Congratulations to EURUS MA students Ediie Abdultairova, Matt Batten-Carew, and Varvara Shmygalova, who were recently awarded the Baha’i Community of Canada Bursary, the David Rachel Epstein Foundation Scholarship, and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Fellowship, respectively.
After completing a degree in international economics in Crimea, Ukraine, Ediie arrived in Canada, becoming more interested in international relations and politics following an internship in the Canadian Parliament, and working for the MP of the Nickel Belt federal electoral district. Ediie is specifically interested in researching socioeconomic relations between Crimean Tatars and the Ukrainian government during the mass repatriation of the 1990s. After graduating, she hopes to work for Canadian human rights organizations, such as the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC).
Matt’s primary research interest is regional security governance. At EURUS, he has focused on the Eurasian Economic Union’s capacity for engaging in socialization in the post-Soviet space. Matt hopes to pursue doctoral studies focusing on the comparative advantages of regional security governance in terms of early warning and conflict prevention. Matt became interested in EURUS due to his abiding interest in Central Asia and the greater post-Soviet space, first sparked while studying with Professor Jeff Sahadeo. While completing his studies at EURUS, Matt also works part-time with the Armed Conflict Locations & Events Dataset (ACLED).
Becoming interested in Russian politics during her
undergraduate studies, and convinced that understanding said politics is crucial to building Ukraine’s future, Varvara dedicated herself to studying Russia’s external politics during Vladimir Putin’s third presidential term. Before studying at EURUS, Varvara was the finalist of the 24th Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary program, permitting her to gain experience working in the Canadian Parliament. Following her studies, Varvara hopes to apply her knowledge in the domains of peace building and civil society development, as well as practical projects designed to improve Ukraine’s future.
EURUS is very proud of Ediie, Matt, and Varvara, and we wish them the best of luck in their continuing studies and future endeavours!