Why Study Comparative Politics of Eurasia?
Eurasia is not just a geographical term. It is a geopolitical space where history has shaped—and continues to shape—the fate of entire continents. From the dissolution of the Soviet Union to the shifting influence of great powers like China, the EU, and the United States, the region offers a rich laboratory for studying how politics works in practice.Today, understanding Eurasia is more relevant than ever. Global energy politics, post-imperial state-building, war and peace, authoritarian resilience, democratic backsliding—these are all phenomena that play out across the vast space from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. At HSE University-St Petersburg, the master’s programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’ equips students with theoretical tools and empirical knowledge to study these dynamics critically and comparatively. To explore why students choose this field—and how they envision using it—we spoke to several students of the programme, as well as a professor whose academic career is rooted in the region.
.png "Why Study Comparative Politics of Eurasia?")
Ayana Omoeva, 1st-year student, Kyrgyzstan
Political science has been a personal interest of mine, particularly in relation to the Eurasian region. Being from Kyrgyzstan, I’ve always wanted to understand the political dynamics of the post-Soviet space on a deeper level. This region’s complex transformations, diverse regimes, and evolving foreign relations intrigued me and motivated me to explore them in a structured academic setting.
Having been enrolled in ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’, my interest has been transformed from individual to one on a more academic level. I have been able to learn to apply political concepts and theory to analyse actual phenomena and thus decode the events of the region in a more structured way. This has allowed me to address critically the issues of concern to me with scholarly tools and comparative insights.
Prince Kennedy Eze, 1st-year student, Nigeria
What attracted me to the programme is the specific region — Eastern Europe, Russia precisely as well as the changing geopolitical dynamics in their foreign policy.
My perspective has changed drastically, prior to joining the programme, I knew little or nothing about the Eurasian history, politics and culture, but today, I have been well grounded in the knowledge about Eurasia both theoretically and practically. I am happy I didn’t hesitate to choose the track.
Demid Ivanov, 1st-year student, Russia
One of the most important regions that has to be studied more is the Central Asia and its relationship with Russia, alongside other actors. This seemed very important to me going into the programme. Adapting modern academic approaches with the added benefit of being close to the region is the key to better developing meaningful data and insights.
For me, this programme is a natural continuation of my bachelor’s degree in ‘Political Science and World Politics’, which already shaped my academic perspective over four years. As many of the same professors are involved, this track simply builds upon that foundation, offering deeper insights and more comparative tools.
Junseo Lee, 1st-year student, South Korea
As a student from South Korea, I’ve always been curious about how Eurasian countries manage both cooperation and competition—not only with each other but also with larger powers like China, the U.S., and the EU.
What attracted me to this programme was its unique focus on comparison: understanding not just how states function internally, but how they interact under shifting regional and global pressures. Being here at HSE University-St Petersburg has allowed me to see these dynamics unfold from within the region, and I believe this perspective will be essential in my future work on Korean foreign policy and Russia–Asia relations.
Aleksei Sorbale
Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Affairs
Eurasia is interesting from two perspectives. Firstly, it has amazing and unique geological, natural and geographical characteristics which distinguish this vast continent from all others. Secondly, Eurasia is the birthplace of experimenters and discoverers, the first complex human communities and proto-states, revolutionary political ideas and international organisations.
Social and political models, reforms and policies carried out by the countries of Eurasia are an example and a subject of emulation by polities all over the world. That is why it is so important and handy to study the processes that take place in the vast space from the countries of the Fertile Crescent to the Kazakh steppes and the Far East.
Why It Matters—and Who It’s For
The Master’s programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’ is more than just a major. It’s a space where students bring their regional knowledge, professional aspirations, and personal curiosity into a conversation with political science theory and practice. The diversity of voices—from Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, South Korea, and beyond—reflects the truly international nature of both the programme and the questions it tackles.
If you are curious about post-Soviet transformations, regional integration, conflict and cooperation in the post-Cold War world, or the evolution of authoritarian and democratic regimes, this programme offers not only a solid foundation but also a unique perspective.
Ready to join the conversation? Learn more about the master’s programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’ at HSE University-St Petersburg on the programme website and in the interview with Andrey Starodubtsev, academic supervisor of the programme. Become part of a growing community of scholars shaping the future of regional politics.
Text by Junseo Lee, 1st-year student of the Master’s programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia