YULIA KAZDOBINA

YULIA KAZDOBINA 

Yuliya Kazdobina is a prominent figure in the field of international security, particularly in relation to Ukraine. She holds the position of Security Studies Program Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism". In addition to her role at Ukrainian Prism, she is also the head of the Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies, a non-governmental think tank focusing on information security and countering Russian influence.

Kazdobina's academic background includes a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Rochester and a Master’s in International and Area Studies from Brigham Young University, supplemented by a degree in translation/interpretation from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University. Her professional journey has involved various significant roles, such as serving as an advisor to the Ukrainian Information Policy Minister on Crimea from 2016 to 2019, where she was instrumental in coordinating the drafting of the government information strategy for Crimea, which was adopted in December 2018.

Her research and work primarily focus on countering Russian influence, information policy and information security, Russian strategy in the current conflict, negotiations as a tool of hybrid warfare, and broader European and Ukrainian security issues. Before joining the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research as a Crimea analyst and later as a political analyst for the US Embassy in Kyiv, she gained substantial experience in these domains.

Kazdobina's expertise and contributions are pivotal in understanding and addressing contemporary challenges in international security, particularly those affecting Ukraine and its geopolitical situation