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Alexander Titov

Lecturer in Modern European History, Queen's University Belfast

My three main research areas are Russian foreign policy and its links with different interpretations of Russian national identity; history of political thought and national ideologies in the 20th century; and political history in the post-Stalin period for which I am currently working on a new biography of Nikita Khrushchev for Routledge’s ‘Historical Biographies’ series.

I have a strong inter-disciplinary background. I read philosophy and economics at University College London (UCL), and stayed at UCL to do an MA in Legal and Political Theory, followed by a doctoral degree in Russian history at UCL’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies (UCL-SSEES). My academic career took me to the University of Birmingham where I worked as a research fellow on an AHRC-funded project on the Soviet Union under Khrushchev.

Two lecturing appointments followed, first at UCL-SSEES where I taught Russian politics and foreing policy, and then at the University of Leeds, before arriving to Queen’s University Belfast School of History and Anthropology as Lecturer in Modern European History.

Alexei Navalny: reported death of Putin’s most prominent opponent spells the end of politics in Russia

Feb 20, 2024 11:14 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Reports of the death of Russias most famous opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, in an Arctic prison camp are shocking, but not entirely unexpected. It draws a line under Russias political development over the past two...

Alexei Navalny: Novichok didn't stop Russian opposition leader – but a prison sentence might

Jan 19, 2021 02:51 am UTC| Insights & Views

After the dramatic flight into Moscow by Russian opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny who arrived on a plane full of journalists, live streamed his defiant speech on arrival and was promptly detained at passport control ...

Global Geopolitics Series

What would Russia prefer to happen in the UK election?

Dec 09, 2019 04:43 am UTC| Insights & Views

The UK election comes against the background of one of the worst periods in Russian-British relations since the end of the Cold War. Badly shaken by the 2006 poisoning of the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in...

Global Geopolitics Series

US strike on Syria ends prospect of warmer relations with Russia

Apr 08, 2017 05:41 am UTC| Insights & Views

Ever since Donald Trump arrived in the White House, there has been much talk of a great thaw in relations between the US and Russia. But his decision to carry out airstrikes in Syria in retaliation against Bashar al-Assads...

Economy

China Opens Door to Stronger U.S. Trade Ties Amid Rising Tensions

China has signaled a willingness to deepen economic and trade cooperation with the United States, as Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a World Trade...

U.S. Stocks Tumble as Iran Peace Deal Uncertainty Spooks Markets

Wall Street closed sharply lower on Thursday as conflicting signals over a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement rattled investor confidence. President Donald Trumps ambiguous remarks about whether Washington was willing or...

Oil Prices Slip as Middle East Tensions Ease, Heading for Weekly Loss

Oil prices declined during Asian trading on Friday, putting both major benchmarks on course for a weekly loss of more than 4%, as signs of diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran reduced the geopolitical...

Dollar Strengthens as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Send Mixed Signals

The U.S. dollar gained ground on Thursday, rising 0.3% to 99.90 on the US Dollar Index, as conflicting signals surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations renewed demand for safe-haven assets. Investors looking for stability...

Gold Prices Drop Amid Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty and Stronger Dollar

Gold prices fell sharply on Thursday as mixed signals from President Donald Trump regarding Iran peace negotiations rattled investors, while a strengthening U.S. dollar added further downward pressure on the precious...

Politics

Israeli Airstrike Targets Building in Beirut's Southern Suburbs Amid Ongoing Hezbollah Conflict

Early Friday morning, Israeli forces launched an airstrike involving three missiles aimed at a building located in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to security sources familiar with the situation. Details...

Ukraine-Russia War: Frontline Updates as Spring Offensive Looms

Tensions along the Ukraine-Russia front line are escalating as both sides report territorial shifts in eastern and northeastern Ukraine. Russias Defence Ministry claimed Thursday that its forces seized the village of...

Russia Accused of Helping Iran Target U.S. Forces, European Powers Tell G7

European nations have formally accused Russia of providing military intelligence and drone technology to Iran to help target American forces in the Middle East, raising the issue directly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco...

G7 Summit 2026: South Africa Excluded Amid U.S. Pressure, Kenya Invited Instead

France has officially denied that South Africa was dropped from the G7 leaders summit guest list due to pressure from Washington, stating that Kenya was chosen as Africas representative ahead of President Emmanuel Macrons...

Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Peace Talks Stall Amid Military Buildup

President Donald Trump announced a 10-day pause on U.S. strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure, pushing the deadline to April 6, 2026. Trump attributed the extension to a direct request from Tehran, though peace...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn

Chinas top semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), has reportedly been transferring chipmaking equipment to Irans military industrial complex, according to two senior Trump...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...

Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco

Shares of Taiwan-based memory chip manufacturer Nanya Technology soared to their daily limit of 10% on Thursday morning following the companys announcement of a major $2.5 billion private placement deal backed by prominent...

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...