Purpose and directions of activity

Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics was established by the decision of the Academic Council of the Uzhgorod National University (UzhNU) in May 28, 2009 as its structural research unit. The main directions of  research and practical activity of the Regional Political Research Institute is a comprehensive study of problems of Ukrainian and regional political history, the study and analysis of the problems of political science, sociology, political regionalistics, ethnopolitology within the Carpathian region, including neighboring regions of Zakarpattia region of Ukraine and abroad. In particular, the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics studies the historical and political aspects of regional development for qualitative and objective understanding, planning and forecasting phenomena and processes not only in our time but also in the future. Research work is also dedicated to the elaboration of theoretical and applied issues related to the format of vital social and political characters and institutions in different regions, their communication with the central political authority in the civil society. The current practice of regional life is constantly under the significant influence of historical and cultural traditions, multiculturalism of the region, mentality and ethnic stereotype of its population, socio-economic factors, the nature and content creation of business groups, party structure, formation and recruitment of the elites in government, dependency of regional elites transformation on the electoral process and so on.

An important component of the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics operation is also the political implementation of direct contacts and the fulfillment of joint research projects with scientific and educational institutions of Ukraine’s neighboring countries (Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Poland), the organization of ethno-political expeditions and social researches in the Carpathians and adjacent regions of the mentioned countries and places of compact residence of Ukrainians there.

The practical component of the scientific research work

Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics intends to implement the results of research works into the learning process, also to perform preparation of teaching materials for young people. Its main testing research base is the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Uzhgorod National University. Its students are involved in the practical monitoring of actual regional problems of modernity and its analysis, they regularly do production practical training, participate in polls, learn to work with archives, statistics, party sources, learn to form analytical references, make political portraits and more.

Structure

The human resources potential of the Institute constitute researchers and experienced professionals, who are prevailingly political scientists, sociologists and historians. The main body of the Institute is the Academic Council (AC), which determines the general directions of its activities. Structural departments of the Institute are research departments – political regionalistics (curator M. Tokar), ethnopolitology (curator S. Aslanov), analysis of empirical showing (curator Ye. Haidanka), monitoring of public opinion (curator Yu. Ostapets). Under the patronage of the Institute there operates editorial board of informational and analytical magazine "Regionalistica", there are formed the foundations of Archive-Museum of the political history of Zakarpattia region, which has its own site on educational portal "ZaKarpatia" ("ЗаКарпатiя" – www.zakarpatia.com).

Public activity

During its existence, the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics took the part of initiator and co-organizer of scientific forums of various levels. Employees of the Research Institute took individual part in numerous international conferences in Ukraine (Kyiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovs’k, Odessa, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, etc.), as well as in foreign countries – Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Trans-Dniester Moldavian Republic.

Publishing

In 2009, the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics founded the publishing series «Studia Regionalistica». It is a publication of books of historical and political nature on the most urgent problems of regional history and contemporary times, coverage of international, political, ethnic and religious processes in Zakarpattia and adjacent regions.

In 2010, the the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics registered informational and analytical periodical "Regionalistica" ("Регіоналістика") (two issues have already been published), which topics are devoted to various manifestations of regional life, social and political issues of regional development, ethno-political spectrum, regional tendencies of elite formation, party building, electoral processes, ethno-confessional characteristics.

Projects

In 2010, the staff of the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics and the Institute of Ethnic Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary) completed work on a large-scale international project, which resulted in the publication of complex monograph simultaneously in two languages ​​(Ukrainian and Hungarian) "Zakarpattia in 1919 – 2009: History, Politics, Culture" (Uzhgorod: Polygraph Centre "Lira", 2010. – 720 p.). In Hungarian, the same work (640 p.) has been published in Hungary (Budapest). The final edition systemically covers interrelated problems of historical development in Zakarpattia region in the XX – beginning of XXI century, with an emphasis on mutual historical heritage of Ukrainian and Hungarian local population.

In the context of comprehensive fundamental research during 2009 – 2011 years, the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics has revealed and analyzed ethno-political problems of Zakarpattia region in the XX – XXI century. The content of the topic, which was positively evaluated by experts, investigates ethnic structure of the Zakarpattia region, socio-political development of national minorities, the evolution of social and political organizations of national minorities, Rusynism as ethnic and political problem of Ukraine, educational development of national minorities and others.

In 2013, the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics finishes a joint project with the Research Institute for European Integration and Regional Studies, which operates under the patronage of the Yuriy Fedkovich Chernivtsi National University. The result of collaboration will be publishing of monograph on regional policy on the example of Bukovina and Zakarpattia region (presented in Uzhgorod, Chernivtsi, and Kyiv).

In 2013, the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics began the implementation of fundamental research, the object of which is the regional political elite in Zakarpattia region in the XX – early XXI century. This is part of a thematic more volumetric problem that involves the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and is presented for government funding together with the Scientific Research Institute of Central Europe. The subject of research is the tendencies and characteristics of regional elite formation in Zakarpattia region, the problem of formation and functioning of the elites, their sources, evolution and current status, the influence of their representatives in public and party structures, government bodies, specifics of their recreation and more.

Partners

With the aim to assess the socio-political situation of the region more realistically, workers of the Institute attract other professionals and public institutions for cooperation. Scientific partners of the Scientific Research Institute of the Political Regionalistics are the following: Agency of Regional Society Researches "Carpathia", Scientific Research Institute of Central Europe and the Agency of Political Studies "Society of the Carpathians" (all – Uzhgorod, Ukraine), Research Institute for European Integration and Regional Studies (Chernivtsi, Ukraine), Center for Political Studies (Lviv, Ukraine), Center of Political Monitoring (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine), the Museum of History of Satu Mare (Satu Mare, Romania), Institute for Ethnic Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Budapest, Hungary) and other research institutions.