Сорбалэ Алексей Борисович

Education and Degrees

2022

Candidate of Sciences* (PhD)

2017

Degree
Central European University

2016

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
HSE University, Applied Political Science

* Candidate of Sciences
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

Professional Interests

European Union state capacity QCA (Qualitative Comparative Analysis)multilevel governance resilience of political systems environmental policy

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.

Responsibilities

As a senior research fellow at the Center for Comparative Governance Studies, carries out the most complex and challenging work. Develops plans and methodological programs for conducting research and development. Organizes the collection, analysis, and theoretical synthesis of scientific data. Participates in scientific seminars, conferences, and schools organized by the Center.
As the academic director of the educational programs "Data Analytics for Politics and Society" and "Political Science and World Politics," he is responsible for the design, implementation, and effectiveness of the educational programs.

Supervisor of the following Doctoral theses

for a Candidate of Sciences degree

1
Factors of environmental policy toward sacred sites: insights from the EU and ASEAN
2
The effect of regional and personal factors on the formation of recruitment channels for subnational political elites in Russia from 2012 to 2024

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

Timetable for today

Full timetable

Dissertation for a Candidate of Sciences degree

2022
A. Sorbale Влияние государственной автономии и государственной состоятельности стран-членов Европейского союза на их (не)подчинение директивам ЕС

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), 2025-2027. 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

28

Apr

2026

HSE University–St Petersburg and UPES Hold Summer School on Climate Programmes

HSE University–St Petersburg and UPES University (India) held a joint summer school for students and researchers on the influence of international organisations on environmental regulation policy in Russia and India. HSE University–St Petersburg was represented by Aleksei Sorbale, academic supervisor of the Bachelor's programmes 'Political Science and World Politics' and 'Data Analytics for Politics and Society.'

28

Oct

2025

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.

2

Oct

2025

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).

12

May

2025

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.

12

May

2025

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.

4

Mar

2025

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.

10

Dec

2024

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.

6

Dec

2024

'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.

16

May

2024

'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.

6

May

2024

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.

18

Mar

2024

‘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.

Aleksei Sorbale

Education and Degrees

Continuing education / Professional retraining / Internships / Study abroad experience

Professional Interests

Awards and Accomplishments

Achievements and rewards

Responsibilities

Supervisor of the following Doctoral theses

Courses (2025/2026)

Courses (2024/2025)

Courses (2023/2024)

Courses (2022/2023)

Courses (2021/2022)

Timetable for today

Dissertation for a Candidate of Sciences degree

Conferences

Grants

Employment history

HSE University–St Petersburg and UPES Hold Summer School on Climate Programmes

From Mexico to Buenos Aires: HSE University–St Petersburg Enhances Cooperation with Leading Universities in Latin America

Environmental Regulation in Russia and India

Results of Second International Academic Cooperation Competition Announced

Shaping Global Leaders: Inside Political Science and World Politics with Alexey Sorbale

HSE University-St Petersburg to Open New ‘International Relations’ Track in ‘Political Science and World Politics’ Programme

Between Natural Risks and Tourism Development: How the Life of Local Communities in the Indian Himalayas Is Changing

'Knowing How to Analyse Data Is Not Enough—We Have to Understand Why We Need It'

'Joint Background in Political Science and Anthropology Turned Out to Be Invaluably Useful in Studying the Region'

HSE University-St Petersburg Holds Sixth Conference 'HSEIMUN'

‘We Managed to Capture the Diverse Landscape of Higher Education in India’