Department Overview

The Department of Political Science is founded in 1991. Today, the Department is a structural subdivision of the School of Philosophy of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The researchers the Department are exploring the complex and relevant topic: Development of the Ukrainian Political System in Comparative and Global Perspectives.
The main directions in the research framework are topics related to the problems of Power and Democracy, Political Philosophy and Political Theory, Comparative Politics, Post-Communist Transformations and Democratization, Political Regional Studies, Political Culture, Political Anthropology, Ethnopolitics, Globalization and World-System Analysis.
In 1992-1995 training in the Political Science major is provided on the basis of the School of Economy, School of History and School of Sociology of Karazin University. In 1995 the School of Sociology opens the Political Science specialization that allows to graduate qualified professionals not only in area of theory, but also in the sphere of applied political science. It makes it possible to prepare lecturers of political science required for Karazin University and other Ukrainian universities. The first group of students in the Political Science specialty are trained on the basis of the School of Sociology in 2003. Today the Department of Political Science trains its students on the basis of the School of Sociology within the Political Science major at the following specialities: BS in Political Science, SS in Political Science, MS in Political Science.
The graduates from the Department (SS and MS in Political Science) receive qualifications: political science specialist, instructor/lecturer in social and political courses.
The scope of professional employment upon graduation covers Ukrainian higher educational institutions and authorities such as: Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Kharkiv State TV and Radio Company, Regional Branch of the National Institute for Strategic Studies (Kharkiv), regional offices of political parties and non-governmental organizations.

Over the years of its existence the Department of Political Science has become one of the leading scientific and educational centers of the region. Cooperation between the faculty of the Department and their colleagues from other educational institutions of Ukraine and foreign research centers has significantly influenced the establishment of Kharkiv political science school.
The decision to establish the Association of Political Scientists of Slobozhanshchyna (registered on July 3, 2007) is made on the initiative of the Department of Political Science on December 10, 2005. The main goal of the Association is to bring together experts in political science to carry out scientific, educational and enlightenment activities.
Research and methodical work at the Department is centered on working out and introducing new courses taking into account national and foreign experience in teaching social and political courses in the context of modern information and educational technologies, as well as conducting theoretical and practical research.
The Department of Political Science has established a Thesis Committees for defense of Candidate`s theses in History and Theory of Political Science and in Political Institutes and Processes.