Vlad Mykhnenko

At the geographical midpoint of Europe:
Purnuškės, Lithuania
54°54'N 25°19'E

Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests

Research Projects

Publications

Work in Progress

Ph.D. Thesis

        Vlad Mykhnenko / Влад Михненко

Research Fellow
School of Geography
The University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham
NG7 2RD
United Kingdom
E-mail: vlad.mykhnenko@nottingham.ac.uk

Note: I fully assert my copyright over the papers and other documents posted on this website

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
 I joined the University of Nottingham in October 2008 as a Research Fellow at the School of Geography. Before coming to Nottingham, I worked as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Policy for Regions (CPPR), affiliated with the Department of Urban Studies of the University of Glasgow. Prior to receiving my PhD from Cambridge University in 2005, I had acted as an International Policy Fellow at the Open Society Institute, Budapest. Between 1997 and 2004, for several terms I taught and supervised undergraduate and graduate students at the Universities of Kyiv and Cambridge. In addition, I was invited for guest lectures at the Universities of Donetsk and Kyiv Mohyla Academy, and at the Kyiv Mohyla Business School.

[For a more detailed account, please, see my CV]

RESEARCH AGENDA

I am intellectually committed to the advancement of geographical political economy, typically described as the study of modern capitalist social formations as spatially and temporally uneven and highly differentiated systems, and of their impact on people and the environment.

Specific research interests:
  • The geographies of post-communist transition
  • The geographies of neoliberal adjustment and global economic restructuring
  • The geographies of the knowledge-based economy
  • Varieties of capitalism, régulation theory, and cultural political economy approaches
  • Urban and regional development, resilience, sustainable growth, and alternative strategies
  • Europe: Eastern, Western, Wider (especially, Ukraine)
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PAST RESEARCH PROJECTS
2003-2004: Rusting away? Post-Communist States and the Politics of Steel

 My policy research project was conducted at the Open Society Institute International Policy Fellowships Programme in affiliation with the Central European University Centre for Policy Studies in Budapest, Hungary. It focused on the state capacity in leading economic sectors in post-communist Europe, particularly the Ukrainian iron & steel industry.

2005-2008: Cities and Regions: Changing Spatial Imbalances

 In collaboration with Ivan Turok (Glasgow) at the CPPR, I undertook a large research project on understanding spatial economic change and changing urban imbalances in Europe. The project examined the diverse trajectories and variable performance of cities across Western and Eastern Europe, drew out the implications for urban and regional development policy, and engaged with public policy stakeholders.

2006-2008: Neoliberalism, Anti-Neoliberalism, and De-Ideologisation

Jointly with Kean Birch (Strathclyde) and Katherine Trebeck, I ran a special seminar series financed by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The seminar series considered neoliberalism an ideology characterised by an antipathy towards state involvement in economic exchange and an emphasis on the benefits of market forces, illustrated the ascendancy of neoliberal processes, rules and institutions, and highlighted the impact that such an ideology have on social research and policy, especially where it is presented as a technocratic rather than political matter. The seminar series provided a forum in which both senior and junior academics were able to engage in dialogue with each other and with research users, broadly defined.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

2009-2012: Shrink Smart - Governance of Shrinkage within a European Context

 I am currently working on a new collaborative research grant project funded through the European Union's Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7). Taking part in a major research consortium with seven other European universities and academic research institutes, I am studying the role of policies and governance systems in different types of shrinking cities. The project is based on comparative case studies from seven cities and conurbations throughout Europe with a focus on disadvantaged urban regions in eastern, southern, and western Europe, suffering from economic decline, population loss, and a lack of social cohesion. The work will provide a basis for analysing different trajectories of shrinkage, understanding the main challenges for urban political economy, and elaborating alternatives for urban governance.
2010-2011: Regional Studies Association Research Network Varieties of Neoliberalism and Alternative Regional and Urban Strategies

Firstly, the network will conceptualise the varieties of neoliberal adjustment that have impacted on regional and urban restructuring and performance over the last 30 years. Secondly, it will consider the implications of the current crisis on these neoliberal adjustment processes and what it means for the future of regional and urban economic and social development. Finally, it will explore alternative regional and urban strategies to cope with the effects of previous neoliberal processes and the current crisis. A joint collaboration with Kean Birch (Strathclyde) and Danny MacKinnon (Glasgow).

2009-2013: COST Action TU0803 Cities Regrowing Smaller - Fostering Knowledge on Regeneration Strategies in Shrinking Cities across Europe

The main objective of the Action is to foster the interdisciplinary knowledge of Regeneration Strategies in Shrinking Cities across Europe. By promoting the exchange of scientific knowledge in Europe and stimulating new ideas in selected reference cities, the network will act as a catalyst for innovative solutions to deal with demographic change and urban decline. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme.

For research & policy outputs resulting from the above projects, please, see the papers and publications section below.

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PUBLICATIONS

[For the full list of my publications, please, see my CV]
Please, email me with a request, if you are unable to access a publication below.
Main publications
Front cover
Birch, K. and Mykhnenko, V., eds. (2010) The Rise and Fall of Neoliberalism: The Collapse of an Economic Order? London: Zed Books.

Click here to order (paperback or hardcover) from Zed Books directly.

Mykhnenko, V. and Swain, A. (2010). 'Ukraine’s Diverging Space-Economy: The Orange Revolution, Post-soviet Development Models and Regional Trajectories', European Urban and Regional Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2 (April), pp. 141-165. Click here to download.

 Mykhnenko, V. (2009) 'Class Voting and the Orange Revolution: A Cultural Political Economy Perspective on Ukraine’s Electoral Geography', Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, Vol. 25, Nos. 2-3 (June - September), pp. 278-296. Click here to download.

[Reprinted as Mykhnenko, V. (2010) 'Class Voting and the Orange Revolution: A Cultural Political Economy Perspective on Ukraine’s Electoral Geography', in White, S. & Lane, D. (eds) (2010) Rethinking the 'Coloured Revolutions'. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 166-184. ISBN: 9780415571692].

Birch, K. and Mykhnenko, V. (2009) 'Varieties of Neoliberalism? Restructuring in Large Industrially-dependent Regions across Western and Eastern Europe', Journal of Economic Geography, Vol. 9, No. 3 (May), pp. 355-380. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2009) 'Transition Economies', in Wankel, C. (ed) The Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World, Vol. 4. Thousand Oaks, CA.: SAGE Publications, pp. 1613-1615. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. and Turok, I. (2008) 'East European Cities - Patterns of Growth and Decline, 1960-2005', International Planning Studies, Vol. 13, No. 4 (November), pp. 311-342. Click here to download.

Turok, I. and Mykhnenko, V. (2008) 'The Shifting Fortunes of European Cities', Town & Country Planning, Vol. 77, No. 7/8 (July-August), pp. 319-322. Click here to download.

Turok, I. and Mykhnenko, V. (2008) 'Resurgent Cities?', Urban Research & Practice, Vol. 1, No. 1 (March), pp. 54-77. Click here to download.

Runner-up for Best Published Paper in European Planning 2007 (AESOP)
Turok, I. and Mykhnenko, V. (2007) 'The Trajectories of European Cities, 1960-2005,' Cities, Vol. 24, No. 3 (June), pp. 165-182. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2007) 'Strengths and Weaknesses of "Weak Co-ordination": Economic Institutions, Revealed Comparative Advantages, and Socio-Economic Performance of Mixed Market Economies in Poland and Ukraine', in Hancké, B., Rhodes, M., & Thatcher, M., (eds) (2007) Beyond Varieties of Capitalism: Conflict, Contradictions and Complementarities in the European Economy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 351-378. ISBN: 9780199206483. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2007) 'Poland and Ukraine: Institutional Structures and Economic Performance', in Lane, D. & Myant, M. (eds) (2007) Varieties of Capitalism in Post-Communist Countries. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 124-145. ISBN: 9781403996411.

Swain, A. and Mykhnenko, V. (2007) 'The Ukrainian Donbas in "Transition"', in Swain, A. (ed.) (2007) Re-constructing the Post-Soviet Industrial Region: The Donbas in Transition.  London and New York: Routledge, pp. 7-46. ISBN: 9780415322287. Click here to browse.

Mykhnenko, V. (2005) 'What Type of Capitalism in Post-communist Europe?', Actes du GERPISA, No. 39 (December), pp. 83-112. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2004). The Ukrainian Ferrous Metals Industry: Settling Old Problems, Facing New Challenges. Budapest: Open Society Institute & Central European University Centre for Policy Studies. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2004) Rusting Away? The Ukrainian Iron and Steel Industry in Transition. Budapest: Open Society Institute & Central European University Centre for Policy Studies. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2002) 'State, Society and Protest under Post-communism: Ukrainian Miners and Their Defeat', in Mudde, C. & Kopecký, P. (eds) (2002) Uncivil Society? Contentious Politics in Eastern Europe. London: Routledge, pp. 93-113. ISBN: 9780415265850.

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Selected other publications
Mykhnenko, V., Myedvyedyev, D., and Kuzmenko, L. (2010) Urban shrinkage in Donetsk and Makiïvka,
the Donetsk conurbation, Ukraine (D4 comparable research report). Nottingham: The University of Nottingham School of Geography. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2008) Review of Revolution in Orange by A. Åslund and M. McFaul (eds) (2006), Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 60, No. 5, pp. 867-869. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. 2008. Review of Understanding Ukrainian Politics by P. D’Anieri (2007), Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 60, No. 2, pp. 340-342. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. and Turok, I. (2007) European Regions and Cities Dataset 1960 - 2005: Methods and Sources, Working Paper  3. Glasgow: University of Glasgow CPPR. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2007) 'Statistical Appendix',  in Lane, D. & Myant, M. (eds) Varieties of Capitalism in Post-Communist Countries. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.  258-270. ISBN: 9781403996411.

Turok, I. and V. Mykhnenko. (2006) 'Resurgent European Cities?' GaWC Research Bulletin, 216(A). Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2006) Review of Rescaling International Political Economy by D. E. Paul (2005), Urban Studies, Vol. 43, No. 11, pp. 2126-2127. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2005) Strengths and Weaknesses of “Weak Co-ordination”: Economic Institutions, Revealed Comparative Advantages, and Socio-economic Performance of Mixed Market Economies in Poland and Ukraine,' Discussion Paper 8. Glasgow: University of Glasgow CPPR. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2005). What Type of Capitalism in Eastern Europe? Institutional Structures, Revealed Comparative Advantages, and Performance of Poland and Ukraine, Discussion Paper 6. Glasgow: University of Glasgow CPPR. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2004) 'Ukrainian Steel: Vulnerable Overseas, Weak at Home', Steel Times International, Vol. 28, No. 7, pp. 54-57. Click here to download page 54 and page 57.

Mykhnenko, V. (2004) The Ukrainian Ferrous Metals Industry, CPS Policy Documentation Feature Article. Budapest: Central European University Centre for Policy Studies. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2004) 'From Exit to Take-Over: The Evolution of the Donbas as an Intentional Community', paper presented at The European Consortium for Political Research Joint Sessions of Workshops, Uppsala, Sweden, 13-18 April 2004. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2001) Book note on Тайная политика Сталина by G. V. Kostyrchenko (2001), E-Extreme, Vol. 2, No. 4. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2001) Book note on Labour and Political Transformation in Russia and Ukraine by R. Simon (2000), E-Extreme, Vol. 2, No. 3. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2001) Review of Українські ліві: між ленінізмом і соціал-демократією by O. Haran’ and O. Maiboroda (eds) (2000), E-Extreme, Vol. 2, No. 2. Click here to download.

Mykhnenko, V. (2001) Review of Russian Workers by S. Ashwin (1999), E-Extreme, Vol. 2, No. 2. Click here to download.

[For the full list of my publications, please, see my CV]

 Please, email me with a request, if you are unable to access a publication above.

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WORK IN PROGRESS

Mykhnenko, V. (writing) Rethinking Transition: A Critical Political Economy of Post-Communism (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books)

Mykhnenko, V. and Birch, K. (writing) ‘Lisbonising Europe? The Lisbon Strategy and the (un-)making of the European knowledge-based economy’, Environment & Planning C

Swain, A. and Mykhnenko, V. (writing) ‘Depression, devaluation and divergence:  The bursting of the Orange bubble and Ukraine’s space-economy’, European Urban and Regional Studies

Rink, D., Hasse, A., Bernt, M. and Mykhnenko, V. (writing)  ‘Shrinking cities: Governance of changing urban landscapes’, Environment & Planning A

Mykhnenko, V. (planned) ‘Resilient cities? Europe’s city regions in the aftermath of the international economic crisis’, Economic Geography

Mykhnenko V. and others (planned) ‘Regional convergence and public policy: building scenarios for Ukraine’s territorial cohesion’, Regional Studies

Mykhnenko, V.  (planned) ‘Climate change, the crisis of capitalism(s) and European cities: the quest for urban resilience’, Global Environmental Change

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Created 9-Mar-2003  Last modified 27-Aug-2010 [Vlad Mykhnenko]
<www.policy.hu/mykhnenko> © Dr Vlad Mykhnenko 2003-2010