Alexandra joined the Department of Political Economy in October 2025. Her research focuses on democracy and civil society in the Western Balkans, exploring how governments use loyal and semi-loyal non-state actors as a means of legitimation and how these actors adapt their strategies of mobilisation in response.

Before starting her PhD, Alexandra led research on the Western Balkans at a Brussels-based independent media watchdog and was co-author of Freedom House’s annual report on democratic governance in Europe and Eurasia, Nations in Transit. Prior to this, she worked in democracy development in Washington, D.C. She has held other research and editorial roles at the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, the Post-Conflict Research Centre in Sarajevo, and Central European University in Budapest.

Alexandra holds an MA in Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies from Columbia University’s Harriman Institute and a BA in Political Science and Slavic Studies from Columbia College.

Research interests

• Democracy
• Civil society
• Contemporary politics of Southeastern Europe

PhD supervisors

Professor Adam Fagan and Dr Krzysztof Krakowski