Articles by Victoria Portnaya

December 11, 2023

How Russia's educational 'Olympiads' end up spreading anti-regime attitudes

Victoria Portnaya

We used to believe that autocratic educational policies stifled free thought. However, as Russia's meritocratic policy supporting talented youth shows, state-created incentives can serve to spread 'dissident' ideas that differ from those presented in national exams. These ideas, writes Victoria Portnaya, may be adopted by a significant portion of schoolchildren preparing for intellectual competitions

Victoria Portnaya

Student, Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), Analyst Intern, KSE Center for Public Finances and Public Governance / Youth Fellow, International Youth Think Tank

Victoria's research focus is on social policy, postwar recovery, and democratisation.

She is also a Chatham House CFC member, a volunteer for the Center for Civil Liberties, and was a panel speaker at the Athens Democracy Forum 2023.

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