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My current research activities concentrate on eight main areas:
- Economic, Political and Social Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and South-East Europe (SEE);
- Economic, Political and Social Transformations in the Russian Federation and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CSI);
- Economic, Political and Social Transformations in Sub-Saharan Africa;
- Economic, Political and Social Transformations in Middle and North Africa (MENA);
- Migration and Social Protection in the Enlarged European Union (EU);
- Democratization and Consolidation of Democratic Institutions;
- Social Mechanisms and Sociology of European Integration; and
- Human and Socio-Economic Security.
1. Economic, Political and Social Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and South-East Europe (SEE)
Economic, political and social transformations in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and South-East Europe (SEE) is the first and oldest strand of my research activities. It started with my PhD at the University of Erfurt (Germany) and continues up to present date. The countries involved in my investigations include the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia for Central Europe; Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for the Baltic States; Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo Under UNSC 1244, TFYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia for South-East Europe. A special attention of my investigations is given to the reforms of the systems of social protection, including welfare state restructuring, emergence of new social risks and poverty reduction strategies. A particular emphasis of my studies is also given to democratizazion theories and consolidation of democratic institutions.
2. Economic, Political and Social Transformations in the Russian Federation and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CSI)
Economic, political and social transformations in the Russian Federation and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CSI) is the second strand of my research activities. The countries involved in this region include: Belarus, Moldova, Russian Federation and Ukraine for the Western CIS; Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia for the Caucasus; and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for the Central Asian Republics. My research focus in this region primarily involves the most recent political, economic and social developments. Issues related to welfare state transformations, oil-led economic growth and democratization are also considered.
3. Economic, Political and Social Transformations in Sub-Saharan Africa
Economic, political and social transformations in Sub-Saharan Africa is the third strand of my research activities. The countries under investigation include: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Here, I am interested in the interaction between development economics, social protection policies and democratization. I am currently writing a single-author volume for Palgrave Macmillan entitled: 'Permanent Emergency Welfare Regimes in Sub-Saharan Africa'. It is scheduled to be published in 2012.
4. Economic, Political and Social Transformations in Middle and North Africa (MENA)
Economic, political and social transformations in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the fourth strand of my research activities. The countries under scrutiny involve: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. Here, my primary attention is given to the reforms of the systems of social protection and the repercussions for the process of modernization, democratization and consolidation of democratic institutions.
5. Migration and Social Protection in the Enlarged European Union
My research activities are also focused on the very crucial issue of migration and social protection in the enlarged European Union. The countries involved here include: Austria, Beligium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom. A particular attention is given to the issue of mobility after enlargement and the strains it puts (or not) on the welfare states of member states.
6. Democratization and Consolidation of Democratic Institutions
Recognizing the profound significance of social and economic policies for the transition towards democracy, a significant part of my research activities is also devoted to democratization and consolidation of democratic institutions. Here, my primary attention is given to Central and Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, Russian Federation, Commonwealth of Independent States (CSI), Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Sub-Saharan Africa.
7. Social Mechanisms and Sociology of European Integration
My research activities also focus on social mechanisms and sociology of European Integration. Here, I apply and expand my early work on mechanisms of institutional change to the establishment of the European Union.
8. Human and Socio-Economic Security
Human and socio-economic security represents the final strand of my research activities. In this area, my investigations aim at analyzing various challenges to the human security of the most vulnerable groups in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Commonwealth of Independent States (CSI), MENA region and Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Research
