Dr. Maryna Shevtsova

I am a political scientist and policy advisor specializing in gender, sexuality, and civilian vulnerability in conflict-affected and post-Soviet contexts. I am currently a URIS fellow at the University of Basel, Switzerland, and an Adjunct lecturer at KU Leuven, Belgium.

I hold a PhD in Political Science from Humboldt University of Berlin and have received competitive international fellowships, including Fulbright (University of Florida), the Swedish Institute Fellowship (Lund University), and the MSCA EUTOPIA Fellowship at the University of Ljubljana.

My work focuses on how contemporary conflicts reshape social structures and civilian experiences, including gender roles, family dynamics, and sexual citizenship, and how these shifts intersect with state-building, nationalism, and geopolitical strategies. I have particular regional expertise in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, especially Ukraine and other post-Soviet contexts.

Alongside my academic research, I contribute to policy-oriented projects and consultancies on gender equality, displacement, and conflict-related vulnerabilities, working with international organizations, NGOs, and development actors. My work translates complex research into actionable insights for policy and programming.

I am also a co-founder of Equal Opportunities Platform, a Ukrainian NGO promoting gender equality and minority inclusion, and a recipient of the Emma Goldman Award (2022) for feminist scholarship and human rights advocacy.