The Authoritarian International: Tracing How Authoritarian Regimes Learn in the Post-Soviet space

我在伦敦大学学院(University College London，UCL)攻读的博士学位是关于威权学习的，随着威权政权的生存和合作对抗民主规范，威权学习的相关性越来越大。理解这些政权如何学习和制定对抗威权做法的最佳战略变得越来越重要。随着威权政权开发分享经验和学习如何生存的工具，促进民主的努力正处于危险之中。一本关于这一问题的专著和文章将提供对威权政权的生存实践、它们如何相互合作以及它们如何对抗西方国家的民主促进活动的理解。研究金的一个主要目的是分析一个独特而有趣的主题，并直接关注专制的毅力和学习能力的发展。这项研究的结果将使学术界、大陆组织、政府和非政府组织的广泛受众受益。在博士期间，我开发了一种结合案例研究、过程跟踪和访谈的方法，以收集足够的证据来分析威权政权是如何学习的。我的博士学位有助于学术文献的发现，即威权和民主学习结合了经验学习和社会学习理论。体验式学习允许政体测试什么有效，什么不有效。社会学习理论是关于从内部和外部例子的成败中获取知识的理论。威权政权从外部和内部来源学习，以制定适当的生存战略。威权政权的网络很广泛，这些制度在将威权政权联系在一起方面发挥了重要作用，这有助于学习和发展生存实践。区域组织也是至关重要的机构，因为它们允许威权成员合作，并为制定生存策略提供场所。在我的博士学位期间，我发表了四篇关于威权学习方面的文章：2017a。《以史为鉴：2004年后亚努科维奇推行威权主义》《欧亚研究杂志》。8(2)：161-171.2017b.“防止颜色革命：以白俄罗斯为例来说明克里姆林宫？”东欧政治。33(2)：162-183。与Ambrosio，T.2017。“威权学习：概念性概述。”东欧政治。33(2)：143-161.2019。“在2011-2012年的不满之冬和欧洲独立广场之后，改进克里姆林宫的预防性反革命实践。”俄罗斯政治。4(4)：466-491.该奖学金的主要目的是通过向《欧亚研究》、《后共产主义问题》、《后苏联事务》和《民主杂志》等期刊投稿，提高我的出版记录。另一个目标是将这篇论文变成一本专著，让我能够扩展文献，并引起人们对威权学习这一独特主题的关注。按照结构，这篇论文适合作为一本书出版，我也会把论文的一部分变成文章。我会联系剑桥大学出版社和牛津大学出版社这两家出版商。我一直就他们的BASEES系列与Routledge保持联系，在2018年的BASEES会议上遇到了这位编辑。在向英国和欧洲更广泛的非学术受众传播我的发现的同时，我还将通过会议演讲改善我在美国、欧洲和后苏联地区的联系网络。我将根据我在该地区的俄语技能，通过访问这四个国家来更新我先前存在的实地考察工作。我还将通过客座讲授相关模块来提高我的教学技能。在奖学金的资助下，我将改善我的出版记录，我的网络将为我在学术界的职业生涯做好准备。

My PhD at University College London (UCL) was on authoritarian learning, which has increasing relevance as authoritarian regimes are surviving and collaborating to counter democratic norms. Understanding how these regimes learn and develop the best strategies to counter authoritarian practices is increasingly crucial. With authoritarian regimes developing tools to share experience and learn how to survive efforts at democracy promotion are endangered. A monograph and articles addressing this will provide an understanding of the survival practices of authoritarian regimes, how they collaborate with one another and how they counter democracy promotion activities of Western states. A key aim of the Fellowship is to analyse a unique and interesting subject and direct attention to authoritarian perseverance and development of learning capacities. Findings of the research would benefit a wide audience, in academia, and in continental organisations, governments, and non-governmental organisations. During the PhD, I developed a methodology combining case studies, process-tracing and interviews to gather sufficient evidence to analyse how authoritarian regimes learn.My PhD has contributed to the academic literature finding that authoritarian and democratic learning incorporates experiential and social learning theories. Experiential learning allows regimes to test what works and what does not. Social learning theory is about acquiring knowledge from the successes and failures of not only internal but also external examples. Authoritarian regimes learn from external and internal sources to develop appropriate survival strategies. The networks of authoritarian regimes are extensive and these systems play a significant role in linking authoritarian regimes together, which aids learning and the development of survival practices. Regional organisations are also crucial institutions as they allow authoritarian members to collaborate and provide venues for developing survival tactics.During my PhD I published four articles on aspects of authoritarian learning:2017a. "Learning from past experience: Yanukovych's implementation of authoritarianism after 2004." Journal of Eurasian Studies. 8(2): 161-171.2017b. "Preventing a Colour Revolution: the Belarusian example as an illustration for the Kremlin?" East European Politics. 33(2): 162-183.with Ambrosio, T. 2017. "Authoritarian learning: a conceptual overview." East European Politics. 33(2): 143-161.2019. "Improving the Kremlin's Preventive Counter-Revolution Practices after the 2011-2012 Winter of Discontent and the Euromaidan." Russian Politics. 4(4): 466-491.The main objective of the Fellowship is to enhance my publication record, by submitting articles to journals like Europe-Asia Studies, Problems of Post-Communism, Post-Soviet Affairs and the Journal of Democracy. Another objective is to turn the thesis into a monograph, allowing me to expand the literature and draw attention to the unique subject of authoritarian learning. As structured the thesis lends itself to publication as a book, and I will turn parts of the thesis into articles too. I will contact the two publishers I wish to submit to in Cambridge and Oxford University Presses. I have been in contact with Routledge over their BASEES series, having met the editor at a BASEES conference in 2018. While I disseminate my findings to a wider non-academic audience in the UK and Europe, I will also improve my contact network in America, Europe and the post-Soviet region through conference presentations. I will update my pre-existing fieldwork, based on my Russian-language skills in the region by trips to the four countries. I will also improve my pedagogical skills by guest lecturing in relevant modules. Under the Fellowship I will improve my publication record, and my network preparing me for my career in academia.