MARIYA POPOVA 

Dr. Popova, currently serving as the Jean Monnet Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at McGill University in Montreal, possesses a diverse academic background with a BA in Spanish Literature and Government from Dartmouth College and a PhD in Government from Harvard University.

As the Editor of the Cambridge Elements Series on Politics and Society from Central Europe to Central Asia, and having held the Jean Monnet Chair on "Europe and the Rule of Law" from 2017 to 2021, Popova has played a pivotal role in shaping academic discourse in these areas.

Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, spanning the intersection of politics and law in the region. Her notable contributions include the award-winning book "Politicized Justice in Emerging Democracies", which investigates the weaponization of law in manipulating elections and controlling the media in Russia and Ukraine during the late-1990s to early-2000s. Her recent endeavors delve into contemporary issues such as judicial reform in Ukraine, the nexus between the rule of law and protest radicalization, and the intricate politics of corruption prosecutions across Eastern Europe.

Popova's expertise extends to critical areas such as the Russian War in Ukraine, focusing on Ukrainian democratization and Russian autocratization. Additionally, she offers profound insights into European politics, covering themes like the rule of law, corruption, Euro-Atlantic integration, and the complexities of Ukrainian and Russian domestic politics. In the realm of Comparative Judicial Politics, her analyses encompass judicial independence, the weaponization of law, and the intricate politics surrounding corruption prosecutions.