About the Ukraine Case Studies
A multidisciplinary group of researchers and experts are undertaking case studies of the crisis in Ukraine linked to the Russian invasion in February 2022, focusing on information and communication operations with implications for the present conflict and long-term global practices and policies. The research team conducts overarching case studies of the developments around influence, networks, and security in the Ukraine crisis, as well as a set of embedded case studies of particular developments within Russia, Ukraine and internationally.
Initial support for this project comes from the Portulans Institute, which complements support from researchers at the Oxford Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre (GCSCC), the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), and Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
These case studies are in early stages of development through working papers, the organisation of roundtable discussions, and funding for a survey of the public in Ukraine. The roundtables were designed to help launch the case research but also to refine our approach, illuminate key research questions, and identify potential ties with researchers in other universities and institutions.
Roundtables
Is the Invasion of Ukraine Reshaping ICT, R&D, and Cognitive Warfare?
This first roundtable, held at HIIG in Berlin in June 2023 served to develop a range of questions to be pursued in the second roundtable. Discussions ranged across key topics, including the implications of the war in Ukraine for the study of media and information networks, and societal implications of AI. Discussion also focused on the governance in the public interest of everything digital, from data, internet platforms, and other information infrastructures.
Reshaping Global Information, Communication, and Security: the Russo-Ukraine War
On September 26, 2024 the Portulans Institute held a roundtable at University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School titled “How the War in Ukraine Could Reshape Global Information, Communication, and Security”. The hybrid event was attended by 32 individuals (with 2 apologies from individuals who contributed a position paper), 16 of those participating in-person. The conversation built on over twenty position papers authored by the participants.
Our third and most recent event on January 26, 2024 was an Oxford Forum for early career researchers, held at the Oxford Internet Institute. This third forum focused as well on the implications of the Russia-Ukraine War (RUW) for information, communication, innovation, and cybersecurity. The forum brought together a diverse mix of early career researchers from 12 universities representing 8 countries.
Meet the Team
William H. Dutton, Martin Fellow at the Oxford Martin School, supporting the Global Cybersecurity Capacity Centre (GCSCC), and Senior OII Fellow, University of Oxford, and Director of The Portulans Institute, Washington D.C.
Niva Elkin-Koren, Professor of Law at Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law, former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Haifa, and was founding director of the Center for Cyber, Law and Policy (CCLP), and the Haifa Center for Law & Technology (HCLT)
Sadie Creese, Director of the GCSCC, and Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science, Oxford University
Soumitra Dutta, Co-Founder and President of Portulans Institute and Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Management in the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford
Lisa Chernenko is a DPhil candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute and Associate Researcher at the Portulans Institute. Lisa’s research explores strategies to counteract dehumanisation in online communication, specifically focusing on the phenomenon of re-humanisation. In the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, she examines linguistic facets of outgroup dehumanisation and mechanics of re-humanisation in relation to Ukrainians and Russians across digital platforms.
Mykyta Petik, GCSCC Researcher, and Doctoral Student in Law, KU Leuven, Belgium, with a Master of IT Law at Tartu University and a Master of EU Law at Ghent University.
Courtney Bower is a Ph.D. candidate in regional science at Cornell University, a Senior Fellow at the Portulans Institute and former Peace Corps Volunteer in western Ukraine. Courtney’s research examines technological resilience and regional innovation systems. His related research focuses on the circular economy, post-war reconstruction, infrastructure policy, and Black Sea spatial imaginaries.
