The Network Plus initiative unites leading experts and research centres from the UK and overseas to address research gaps and needs during a period of significant societal, geopolitical, and environmental change across the Eurasian landmass.
The funding was awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of their Building a Secure and Resilient World strategic theme. UK Research and Innovation creates knowledge with impact by investing over £8 billion a year in research and innovation through the UK’s nine leading funding councils. Network partners include the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Oxford, together with the Institute of Development Studies and the Royal United Services Institute in the UK. Overseas, partners include Colgate University in the USA; the Ukrainian Catholic University; OSCE Academy Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan; National Taiwan University; Helsinki University in Finland; and Hokkaido University in Japan.
This Network Plus brings together more than 30 academics, policymakers, and artists from leading centres of excellence, expertise, and training (7 UK and 6 Overseas) to comprehend, evaluate and address the challenges evident across a region encompassing Russia, China, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Central and Eastern Asia. It aims to create new syntheses, knowledge and networks, build new capacities, and train and mentor early career academics and policymakers.
More specifically, it aims to advance innovative new partnerships within academic and policy circles linked to a range of urgent thematic areas including social upheaval, geopolitics and security, environmental crisis, human rights, Russia-China relations, and post- conflict reconstruction. Through the network, open calls for new research, policy & research training, and arts-based initiatives will be funded each year between 2024 and 2028. In addition, there will be annual workshop devoted to priority emerging themes.
Recent calls for calls for the fellowships, research grants and workshops.
Professor in Russian Environmental Studies
Staff profile for Dr Jonathan Oldfield, Reader in Russian Environmental Sciences in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Director of Internationalisation at the University of Birmingham.
Senior Lecturer in Human Geography
Staff profile for Dr John Round, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
Senior Fellow (Associate Professor research path)
Staff profile for Dr Stergios-Aristoteles Mitoulis.
Associate Professor
Dr Irina Kuznetsova, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences is a sociologist and social geographer researching migration, religiosity, health, disabilities studies, social policy and accessible cities
Associate Professor in International Relations
Cerwyn Moore is a senior lecturer in International Relations. He teaches and writes on terrorism and insurgency linked to the North Caucasus, particularly suicide attacks, foreign fighters and mass hostage-taking.
Associate Professor in Human Geography
Dr Paul Richardson is a political geographer with a regional focus on Russia and Eurasia. His research relates to reconfigurations of borders, sovereignties, and identities in a globalised world.
Professor of Law
Profile of Professor Chris Thornhill, Professor of Law at Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham
Maksym Kolyba
Nataliya Yakymets
