New research to explore Russia’s influence in Europe
Published: 29 April 2026
The University of Glasgow has been announced as a core partner in a network that will explore Russian influence in Europe.
The University of Glasgow has been announced as a core partner in a network that will explore Russian influence in Europe as a complex and evolving set of relationships, narratives, and power structures, moving beyond reductive or media driven accounts.
The Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network, INFLUENCE – Russian Influences in the European Periphery: Interdependencies, Narratives, Power, is led by Vilnius University.
With a total value of €2,8 million, INFLUENCE is a major international investment in doctoral research and training. The network will explore Russian influence in Europe as a complex and evolving set of relationships, narratives, and power structures, moving beyond reductive or media driven accounts.
Research will focus on Europe’s strategically important eastern periphery—the Baltic States and the Western Balkans.
A defining feature of INFLUENCE is its strong commitment to intersectoral doctoral training. Alongside rigorous academic supervision, the ten doctoral researchers who will join the programme will benefit from secondments and structured engagement with non academic partners, including policy relevant and civil society environments.
The UofG team is led by Professor Luca Anceschi, who heads the University’s Central and East European Studies (CEES) subject group, and includes Dr Anna Dekalchuk and Dr Ammon Cheskin (CEES), and Dr Joanna Szostek (Politics). The team will play a central role in doctoral supervision, interdisciplinary training, and the delivery of the network’s intersectoral components.
Professor Luca Anceschi said: “This award further strengthens CEES’s reputation as a centre of excellence in Language-Based Area Studies, complementing its long standing success with Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degrees through CEERES. Together, these achievements reinforce the University of Glasgow’s position as a leading hub for East European and Eurasian Studies in the UK and internationally.”
First published: 29 April 2026