
Dr Victoria Hudson
Research Fellow
Research interests
- International relations
- Politics
- Conflict and security
Contact details
Biography
Victoria Hudson is British Academy Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (January 2016-2019) in the Department of War Studies, researching for a project entitled ‘Russia’s Renewal of Cultural Influence and Attraction Abroad: A Comparative Study of Audience Receptivity to Russian Soft Power in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Estonia’.
The study builds upon her doctoral research at University of Birmingham, where she successfully completed a thesis on the civilisational aspects on Russian soft power in contemporary Ukraine. In addition to engagement with the relevant bodies of IR and critical security theory, the thesis also demanded a significant tranche of fieldwork to be completed in-country, which entailed conducting surveys and focus groups across four cities of Ukraine, in addition to expert interviews in Moscow. During this time, Victoria also enjoyed a fruitful visit to the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki, within the framework of the ESRC’s Overseas Institutional Visit initiative.
Research interests:
- Ideology, nationalism, identity
- Russia, Ukraine, Europe
- Soft power and public diplomacy
- Communication , mediaDiscourse theory and analysis
Qualifications
- PhD, Centre for Russian and East European Studies (CREES), University of Birmingham (2014)
- MA Russian and East European Studies, University of Birmingham (2008)
- MSc Security Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth (2003)
- BSc German and European Studies, Aston University. Birmingham (2002)
Teaching
Victoria has previously taught at University of Birmingham, University of Leicester and Aston University, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Modules included International Security, Introduction to Politics, Security and Defence Policy of the EU, Russian Politics, Russian Translation, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods and Comparative Politics. As Teaching Fellow at Aston University in 2013-2014, she was also course convenor for a number of undergraduate and postgraduate modules.
King’s First Year (pilot project).
Languages
- Russian: Advanced
- German: Fluent
- French: Advanced
- English: Native
- Ukrainian: Basic
Publications
Books:
Victoria Hudson & Lucian Leustean (2022)(eds.) ‘Religion and Forced Displacement in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia’
University of Amsterdam Press.
DOI: 10.5117/9789463727556
Book chapters:
Victoria Hudson (2022) ‘The response of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan to the Emigration of Ethnic Russians from Independent Kazakhstan’ in Victoria Hudson & Lucian Leustean (eds.) ‘Religion and Forced Displacement in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia’
University of Amsterdam Press.
DOI: 10.5117/9789463727556
Research articles:
Victoria Hudson (2022) ‘The Impact of Russian soft power in Kazakhstan: creating an enabling environment for cooperation between Nur-Sultan and Moscow’, The Journal of Political Power. [forthcoming]
Grants and Honours [selected]
2016-2019
British Academy Post-Doctoral Fellowship at King’s College London
2014
Marie Curie FP7 International Staff Exchange – Institute of Europe (RAS) Moscow
Recipient of ‘ASTONishing Academic’ award at Aston University for teaching quality
Grant from university’s School Research Fund to attend IPSA World Congress (£1,634.35).
2013
CEELBAS grant for international research visit for project with HSE in Moscow (£1,356)
2011
ESRC grants for fieldwork and language training in Russia and Ukraine (£3560+£2190)
ESRC-funded research visit to Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki (£3,160)
2009
CEELBAS / ESRC +3 Studentship for PhD studies (£50,000)
2002
Studentship for Master’s Degree from the Department of International Politics at the University of Wales Aberystwyth (£4,000)
German Embassy Prize for the best graduation dissertation in German at Aston University
European Studies final year departmental prize from Aston University
2000
DAAD scholarship for a German language course in Germany (€1,000)
Scholarship for Liberal Arts summer university at ECLA in Berlin (€3,000)
Dr Hudson is part of the BISA Russia and Eurasian Security Group WG (co-convenor 2022-)
Events

Book launch 'Russia's War'
Join us for a discussion panel with Jane McGlynn, author of the book 'Russia's War' and researchers from the Department of War Studies.
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
How do Russians feel about the war in Ukraine?
VICTORIA HUDSON: It’s impossible to get objective and representative data on the attitudes of the Russian population towards the war in Ukraine, but the...

Events

Book launch 'Russia's War'
Join us for a discussion panel with Jane McGlynn, author of the book 'Russia's War' and researchers from the Department of War Studies.
Please note: this event has passed.
Features
How do Russians feel about the war in Ukraine?
VICTORIA HUDSON: It’s impossible to get objective and representative data on the attitudes of the Russian population towards the war in Ukraine, but the...
