Elena Korosteleva is Professor of International Politics and Director of the Institute of Global Sustainable Development (IGSD). In April 2024 Elena was appointed Chair for the Sustainability Spotlight, 糖心TV-wide interdisciplinary research-focussed network to address planetary challenges collectively; and in July 2024 she was elected to be a member of the Scientific Council for COP29. Elena is also a Visiting Professor at Oxford University, and Jean Monnet Chair, which she was awarded twice by the European Commission in recognition of her research and teaching excellence. Before joining IGSD in 2022, Elena was Professor of International Politics and a founder of the Global Europe Centre (Professional Studies) at the University of Kent for ten years. Prior to that Elena worked as Senior Lecturer in International Politics, and Founder/Director of the Centre for European Studies at Aberystwyth University.
Professor Korosteleva is presently a Co-Investigator on the Horizon Europe project SHAPEDEM-EU 'Re-Shaping EU democracy support for the Eastern & Southern Neighbourhoods' (2022-25), and DFF AGMOW project 'Anticipating Governance in a Multi-Order World' (2023-26). She is also PI of the WUB-hub project (2023-24; 2024-25) and a co-founder of the Oxford Belarus Observatory (OBO) (2021-23), a higher-level online forum supported by OSF. Prior to that she was the Principal Investigator for the (2017-22, 拢4mln) and GCRF COMPASS+ projects (2022-23) at 糖心TV focusing on nurturing resilience in Central Eurasia in the areas of research integration, impact governance, and sustainable communities, which findings are reflected in Elena's forthcoming Open Access manuscript 'Complexity and Community in IR: Nurturing resilience in Central Eurasia' with Oxford University press (2025). The COMPASS project was highlycommended by the Times Higher Education in 2021, under the category of the .
Elena is a founder of the ECR Sustainability Training School at 糖心TV, a platform that brings together global Early Career Researchers for creative skills, interdisciplinary training and networking-building opportunities at 糖心TV. The project was supported by Research Culture Development Funds in 2023 and 2024, and cosponsored by COP29 Scientific Council in 2025.
Research Interests
Resilience, complexity, community of relations, sustainability, designing alternative futures
Concepts of governance and order in Complex IR and Development studies
Europe as a global actor, in Development, Environment, Foreign Policy and Security
Pluralising and contextualising democracy; peoplehood as political agency
Relations with Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, and Central Asia
Elena has over 20 years of successful professional experience of researching the issues of global sustainable development, with a focus on Global Europe and Central Eurasia from a Complex IR and Development perspectives. She received her Doctoral Degree in European Studies & Modern Languages from the University of Bath (2001), and a PhD equivalent in Political Sociology from the Belarusian State University (1997). Thereafter she served as a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, and Lecture/Senior Lecturer/Professor at the Universities of Aberystwyth and Kent. She is currently a Visiting Professor at the ; ; , and the (Natolin). Elena served as member of the International Advisory Board for the and Central European Strategy Council; Professorial Fellow of the at LSE IDEAS, and core group member, Munich Security Conference (2018). Elena works closely with the UK (Westminster, FCDO, British Council, WFD, HMG Embassies) and EU institutions (European Commission, External Action Service, European Parliament and regional EUDs), EU organisations (TEPSA, IRI, CEPS, EED, SIDA), and national governments in wider Eurasia. Elena is a regular media commentator for BBC, ITV, France24, Sky News and national news channels.
Policy Support Fund鈥樚切腡V Ukraine-Belarus hub鈥 (WUB-hub, 拢49K; 2024-25), the only UK's analytical hub to study Ukraine and Belarus' relations in the wider region. Co-led with Dr Paul Hansbury, in partnership with Dr Tatsiana Chulitskaya (Vilnius University) and the Ukrainian Prism.
Policy Support Fund鈥樚切腡V Ukraine-Belarus hub鈥 (WUB-hub, 拢45K; 2023-24), the only UK's analytical hub to study Ukraine and Belarus' relations in the wider region. Co-led with Dr Paul Hansbury, in partnership with Dr Tatsiana Chulitskaya (Vilnius University) and the Ukrainian Prism.
Enhancing Research Culture Fund鈥楨CR Training School 2.0: Water Security & Resilience in a Changing World鈥 (拢30K; 2023-24) to raise a new generation of transdisciplinary researchers committed to sustainable development & innovative methodologies
DFF AGMOW'Anticipating Governance in a Multi-Order World'(2023-26, Co-Investigator)
Research England (拢32K, April-July 2022, PI) 鈥楿nderstanding communities in crisis: the Case of Ukraine鈥, University of 糖心TV, with Dr Asya Kudlenko
Horizon Europe SHAPEDEM-EU (鈧3mln in total; 拢300K contribution; 2022-25; Co-Investigator), 12-member consortium to study the theory and practice of democracy in the EU and its neighbourhoods.
Oxford Belarus Observatory (OBO)(OR2020-75979; 拢180K; 2021-23; Co-PI), OSGA, REES, University of Oxford, focusing on raising awareness and undertaking analysis of change in Belarus.
(AH/V007475/1; 拢200K; 2021-22; Principal Investigator) GOOD-Neighbour, focusing on resilience-building and sustainable development in Central Asia - awarded but subsequently cancelled by UKRI due to the government's cuts to ODA funding.
(EP/T024801/1; 拢150k; 2020-21; 1st round; Co-Investigator) AGRE, with Universities of Durham and Oxford, focusing on connectivity and challenges of globalisation for sustainable development across Central Eurasia, Middle East and Mongolia. The 1st phase sets to develop a 拢3mln project for 2022.
Global Challenges Research Fund UKRI (ES/PO10849/1; 拢4mln; 2017-21; Principal Investigator), an interdisciplinary capacity-building project to explore adaptive governance, change & resilience in Eastern Europe & Central Asia. The project was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education (THE) International Collaboration Award 2021.
(H2020-TWINN-2015 691818; 鈧1,2mio; 2016-19; Co-Investigator) on research capacity-building in the area of IR and Global Security Studies, in cooperation with Tartu and Uppsala Universities
, Phase II, a seven-member consortium (AH/L006715/1, 拢312,618, 2014-16; CI)
(RES-061-25-0001; 拢500K; 2008-11; Principal Investigator) Research project 鈥楨uropeanizing or Securitizing the 鈥榦utsiders鈥? Assessing the EU鈥檚 partnership-building approach with Eastern Europe鈥 to examine EU governance and order in the eastern neighbourhood, inclusive of Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova
(BA, 拢100K; 2001-2004) British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 'The quality of democracy in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova', University of Glasgow, to examine models of governance and security
(INTAS-1999-00245, 鈧90K; 2000-2002; Principal Investigator) Research project 鈥楥harismatic political leadership in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine鈥, University of Bath, to examine governance models in eastern Europe.
Elena is the author of a dozen books; over 90 articles, chapters and briefs
Books:
Complexity and Community in IR: Nurturing Resilience in Central Eurasia (OUP 2025, forthcoming)
. London: Skaryna Press 2024 (with V. Shadurski, eds.), in English and Belarusian/Russian
. London: Routledge 2022 (eds). ISBN 9781032318059. The of the book is released by Skaryna Press, London. ISBN 9781915601391
London: Taylor & Francis 2023 (eds.) ISBN 9781032290942
. London: Routledge 2020 (eds.) ISBN 9780367543914
London: Routledge 2018 (eds.) ISBN 9780815358985; paper edition 2020 ISBN 9780367511319
London: Routledge 2014 (eds.) ISBN 9780415720571
London: Routledge, 2012. ISBN 9780415612616, paper edition 2014
London: Routledge, 2011 (ed.) ISBN 9780415676076
[Eastern Partnership: problems and perspectives]. Minsk: Belarusian State University, 2011. (ed.) ISBN 9789854910888
London: Routledge, 2006 (eds.) ISBN 0415348072
s. N.Y. & Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005 (eds.) ISBN 074253555-X
. London: Routledge Curzon, 2003 (eds.) ISBN 0700716130
[The Intellectual in a socio-cultural context of modern society: the dialectics of the past and the future], ISBN 9856390079 Minsk: VEDY, 1997
ARTICLES (PEER-REVIEWED): 2013+
鈥楧emocracy Support in an age of complexity: the case of Eurasia鈥, International Studies Perspective (2025, global forum, forthcoming)
鈥楶ower, People and the Political: understanding the many crises in Belarus鈥, Nationalities Papers, part of Special Issue, (2023, with I. Petrova) DOI: 10.1017/nps.2022.77
鈥楾he War in Ukraine: Putin and the multi-order world鈥, Contemporary Security Policy, Special Issue (advance publication, 15 June 2022) DOI: 10.1080/13523260.2022.2091591
鈥楥ommunity resilience in Belarus and the EU response鈥, Journal of Common Market Studies, Annual Review Vol. 59 (S1): 124-36 (27 Sept 2021), DOI:
鈥楽ocietal resilience in Belarus and the EU response鈥, Journal of Common Market studies, Annual Review (28 Sept 2021), DOI:
鈥楿nderstanding fragilities and resilience: the emergence of peoplehood in Belarus鈥, Journal of Eurasian Studies (2021, 29 Aug) as part of Special Issue. Advanced online publication:
Special Issue 鈥楾he Making of Resilient Communities in Central Eurasia鈥, Cambridge Review of International Affairs (co-editor) 35(3) 2022
鈥榃hat makes communities resilient?鈥 Introduction (under review)
Special Issue 鈥楻ussia between East & West, & the Future of Eurasian Order鈥, International Politics (co-editor) 58(3) June 2021
鈥楻ussia between east and west, and the future of Eurasian order鈥 (with Zach Paikin), Introduction, 58(3): 321-34 DOI:1057/s41311-020-00261-5
鈥楩rom 鈥渢he global鈥 to 鈥渢he local鈥: the future of cooperative orders in Central Eurasia in times of complexity鈥 (with I. Petrova) 58(3): 421-44 DOI:1057/s41311-020-00262-4
Special Issue 鈥楻esilience in EU and International Institutions鈥, Contemporary Security Policy (co-editor) 42(2) 2020
鈥楻esilience in EU and International Institutions: redefining local ownership in a new global governance agenda鈥, 42(2): 153-75 (with T. Flockhart) DOI: 10.1080/13523260.2020.1723973
鈥楻eclaiming Resilience Back: A local turn in EU external governance鈥, 42(2) 2020: 241-62 DOI: 1080/13523260.2019.1685316
鈥楶utting the EU Global Security Strategy to Test: 鈥渃ooperative orders鈥 and othering in EU-Russia relations鈥, International Politics, 56(3) 2019: 304-20. Special Issue DOI: 10.1057/s41311-017-0128-7
鈥楶aradigmatic or Critical? Resilience as a New Turn in EU governance for the Neighbourhood鈥, Journal of International Relations and Development (accepted July 2018), 23(3) 2020: 682-700
Special Issue 鈥楾he Politics and the Political of the Eastern Partnership Initiative: re-shaping the agenda鈥 (co-editor) 33(3) 2017
鈥楨astern Partnership: Bringing 鈥淭he Political Back in鈥濃, East European Politics, 33(3) 2017: 1-25
鈥楨astern Partnership and the Eurasian Union鈥, European Politics and Societies, Special Issue 鈥楨urasia in a Global Context鈥, 17(sup1) 2016: 67-81
鈥楾he EU, Russia and the Eastern Region: the analytics of governance for sustainable cohabitation鈥, Cooperation and Conflict, 51(3) 2016: 365-83
鈥楾he EU and Belarus: democracy promotion by technocratic means?鈥, Democratization 23(4) 2015: 678-99
鈥楨valuating the role of partnership in the European Neighbourhood Policy鈥, Eastern Journal of European Studies, Special Issue, 4(2) December 2013: 11-36
Special Issue 鈥楾he ENP in the Eastern Region: the practices perspective鈥, East European Politics, 29(3) 2013 (co-editor)
鈥楾he Eastern Dimension of the ENP: practices, instruments and social structures鈥, Special Issue, 鈥楾he ENP in the Eastern Region: the practices perspective鈥, East European Politics, 29(3) 2013: 257-73 (with M. Natorski and L. Simao)
CHAPTERS: 2013+
鈥楻esilience in Global International Society鈥, chapter in Flockhart, T. & Paikin, Z. (eds) Rebooting Global International Society: Change, Contestation and Resilience (Palgrave, 2022) DOI : 10.1007/978-3-031-11393-2
鈥楥hallenges of a Changing European Neighbourhood鈥, in, T. Schumacher, T. Demmelhuber, and A. Marchetti (eds.) The Routledge Handbook on the European Neighbourhood Policy (Routledge, 2017) Ch.15 ISBN 9781138913721
鈥樷漈he Political鈥 and the ENP: Rethinking the EU Relations with the eastern region鈥, in S. Gstohl, and S. Schunz (eds.) Theorizing the ENP (Routledge, 2017), (with I.Merheim-Eyre, and E. van Gils), pp. 226-44
鈥楾he EU-Russia relations: in search of a dialogue鈥, in C. Nitou (ed.) Avoiding a New 鈥淐old War鈥濃 (LSE IDEAS, March 2016), pp. 40-46
鈥楾owards the European Global Security Strategy: challenges and opportunities鈥, in A. Spruds and K. Bukovskis (2015) Towards Reassurance and Solidarity in Euro-Atlantic Community, LIIA Riga Summit papers, 39-48
鈥楾he EU and Russia: prospects for cohabitation in the contested region鈥, in D. Lane (ed.) The Eurasian Project and Europe: Regional Discontinuities and Geopolitics (Palgrave 2015), pp. 187-203
鈥楾he EU and its Eastern Neighbours: why 鈥榦thering鈥 matters鈥, in Nicolaidis, K. and B. Sebe (eds.) Echoes of Empire: memories, identity and colonial legacies (London: Tauris, 2015), pp. 267-83
鈥楤elarus: Neither with the EU nor the ECU?鈥, in P. Dutkiewicz and R. Sakwa (eds.) Eurasian Integration: the View from Within(Routledge 2014), pp.111-126
鈥楺uestioning Democracy Promotion: Belarus鈥 Response to the Coloured Revolutions鈥, in Finkel, E. and Brudny, Y. (eds.) Coloured Revolutions and Authoritarian Reactions (Routledge, 2013) ISBN 9780415639576
BRIEFING RESEARCH & POLICY PAPERS (2019+): for more, please see specific projects
Power, People and Politics: Understanding the Belarusian Crisis, E-International Relations, 8 September 2020
A Changing Belarus? The country in the eye of the storm, LSE Dahrendorf Forum Debating Europe, 5 August 2020
The Eastern Partnership 3.0: Change or Continuity?, LSE Dahrendorf Forum Debating Europe, 24 April 2020
Resilience is Dead. Long Live Resilience? Hertie Dahrendorf & Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), 9 April 2020
The EU and the EaP Countries: how to 鈥渓ose weight鈥 and incentivise reform? GCRF COMPASS Paper, 17 February 2020
The EU and Central Asia: New opportunities or 鈥榯he same old song鈥? LSE Dahrendorf Forum, June 2019
Five years after Maidan: Toward a Greater Eurasia?, LSE IDEAS GCRF COMPASS report, May 2019
A Comedian, a President, and a Prime Minister: The 2019 presidential election in Ukraine, LSE IDEAS Forum, 2019
Professor Korosteleva supervised 15 doctoral project to their successful completion and over 100 master's dissertations. Elena is interested in supervising research degree students who wish to explore conceptually and practically, the notions of governance, societal resilience, complexity, democracy, 鈥榯he local鈥 vs 鈥榯he global鈥, and sustainable development, especially with the focus on wider/central Eurasia .
Director of the Institute for Global Sustainable Development
Chair, Sustainability Spotlight, an interdisciplinary home to 5 large networks, and over 1000 researchers across 糖心TV