Aleksei Sorbale
- Associate Professor: HSE Campus in St. Petersburg / Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences / Department of Political Science and International Affairs
- Senior Research Fellow: HSE Campus in St. Petersburg / Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences / Centre for Comparative Governance Studies
- Programme Academic Supervisor: Data Analytics for Politics and Society , Political Science and World Politics
- Aleksei Sorbale has been at HSE University since 2018.
Education and Degrees
Central European University, Political Science
HSE University, Applied Political Science
According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011, Candidate of Sciences belongs to ISCED level 8 - "doctoral or equivalent", together with PhD, DPhil, D.Lit, D.Sc, LL.D, Doctorate or similar. Candidate of Sciences allows its holders to reach the level of the Associate Professor.
Continuing education / Professional retraining / Internships / Study abroad experience
Second Summer School in Political Science and Sociology “University without Professors 2.0”, European University at St. Petersburg (Russia), June 20-25, 2015
10th ECPR Summer School in Methods and Techniques, Ljubliana (Slovenia), 23 July — 6 August, 2015
Winter School of NRU Higher School of Economics — 2016, Moscow (Russia), February 6-7, 2016
Internship at University College London (UCL), European Research Council (ERC) Program, London (UK), July 1 — August 1, 2016
Course “Programming in Python for Data Collection and Analysis”, HSE — St. Petersburg (Russia), November 18 — December 9, 2018
FIRST Intensive Course, HSE — St. Petersburg (Russia), March 18-24, 2019
Study Visit of Young Researchers to Belgium (European Dialogue Program), Brussels (European Institutions and think-tanks) / Brugge (College of Europe), May 20-25, 2019
Internship at King's College London (KCL), Global Citizen Program, London (UK), June 15 — August 1, 2019
Online-course “Programming in Python”, Stepik, April 3 — April 27, 2020 (23 hours) Stepik certificate 2020
Awards and Accomplishments
- Young Faculty Support Programme (Group of Young Academic Professionals)
Category "New Lecturers" (2021–2022)
Achievements and rewards
2016. Winner of the National Contest of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on personal stipend named after A.I. Solzhenitsyn for students engaged in journalism, literature and political science.
Courses (2025/2026)
- Political System of the European Union (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Project Proposal (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 3 module)Eng
- Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 3 year, 3 module)Eng
- Quantitative Methods of Political Research (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 3, 4 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 1 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 1 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Mago-Lego; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences; 1 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 3 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 1 year, 1 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 1 year, 1 module)Eng
- Past Courses
Courses (2024/2025)
- Political System of the European Union (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 3 year, 3 module)Eng
- Quantitative Methods of Political Research (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Research Seminar "Data Analytics for Politics and Society" (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science, Sociology; 1 year, 1-4 module)Rus
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Mago-Lego; 1, 2 module)Rus
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 3 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 1 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 1 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
Courses (2023/2024)
- Political System of the European Union (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Political System of the European Union (Minor; 3, 4 module)Rus
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Mago-Lego; 1, 2 module)Eng
Courses (2022/2023)
- Business Environment in EU (Minor; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences; 1, 2 module)Rus
- EU-Russia Relations since 1991 (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 3 module)Eng
- Geography, Institutions and Development (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Political System of the European Union (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Quantitative Methods of Political Research (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 3, 4 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science, field of study Political Science; 2 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Russia-European Union Relationships (Mago-Lego; 1, 2 module)Eng
- World Politics and International Relations (Bachelor’s programme; St Petersburg School of Economics and Management field of study Management; 3 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
Courses (2021/2022)
- EU-Russia Relations since 1991 (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 3 module)Eng
- Political System of the European Union (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 4 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Project Seminar (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 1 year, 3, 4 module)Eng
- Quantitative Methods of Political Research (Bachelor’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 2 year, 3, 4 module)Eng
- Research Seminar "Data Analytics for Politics and Society" (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 1 year, 1-4 module)Eng
- Social and Political Attitudes (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science; 1 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- World Politics and International Relations (Bachelor’s programme; St Petersburg School of Economics and Management field of study Management; 3 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
Conferences
- 2025
XIV Международная научная конференция Департамента политологии и международных отношений Национального исследовательского университета «Высшая школа экономики» «Октябрьские чтения» (Санкт-Петербург). Presentation: Адаптация многоуровневого управления к внешним шокам: случай российской жилищной политики
XIV Международная научная конференция Департамента политологии и международных отношений Национального исследовательского университета «Высшая школа экономики» «Октябрьские чтения» (Санкт-Петербург). Presentation: Social Dimension of Climate Change: Case Study of Indian Himalayas
«Time to be Green? Policy Reactions to Environmental Transformation in India and Russia» (Дехрадун). Presentation: Community-based climate resilience policy in multilevel governance systems: A comparative analysis of the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh
«Time to be Green? Policy Reactions to Environmental Transformation in India and Russia» (Дехрадун). Presentation: Resilience of multilevel systems to environmental shocks: Coping, Adaptation, Transformation
- 2021
XXII Апрельская международная научная конференция по проблемам развития экономики и общества (Москва). Presentation: Unable or Reluctant? Multilevel Determinants of the EU Members’ (Non-)Compliance with the European Union Law
St. Petersburg International Conference on Inequality and Diversity (Санкт-Петербург). Presentation: Why So Slow? National Determinants of Post-Socialist States’ EU Accession Speed: Case of Albania and post-Yugoslavia
- 2020
St. Petersburg Conference on Inequality and Diversity (Санкт-Петербург). Presentation: The Tops Are (Un-)Able and the Bottoms Are (Un-)willing: Determinants of the EU Members' Non-Compliance with the European Union Law
XXI Апрельская международная научная конференция по проблемам развития экономики и общества (Москва). Presentation: Cleavages and rationality: patterns of coalition-building in the Council of Ministers of the European Union
- 2019
14th Annual Doctoral Conference 2019 (Budapest). Presentation: Good and bad regional governance in modern Russia: case of Central Federal District
XX АПРЕЛЬСКАЯ МЕЖДУНАРОДНАЯ НАУЧНАЯ КОНФЕРЕНЦИЯ ПО ПРОБЛЕМАМ РАЗВИТИЯ ЭКОНОМИКИ И ОБЩЕСТВА (Москва). Presentation: Good and bad regional governance in modern Russia: case of Central Federal District
Tartu Conference on Russian and East European Studies (Тарту). Presentation: State autonomy and state capacity of the EU member and candidate states as factors of their (non-)compliance with the European Union law
St. Petersburg Conference on Inequality and Diversity (Санкт-Петербург). Presentation: Cleavages and rationality: patterns of coalition-building in the Council of Ministers of the European Union
- 2017
IAPSS World Congress “The Meaning of Politics” – 2017 (Budapest). Presentation: The Influence of State Capacity on the EU Accession Speed of the Candidate Countries: the case of Post-socialist States of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe
- 2016
Saint-Petersburg International Student Research Forum – 2016 (Saint-Petersburg). Presentation: The Influence of the Particularities of the National Party Systems on the EU Accession Speed of the Candidate Countries: the case of Post-socialist States of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe
17-й ежегодный международный конкурс памяти Галины Старовойтовой «ГАЛАТЕЯ» - 2016. (Saint-Petersburg). Presentation: «Конфликт в Боснии и Герцеговине: этно-центризм vs евро-центризм»
- 2014
«Октябрьские чтения – 2014»: «Публичная политика: проблемы развития институтов» (Санкт-Петербург). Presentation: Специфика консолидации гибридного режима в Российской Федерации в период 2000-2012 годов
Научный дебют (Saint-Petersburg). Presentation: Специфика поэтапной консолидации гибридного режима в Российской Федерации в период 2000-2012 годов
Регулирование участия гражданского общества в городской антикоррупционной политике: анализ причин низкой эффективности (Saint-Petersburg). Presentation: Насколько эффективно в России общественное участие в процессах противодействия коррупции
Grants
Grant of the Russian Science Foundation. Project “Adaptation of multilevel governance to external shocks in socially significant areas: a study of housing policy in large Russian cities”, No. 25-28-01041. National Research University Higher School of Economics, 2025-2026. Project contractor.
Joint Basic Research Project "International Academic Cooperation of HSE University" "Regional and inter-regional associations in norm-building and norm-control in the area of environmental regulation in Russia and India". A joint project of the Centre for Comparative Governance Studies with a research team from the School of Liberal Arts and Media at University of Petroleum and Energy (UPES) (India), 2025-2026. Project leader.
Employment history
June 2014 — February 2015: Editor, Student Scientific Journal “Grassroots”, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Saint-Petersburg
June — August 2016: Research Assistant, Centre for German and European Studies (CGES), Saint-Petersburg
January 2019 — September 2020: Lecturer, Department of Applied Political Science, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Saint-Petersburg
June 2019 — January 2022: Junior Researcher, Center for Comparative Studies of Power and Governance
September 2020 — August 2023: Senior lecturer, Department of Political Science and International Affairs, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Saint-Petersburg
March 2023 — present: Academic director of the MA programme 'Data Analytics for Politics and Society', Department of Political Science and International Affairs, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Saint-Petersburg
September 2023 — present: Associate professor, Department of Political Science and International Affairs, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Saint-Petersburg
January 2024 — present: Academic director of the BA programme 'Political Science and World Politics', Department of Political Science and International Affairs, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Saint-Petersburg
May 2025 — present: Senior Researcher, Center for Comparative Studies of Power and Governance
From Mexico to Buenos Aires: HSE University–St Petersburg Enhances Cooperation with Leading Universities in Latin America
New mobility programmes, academic exchanges, and unexpected collaborations—these are the results of the HSE University–St Petersburg delegation's mission to Latin America. Read on to find out about the key agreements made.
Environmental Regulation in Russia and India
In Schola’s latest instalment showcasing the winners of the International Academic Cooperation of HSE University competition, Aleksei Sorbale speaks about the project ‘Regional and Inter-Regional Associations in Norm-Building and Norm-Control in the Area of Environmental Regulation in Russia and India,’ carried out jointly with a research team from India’s University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES).
Results of Second International Academic Cooperation Competition Announced
The International Academic Cooperation (IAC) competition aims to promote international academic partnerships, broaden research agendas, and foster interdisciplinary approaches. It also encourages students, including doctoral students at HSE University, to participate in joint basic research projects.
Shaping Global Leaders: Inside Political Science and World Politics with Alexey Sorbale
Aleksei Sorbale is the academic supervisor of the Political Science and World Politics programme at HSE in Saint Petersburg.
HSE University-St Petersburg to Open New ‘International Relations’ Track in ‘Political Science and World Politics’ Programme
Starting in 2025, the Bachelor's programme ‘Political Science and World Politics’ at HSE University-St Petersburg will train specialists not only in political science but also in international relations. This will significantly increase graduates' career opportunities in analytics, diplomacy, and consulting. Learn more about the changes from the programme's academic supervisor and professors from the new track.
Between Natural Risks and Tourism Development: How the Life of Local Communities in the Indian Himalayas Is Changing
In 2024, scientists from HSE University-St Petersburg went on two expeditions to the Indian Himalayas. The second trip finished at the beginning of October, and now, the researchers are summing up its results. Read on to find out what new things they learned about the state of Himachal Pradesh, why floods and earthquakes have increased dramatically, and how local citizens adapt to the growth of tourism in the region.
'Knowing How to Analyse Data Is Not Enough—We Have to Understand Why We Need It'
One of the main goals of HSE University-St Petersburg is to create an international environment on the campus. As a part of this work, the university creates more and more programmes that provide an opportunity to study fully in English. Among them is the master's programme 'Data Analytics for Politics and Society'. Over the several years of its existence, the programme has already shown great results, and many of its graduates have become successful both in business and academia. We talked to Aleksei Sorbale, Academic Supervisor of the programme, about changing the teaching language of the programme, students' projects, and competitive selection for the programme.
'Joint Background in Political Science and Anthropology Turned Out to Be Invaluably Useful in Studying the Region'
From April 26 to May 7, a team of professors and students from HSE University-St Petersburg conducted a field study in the Indian Himalayas. We asked Aleksei Sorbale, an academic supervisor of the Bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics', and Pavel Bazarov, a graduate of the Bachelor's programme and a student of the Master's programme 'Global and Regional History', to tell us about their research and share their impressions of the expedition.
HSE University-St Petersburg Holds Sixth Conference 'HSEIMUN'
In April, HSE University-St Petersburg held the conference 'HSEIMUN 2024'. This year, it gathered more than 100 delegates from among university and school students from Russia and Kazakhstan. The most active participants received souvenirs. Check out how the event went in the article.
‘We Managed to Capture the Diverse Landscape of Higher Education in India’
A delegation from HSE University in St Petersburg has visited universities in India. HSE representatives attended eight universities, and held meetings with management, teachers, and researchers. Here, participants talk about their impressions, cooperation agreements and some cultural peculiarities of India.