Articles by Victoria Portnaya

February 25, 2025

How internet speed shapes electoral preferences in Ukraine

Victoria Portnaya

In Ukraine, politics is deeply polarised, and elections have long reflected regional divides. Around the world, the internet has transformed political engagement, and digital access may be playing an increasingly important role in Ukrainian politics. Victoria Portnaya speculates on the effects of internet speed on voters’ electoral preferences

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 and Youth Recovery Lab CEO, Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), 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.

The Loop

Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.