolczuk, K (2012) 'The EU and its Eastern Partners: Energy Needs and Future Prospects', a study commissionned by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on the energy situation in the EU and EaP countries (with others).

Wolczuk, K (2011) ’Perceptions of, and Attitudes towards, the Eastern Partnership amongst the Partner Countries’ Political Elites, Eastern Partnership Review n°5, Estonian Centre of the Eastern Partnership.

Wolczuk, K. (2010) 'Analysis of the national indicative programme 2011-2013 for Ukraine' (PDF 639, opens new window), Ad Hoc Briefing, prepared for the Policy Department, Directorate-general for external policies of the union, European Parliament (Brussels).

Wolczuk K (2008) A Dislocated and Mistranslated EU-Ukraine Summit, EU-ISS Opinion (opens new window), pp 1-3.

Wolczuk, K. (2005) 'Ukraine after the Orange Revolution' (PDF 132KB opens new window), Policy Brief, Centre for European Reforms.

Wolczuk, K. (2004) ‘Integration without Europeanisation: Ukraine and Its Policy Towards the European Union’, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, EUI, EUI Working Papers, RSCAS No. 2004/15, pp.1-22.

Wolczuk, K. (2001) 'Justice and Home Affairs in the Context of Enlargement',Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Policy Paper No. 2001/04, (Dec 2001), pp. 1-20 (with Horst Günter Krenzler)

Radio, Newspaper Articles and Interviews (selected)

Wolczuk, K. (2009/2010) ‘The Essay: The World Turned Upside Down’, BBC Radio 3 talk to mark the 20th anniversary of the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe (first broadcast in November 2009 and repeated in August 2010). 

Wolczuk, K. (2007) 'The Iron Princess (Profile of Yulia Tymoshenko) (opens new window)', The Independent on Sunday (Magazine), 16 Oct.

Wolczuk, K. and Wolczuk, R. (2004) 'Cold Comfort for Ukraine', Wall Street Journal (Europe), 10-12 Sep

An interview with Dr Wolczuk for Den, the leading Ukrainian daily newspaper is available at:

http://www.day.kiev.ua/222787 (original, in Ukrainian)

http://www.day.kiev.ua/223155 (translation of the interview, English version of Den)

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Foreign, security and development policy

Expertise on politics of Russia, Ukraine and Poland as well as EU's eastern policy