Considering Major Issues in Political Science from the Slavic-Eurasian Region

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, surprised the world. While I was aware that the relationship between Russia and Ukraine was fraught with various problems, I never thought it would lead to war, and I have had much to reflect on since the conflict began. The two countries that I have considered my main fields of study have entered into a full-scale war, and many of the local people I know have been caught up in it. Although my days are swayed by various emotions, as a researcher, I believe I must calmly consider why it escalated to war.

My field of specialization, Slavic-Eurasian studies, primarily focuses on the countries that emerged from the sudden dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. This region shook the world with the Russian Revolution in 1917, gave birth to the unique political system of the Communist Party regime, reigned over world politics as one of the two poles alongside the United States during the Cold War, and shook the world again with the dissolution of a massive state in 1991. Now, it has once again captured global attention with the Russia-Ukraine war. However, despite the frequency of such major events, it seems that they only become a matter of transient interest each time they occur, rarely becoming a subject of constant attention. This is a shortcoming of researchers in this region, including myself, but I can still say with confidence that the politics of this area are extremely fascinating.

To consider war and peace, a classic problem in international politics, a deep understanding of this region, which is currently at war, is extremely important. It goes without saying that the Russian Revolution continues to be a classic case study for considering the political phenomenon of revolution. Today, few people would think of the Soviet Union when considering what democracy is, but the Soviet political system was officially claimed to be more democratic than that of the West. Most of the new states born in 1991 initially lacked the structure of a nation. By observing their subsequent development, we can witness the process of state-building in real time. Furthermore, the multiethnic nature of this region offers valuable insights for considering one of today's most important issues: the coexistence of multiple ethnic groups.

I myself have pursued my research with one foot in the historical theme of the collapse of the Soviet system and the other in the contemporary politics of Russia and Ukraine. Whether I am working on a historical theme or contemporary politics, I always feel an intellectual excitement when I set foot on the ground for my research. I hope to share the fascination of this region with my students and consider the major questions of political science together.