The Authoritarian International: Tracing How Authoritarian Regimes Learn in the Post-Soviet space

My PhD at University College London (UCL) was on authoritarian learning, which has increasing relevance as authoritarian regimes are surviving and collaborating to counter democratic norms. Understanding how these regimes learn and develop the best strategies to counter authoritarian practices is increasingly crucial. With authoritarian regimes developing tools to share experience and learn how to survive efforts at democracy promotion are endangered. A monograph and articles addressing this will provide an understanding of the survival practices of authoritarian regimes, how they collaborate with one another and how they counter democracy promotion activities of Western states. A key aim of the Fellowship is to analyse a unique and interesting subject and direct attention to authoritarian perseverance and development of learning capacities. Findings of the research would benefit a wide audience, in academia, and in continental organisations, governments, and non-governmental organisations. During the PhD, I developed a methodology combining case studies, process-tracing and interviews to gather sufficient evidence to analyse how authoritarian regimes learn.

My PhD has contributed to the academic literature finding that authoritarian and democratic learning incorporates experiential and social learning theories. Experiential learning allows regimes to test what works and what does not. Social learning theory is about acquiring knowledge from the successes and failures of not only internal but also external examples. Authoritarian regimes learn from external and internal sources to develop appropriate survival strategies. The networks of authoritarian regimes are extensive and these systems play a significant role in linking authoritarian regimes together, which aids learning and the development of survival practices. Regional organisations are also crucial institutions as they allow authoritarian members to collaborate and provide venues for developing survival tactics.

During my PhD I published four articles on aspects of authoritarian learning:

2017a. "Learning from past experience: Yanukovych's implementation of authoritarianism after 2004." Journal of Eurasian Studies. 8(2): 161-171.

2017b. "Preventing a Colour Revolution: the Belarusian example as an illustration for the Kremlin?" East European Politics. 33(2): 162-183.

with Ambrosio, T. 2017. "Authoritarian learning: a conceptual overview." East European Politics. 33(2): 143-161.

2019. "Improving the Kremlin's Preventive Counter-Revolution Practices after the 2011-2012 Winter of Discontent and the Euromaidan." Russian Politics. 4(4): 466-491.

The main objective of the Fellowship is to enhance my publication record, by submitting articles to journals like Europe-Asia Studies, Problems of Post-Communism, Post-Soviet Affairs and the Journal of Democracy. Another objective is to turn the thesis into a monograph, allowing me to expand the literature and draw attention to the unique subject of authoritarian learning. As structured the thesis lends itself to publication as a book, and I will turn parts of the thesis into articles too. I will contact the two publishers I wish to submit to in Cambridge and Oxford University Presses. I have been in contact with Routledge over their BASEES series, having met the editor at a BASEES conference in 2018. While I disseminate my findings to a wider non-academic audience in the UK and Europe, I will also improve my contact network in America, Europe and the post-Soviet region through conference presentations. I will update my pre-existing fieldwork, based on my Russian-language skills in the region by trips to the four countries. I will also improve my pedagogical skills by guest lecturing in relevant modules. Under the Fellowship I will improve my publication record, and my network preparing me for my career in academia.