Nicholas Dore received a PepsiCo Fellowship for Research Travel/Study and a Summer Language Study Fellowship to travel to the region and study Ukrainian.

What region/topics are you focusing on at the Harriman Institute?

I focus on Russian foreign and security policy. I am also studying the Ukrainian language.

What is your thesis about?

My thesis explains the failures of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine through analysis of the strategic culture in the “new nobility,” a term coined by Nikolai Patrushev, current aide to President Vladimir Putin and a former KGB colleague, which refers to intelligence and security officials in President Putin’s inner circle. By identifying and analyzing the strategic culture of the “new nobility,” a better understanding of the ideas, beliefs, and behaviors that informed Russian strategic thinking on Ukraine explain why the full-scale invasion failed.

What are some of your favorite things about studying here?

The professors, staff, and students at the Harriman Institute are the best!

What’s your most memorable experience here so far?

It is difficult to choose one but attending lectures and learning from knowledgeable and experienced professors is always memorable.

Where in the region have you traveled?

I have traveled to Poland, Ukraine, and Hungary during my time at Harriman. Before studying at Harriman, I lived and volunteered on the frontline in Ukraine for over a year.

Fun fact about you:

When I am not on campus, you can find me training mixed martial arts in downtown Manhattan.

Pictured: Nicholas in front of the Sviatohirsk Lavra in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.