Sophia Anders researches local (democratic) development and resilience in Ukraine in light of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. Her overall research interests focus on subnational forms of political and economic participation and organisation, as well as on relations across different layers of government. She graduated top of her class with an MSc in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin.

Prior to joining the International Development at LSE, she worked as a Policy Analyst at the OECD’s Eurasia Division, focusing on economic development in Ukraine and the wider EU Eastern Partnership region. During her studies she worked for a research institute in Ukraine and was a volunteer of the German UNESCO Commission in Georgia.