Maksym Yakovlyev
Fellow 2025/2026
Political Science
National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Open Society University Network/CEU Institute of Advanced Study, Budapest-Ukraine
yakovlevmv@ukma.edu.ua
Bio
Maksym Yakovlyev was born in Donetsk in 1982 and graduated with honors from the only Ukrainian-language school in the city. In 1999, he moved to Kyiv to study at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), where he earned a BA in Sociology with a specialization in Social Work (2003) and an MA in Comparative Politics, cum laude (2005). In 2010, he defended his PhD thesis on institutional isomorphism and the transformations of post-Soviet countries.
At NaUKMA, he has taught research methods across six departments. He currently serves as Director of the School for Policy Analysis and Head of the Department of International Relations. Under his leadership, the department has grown significantly: he initiated and accredited the BA program in International Relations, established and accredited the MA program, and recently launched a PhD program in International Relations.
In addition to his academic work, Yakovlyev has been selected as a member of the Public Council at Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contributing his expertise to policy discussions and the advancement of international relations education in Ukraine.
(Re)placing Ukraine on Mental Maps in Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia
My project is centered on the ways to make Ukrainian voices heard in the region that is (still) known by the rather problematic title “Global South”. Trying to reach out to audiences in Latin America, Africa, South-East Asia is difficult for a number of reasons, many of them are still to be identified. The title of my project, starting with “(re)placing” implies that
- 1) in some cases Ukraine is already placed as a “USA proxy”, a “puppet of the West”, a “failed state” or a “colony of Russia”;
- 2) Ukraine is still seen either as a sphere of Russian influence or even as its “part” of some sort;
- 3) as a result of Russian propaganda, Ukraine may be perceived as a threat to security, as a “nazi-state” etc.
The term “mental map” is also problematic; however, by using this geographic, spatial metaphor I would like to find out how Ukraine is generally perceived and how it is placed mentally into different categories in countries across the globe. In order to do so, I will be using reflections on my experience of academic exchanges (co-teaching, academic visits) with Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. In addition, I will use data from interviews and surveys conducted in different countries, and I will also work on identifying the main narratives and topics about Ukraine and the Russian war on Ukraine.