Center for European Studies

The Center for European Studies’ CES Research Fellows program is a research assistantship initiative that pairs undergraduate students with CES faculty members who are interested in working with students on current research projects. The program provides a unique opportunity for students to gain research experience while learning the research methodologies of various academic disciplines and approaches. Research opportunities with the Center are available in both the social sciences and humanities fields, allowing students from a range of departments the chance to gain experience that will prepare them for future academic pursuits whether it be the University or CLAS Scholars programs, an honors thesis, or graduate school.

Students will gain hands on research experience in one of the wide range of projects currently pursued by CES faculty. In addition, students will gain a deeper understanding of research methods, practice in public speaking through the end-of-term workshop presentations, networking skills from monthly meetings with faculty and professionals in academics, and improved analytical proficiency through reviews and critical analysis of program-related talks and panels.

CES Research Fellows program is open to students in all departments and any class standing (i.e. Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior). CES cannot guarantee that all applicants will be assigned to a faculty project.

Students will be enrolled in EUS 4911 the semester of their fellowship. The course is taken for 3 credits. A zero-credit option is available for students who wish to participate but do not wish to earn credit, but will still be expected to complete the same number of weekly hours as students receiving credit.

For more information, please see the program overview

Requirements

• 9-weekly research hours
• Regular meetings with faculty mentor to review progress
• End-of-semester research presentation
• Attendance at monthly fellows meeting

Apply

Application Form: Click here to access

Required Documents:Before filling out the form, please prepare the following to successfully submit your application:

• Resume or CV: Ensure it is updated and ready for upload.
• Statement of Purpose (1 page): This should include the following:
  • Your reasons for applying for the CES Research Fellows program
  • Faculty research projects of interest (if applicable)
  • What you hope to gain from the experience
  • Any previous research experience

 

Fall 2026 Faculty Projects

Faculty	Research Project Overview	Research Fellow Tasks
Edit Nagy	Professor Nagy’s project examines youth organizations in Central and Eastern Europe during the late socialist period from the 1960s onward. State-sponsored groups such as the Young Pioneers and national youth leagues were created to engage young people in civic, educational, and social activities from elementary school through higher education. The project explores how government youth programs attempted to shape social behavior, participation, and youth culture, and why many of these organizations gradually lost their appeal among younger generations. By examining the relationship between youth institutions and everyday life, the study contributes to a broader understanding of generational change, social participation, and youth culture in late twentieth-century Central Europe (excluding the USSR).	Literature Review Translate historical documents and publications from Central and Eastern European languages (Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, German)
Alexander Panayotov	Dr. Panayov’s project will explore the connection between territory, jurisdiction, and international law. Jurisdiction is a foundational legal concept that is the basis of state sovereignty. The jurisdictional rules of international law prescribe how states govern various activities within their territories. But these rules also regulate jurisdictional conflicts between sovereign states. This research project will explore various mechanisms for resolving jurisdictional conflicts in the context of the extraterritorial application of national law. Any knowledge of French and/or German and of public international law are essential to this project while knowledge of international relations theory and private international law (conflict of laws) are an asset.	Reading and Summarizing articles other research duties as needed
Asli Baysal	Dr. Baysal is conducting a research project focused on the financial resource curse linked to EU funds in member states experiencing democratic backsliding. Research fellows will help Dr. Baysal search for instances (newspaper articles, reports by EU institutions, scholarly literature) where economic growth and improvement have aligned with the tactics of authoritarian-leaning regimes that subtly redirect these funds to maintain power and undermine liberal democratic norms. While knowledge of Hungarian, Slovakian, Polish, or Czech is beneficial, it is not mandatory. Additionally, support is required for preliminary data collection for a study on incumbents defeated in local elections in backsliding states in Europe, beginning with Turkey, Hungary, and Poland.	Data collection & analysis Literature Review Translation (if applicable)
Lenka Bustikova	Lenka Bustikova is engaged in four distinct research projects.  The first project examines public support for illiberal civil society in Poland, Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia. This research focuses on uncovering evidence of church intervention in politics and analyzing the influence of socially conservative advocacy groups on regulatory policies, particularly in the areas of reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and religious accommodation. The second project investigates public opinion regarding the Azov brigade and the politicization of veterans in Ukraine. This study explores Azov’s role in Ukraine’s self-defense narrative and examines how Russian propaganda leverages Azov to undermine the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government. The third project explores divergent attitudes toward democracy in Eastern and Western Europe, with particular attention to declining democratic support among young people and the radicalization of young men. The fourth project, currently in its preliminary stages, is an exploratory investigation into individuals, such as oligarchs or illiberal politicians, who have transformed into advocates for democracy. Each project seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between political ideologies, public opinion, and societal transformation.	Data collection & analysis Literature Review
Chrys Kostopoulos	Dr. Kostopoulos is working on two projects. The first project focuses on a historical investigation of mathematical education in the ancient Greco-Roman world, and its impact on the development of certain philosophical and political ideas such as democracy, Platonic theory of the forms, rationalism, teleology, etc. Broadly speaking, it examines mathematics in its “society-shaping” function and its role in the development of important tenets that shaped the ancient Greek and Roman society. The second project, in collaboration with Meletios Pouliopoulos of the Greek Cultural Resources in Boston, focuses on the microhistory of the Rebetika songs both in Greece and in the USA, including history of performers, record labels, dating of recordings, archiving, examination of the socio-political and historical context, etc.	Literature Review Data collection & analysis Data Entry Translation (if applicable)
Agata Kowalewska	Relationship between health, food, and nutrition among Europeans; National, minority, and specific ethnic group foodway and dietary patterns; Broadly understood food safety in Europe and the European Union, from genetically modified organisms to illegal food entering the EU market and consumer-specific food safety behaviors; Food-related legislation of the European Union with focus on the Common Agricultural Policy and the Environment Policy; Effects of Green Deal and other sustainable measures on Europe’s food environment.	Literature Review Data collection & analysis Editing & proofreading
Emrah Sahin	Dr. Sahin is working on or beginning research on a wide array of projects relating to political and socio-religious themes in southeast Europe, Turkey, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East from the late Ottoman Empire to the present day. Students may also be asked to help with ongoing projects, which can be found online. Dr. Sahin will move away from daily political matters and dig deeper into original and authentic sources to produce a balanced view of the subject matter and students should be ready to critically and diligently examine various dimensions of the topic under study.	Data collection and analysis Literature review Theoretical analysis Writing & editing