Research output per year
Research output per year
Accepting PhD Students
Biographic Sketch: Dr. Onuch (DPhil Oxford 2010) is a Senior Lecturer [Associate Professor] in Politics. She joined the University of Manchester in 2014, after holding posts at the University of Toronto (2010-2011), University of Oxford (2011-2014, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, DPIR, St Antony's and Nuffield Colleges) and Harvard University (2013-2014). She was an Associate of Nuffield College (2014-2021, Oxford) and is an affiliate of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. Onuch was also a visiting Professor/Senior Research Fellow at the Davis Center (Harvard) in 2017 and CERES at the Munk School of Global Affairs in 2021.
Onuch’s comparative study of protest (elections, migration & identity) in Eastern Europe and Latin America has made her a leading expert in Ukrainian and Argentine politics specifically, but also in inter-regional comparative analysis. Her recent book The Zelensky Effect (Hurst/OUP) co-authored with Henry Hale, explores the Ukrainian civic nation that made Zelensky and which he embodies as he leads Ukraine against Russia's all out invasion and war of agression. The book has been reviewed in The Times Literary Supplement and Foreword Reviews and has been covered in the New York Review of Books, the Guardian, Times Radio, Intelligence Squared, The Telegraph, Ukrainska Pravda, Voice of America, Elle Ukraine, KontakTV, and The Democracy Paradox. Her first book “Mapping Mass Mobilizations” (2014, reviewed in Europe-Asia Studies), explores the processes leading up to mass protest engagement in Ukraine (2004) and Argentina (2001). She is the author of several scholarly articles (in Journal of Democracy, Europe-Asia Studies, Problems of Post-Communism, Post-Soviet Affairs, GeoPolitics, Nations and Nationalism, Nationalities Papers among other journals), book chapters, and policy briefs. Specifically, her articles "EuroMaidan Protests in Ukraine” and “Studying identity in Ukraine” are both Top 10 all time most read articles in Problems of Post Communism and Post Soviet Affairs respectively and also among the most cited articles. Recently Onuch's article “Antiregime action & geopolitical polarization” on protests in Belarus in 2020 is 2nd most read article in the last 12 months in Post Soviet Affairs.
Her research regularly appears in leading media outlets (The Washington Post, The Times, The Guardian, BBC, ITV, Al Jazeera, AFP, among others). Onuch’s research on protest politics in Ukraine has resulted in her consulting policymakers in Canada, Ukraine, the UK and US. Her research received praise and awards placing her on the map as one of the foremost experts on protests and activism in Ukraine.
Onuch is currently Principle Investigator (ESRC) of MOBILISE “Determinants of ‘Mobilisation’ at Home and Abroad: Analysing the Micro- Foundations of Out-Migration & Mass Protest”. A three year project (2018-2021) funded through the Open Research Area (ORA) Scheme with direct support of the ESRC in the UK, the DFG in Germany, the ANR in France and the NWO in the Netherlands (€2,002,039 total [£595,369 to UoM]).
Onuch’s is Co-PI (with Hale, Colton, Kravets) of a National Science Foundation funded study of Ukrainian political opinion. In 2014 Onuch was awarded (did not take up) the Leverhulme EC Fellowship for exceptional and promising young scholars. Onuch was Principle Investigator of the Ukrainian Protest Project: Comparative Protest Politics funded the British Academy.
Previously she held: the Shklar Research Fellowship at HURI, Harvard; the Newton Prize Fellowship, at Nuffield College, Oxford; The Petro Jacyk Prize Fellowship, at CERES, Toronto; and a Visiting Research Fellowship at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (mentored by Enrique Peruzzotti and Guillermo O’Donnell).
Media availability: Yes (written and spoken: English, Ukrainian, Polish, Spanish, and French).
Dr. Onuch is currently accepting Doctoral Thesis supervision proposals related to:
Dr. Onuch is currently supervising the following PhD Students:
Onuch has in the past advised on and co-supervised Postgraduate Theses focusing on:
Dr. O, as she is known to her students (circa 2008 Oxford), has previously taught Comparative Government, Comparative Politics, Research Methods, EU Enlargement, Politics of The EU, Politics of Europe, Russian and East European Politics, as well as, Latin American Politics at several colleges and the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford and at CERES at The Munk School of Globa Affairs at the University of Toronto.
Currently, at the University of Manchester, Dr. O teaches/convenes:
Current teaching-related administrative posts at the University of Manchester:
To book a meeting with Dr. O please use Calendly.
Policy Engagement and Pathways to Impact
Dr. Onuch has engaged with policy makers and practitioners internationally. Currently, she is coordinating a team of researchers investigating the state of thinktanks, and their policy impact, in Ukraine. in 2014 Onuch joined the Open Society Foundation coordinated, Strategic Advisory Group, tasked with advising the President and Government of Ukraine. In this role, she contributed to policy development work related to three policy areas: good governance, anti-corruption and transparency, and social and human development policy.
Further examples of past policy engagement include her experiences as both a researcher and consultant: at the IBRD (World Bank) in Kyiv, Ukraine, as part of the ‘Good Governance Project’, (2001); at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean in New York City, as part of the ‘Democratic Dialogue Project’ (2004); for USAID, PACT Uniter and the OSI Think Tank Fund, on an assessment of Ukrainian Think Tanks; for Oxford Analytica, providing briefings on Ukrainian politics and industry; for the OSCE, research and work related to elections in Ukraine, and for the OECD, on the quality of democracy and quality of Governance, research and indicators. Onuch continues to seek opportunities to not only produce policy-relevant research but also engage and collaborate with larger policy and practitioner communities.
This is a selected list of consulting, as well as, other academic projects, where I was employed as a researcher.
Present Academic Appointments
2014 - Senior Lecturer in Politics, Politics Department, SoSS, University of Manchester, UK.
2014 - Associate, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, UK. (Competitively appointed).
2017 - Research Fellow, Davis Center, Center For Government and International Studies, Harvard University, USA. (Competitively appointed).
Previous Academic Appointments
2013 - 2014 -Shklar Research Fellow, Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University, USA. (Competitively appointed).
2012 - 2014 - Newton International Fellow. Funded by: British Academy & Royal Society. Hosted at: Latin American Center, School of International and Area Studies, University of Oxford, UK. (Competitively awarded).
2011 - 2014 - Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, UK. (Competitively appointed).
2011 - Research Fellow, Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe (MDCEE). Funded by: Framework Programme 7 IDEAS, CORDIS, ERC, PI: Prof. Jan Zielonka. Hosted at: St. Antony's College, Department of Politics and IR, University of Oxford, UK (€2,056,276.00). (Competitively appointed).
2010 - 2011 - Petro Jacyk Post-Doctoral Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Canada. (Competitively awarded).
2007 - 2009 - Doctoral Researcher, Human and Minority Rights in the Life Cycle of Ethnic Conflicts 'MIRICO'. Funded by: Framework Programme 6, ERC, STREP, PI: Prof. James Hughes. Hosted at: Government Department, LSE, UK (e1,186,227.00).
2004 - Research Intern, Democratic Dialogue Project, United Nations Development Program, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations New York Headquarters, USA.
2001 - Research Intern, External Affairs Office, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank, Regional Headquarters, Ukraine.
Previous Visiting Appointments
2013 - Visiting Scholar, Ciencia Politica, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, B.A, Argentina.
2009 - Visiting Scholar, Ciencia Politica, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, B.A, Argentina.
2006 - Visiting Scholar, National Institute for Strategic Studies. Kyiv, Ukraine
Reviewer at:
American Journal of Political Science, American Political Science Review, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, Democratization, Democratizatsiya, Electoral Politics, East European Politics, Europe-Asia Studies, European Journal of Political Research, Government and Opposition, International Aairs, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, JEPS, Journal of Ukrainian Studies, Mobilization, Nations and Nationalities, Nationalities Papers, Political Studies, Press Politics, Problems of Post-Communism, Research and Politics, Social Forces, Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, World Politics.
Research Grants & Awards:
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Doctor of Philosophy, Revolutionary Moments and Movements in Ukraine (2004) and Argentina (2001), Oxford University
2007 → 2010
Award Date: 18 Jun 2011
Master of Science, Comparative Politics ( Latin America Stream)
2005 → 2007
Bachelor of Arts, BA Honors in Development Studies and Political Studies (Medial/Double Major)
2005 → 2001
Research Fellow (Competitively appointed), Davis Center, Center For Government and International Studies, Harvard University
2017 → …
Associate , Nuffield College, University of Oxford
2014 → …
Shklar Research Fellow (Competitively appointed), Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University
2013 → 2014
Newton International Fellow (Competitively awarded), Latin American Center, School of International and Area Studies, University of Oxford
2012 → 2014
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Competitively appointed), Nuffield College, University of Oxford
2011 → 2014
Research Fellow (Competitively appointed), Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, St. Antony's College, Department of Politics and IR, University of Oxford
2011
Petro Jacyk Post-Doctoral Fellow (Competitively awarded), Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
2010 → 2011
Doctoral Researcher, Human and Minority Rights in the Life Cycle of Ethnic Con icts 'MIRICO', Government Department, LSE
2007 → 2009
Research Intern, Democratic Dialogue Project, United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP)
2004
Research Intern, External Affairs Office, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank, Regional Headquarters
2001
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1/01/19 → 31/12/21
Project: Research
Hale, H., Colton, T., Kravets, N. & Onuch, O.
1/05/14 → 1/01/15
Project: Research
Onuch , Ola (Recipient), Apr 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Onuch , Ola (Recipient), 2010
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
Ola Onuch (Invited speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Ola Onuch (Invited speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Ola Onuch (Invited speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Ola Onuch (Invited speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Ola Onuch (Invited speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
26/12/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
22/11/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
22/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment