Field work conducted in Kharkiv and Chernivtsi

The Kharkiv team and NIBR researchers have conducted field work in Kharkiv and Chernivtsi oblasts in October 2019. We conducted interviews with experts, politicians, civil society organisations, local administration, school principals and others. Focus group discussions were organised with parents. Now the Kharkiv team is busy transcribing the interviews. Here is a photo of ARDU researchers from the University in Chernivtsi.

Andreas Umland with new publications on Ukrainian decentralisation reform

Together with Valentyna Romanova, Andreas Umland has several new publications:

Ukraine’s Decentralization Reforms Since 2014 Initial Achievements and Future Challenges, published with the Chatham House.

Achievements and Prospects of Ukraine’s Decentralization Reforms Since 2014, published with Voxukraine.org

Ukrainian Local Governance Prior to Euromaidan: The Pre-History of Ukraine’s Decentralization Reform, published with the Kennan Institute

ARDU – a project studying identity and political reform in Ukraine

Photo: Kharkiv railway station. (Flickr Thomas Nilsson)

 

ARDU examines how ethnicity, language and regional-local identity interact within the context of political reform in Ukraine. The project’s main aim is to find out to what extent, and how, current Ukrainian decentralisation, education and language policies affect social cohesion among ethnocultural groups in two very different border regions. Kharkiv in the east and bordering Russia, has a sizable Russian ethnocultural population, while the western region of Chernivtsi borders Romania and comprises a substantial Romanian minority.

The project also studies how Ukraine’s ethnic policies affect relations with neighbouring states. By focusing on current political reforms, ARDU will add to the emerging research on identity and politics in Ukraine, an issue which is highly important for the country’s stability.