Ukrainian researchers Petro Baykovskyy and Anton Shekhovtsov visited SNSPA within the CIVICA Faculty Short Visits scheme. Both visits lasted five days and took place between the end of March and the beginning of April 2025, but they involved different SNSPA faculties: the Faculty of Political Science and the Faculty of Public Administration.
Petro Baykovskyy is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv and the Program Director of the UCU Certificate Program on European Integration. His academic background includes a PhD in Political Science from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv; he spent part of his doctoral studies at Humboldt University in Berlin. ‘My research interests focus mostly on European integration, comparative politics, party politics, political ideologies, and Euroscepticism’, explains Petro.
What research are you currently doing?
I am involved in several research projects. One of them explores the potential impact of Ukraine’s EU accession process on the growth of Eurosceptic sentiments in the European Union. I am also a researcher in the Horizon Europe project titled ‘Continuous Construction of Resilient Social Contracts through Transformation (CO3)’. In parallel, I am developing the UCU Certificate Program on European Integration, which aims to combine academic knowledge with practical insights from EU member states.
How did you find out about the CIVICA Short Visit Scheme?
I learned about the CIVICA Short Visit Scheme through the academic network at my Ukrainian Catholic University (Faculty of Social Sciences).
Have you heard about CIVICA before?
My first personal engagement with CIVICA began during my study visit to Brussels in December 2024. This visit was perfectly organised and part of my broader involvement in European studies. This experience provided me with valuable insight into CIVICA’s mission and activities.
Describe your most valuable activities during the CIVICA Faculty Short Visits at SNSPA.
It was a great pleasure to visit SNSPA. I truly appreciated the warm welcome and the engaging academic atmosphere.
One of the most valuable aspects of the visit was the opportunity to have in-depth conversations with colleagues, especially with Dr Claudiu Crăciun, Head of the Department of Political Science and European Studies, and with Dr Henry Rammelt, a research fellow at the Faculty of Political Science at SNSPA. Their insights and openness to collaboration were particularly inspiring.
During my stay, I delivered a guest lecture for political science students titled ‘Ukraine: Statehood, European Aspirations, and the Challenge of Euroscepticism.’ The students demonstrated a high level of engagement and critical thinking, making the lecture a truly rewarding experience.
Some promising outcomes?
We discussed the potential development of European Studies at the Ukrainian Catholic University, drawing on the substantial experience of Romanian colleagues in this field. Additionally, we explored the possibility of future research partnerships, which could be highly beneficial for both institutions.
Among the promising outcomes of this visit is the intention to establish Erasmus mobility between UCU and SNSPA. I see great potential in deepening academic cooperation through student and faculty exchanges.
Do you have any suggestions about the CIVICA scheme you were part of?
The CIVICA scheme is a great initiative that fosters academic exchange, collaborative research, and knowledge sharing among scholars in the European educational space. One suggestion would be to strengthen the long-term impact of these short visits by supporting follow-up activities, such as joint publications, collaborative grant applications, or virtual events.
Anton Shekhovtsov is a visiting professor and senior researcher at the Central European University in Vienna. He learned about the scheme he is benefiting from a CIVICA email advertising the call for application. Anton’s research interests include political warfare, far-right politics, Russian politics, and climate-related disinformation, but they are not limited to these.
“While visiting the SNSPA, I engaged in the following activities: gave two lectures to students and staff; discussed future academic cooperation with the senior staff of the Faculty of Public Administration; discussed Romanian politics with SNSPA staff,’ said Anton.
He chose to visit SNSPA because he is interested in current developments in Romanian politics. He wanted to hear insights into those developments from academics at SNSPA and other Romanian institutions. ‘I also wanted to explore avenues of potential academic cooperation with SNSPA,’ he added.
He is currently engaged in three research projects: climate-related disinformation, European far-right politics, and anti-Ukrainian ideas in contemporary Russian politics.
Anton was concise and direct when asked for his opinion on the scheme: “No suggestions so far; I hope the CIVICA initiatives will continue.”
CIVICA, the European University of Social Sciences, selected 27 scholars and postdoctoral researchers to participate in the sixth round of faculty short visits between May 2025 and May 2026, bringing the total number of participants to 129. The CIVICA Faculty Short Visits scheme aims to foster a closer relationship between the ten universities and offer researchers opportunities to network with others. Strengthening the relationship between researchers allows them to enhance their research, including developing new research with peers they meet during these visits.
The CIVICA alliance consists of the following universities: Bocconi University, Central European University, European University Institute, Hertie School, IE University, SNSPA, Sciences Po, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, The London School of Economics and Political Science.
