Peter Braga

Supervisors: Dr Andrew Wilson and Dr Peter Duncan

Present status: PhD candidate

Working title of thesis: The Influence of Chinese Soft Power and the Diffusion of Authoritarian Values in East Europe

Research: In brief, I research 'emerging powers.' I look at Chinese political economic relations with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. My research focuses on the influence of the China model of state-run capitalism on East Europe. I ask, 'what East European domestic forms of the China model are taking shape, if any?' The next question is whether the influence of the China model makes East Europe more liberal or authoritarian. This PhD study falls under the broad academic discipline of political economy of international development.

Research interests: Soft power, diffusion, models of development, economics of transition, state capitalism, hybrid and authoritarian regimes, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and China.