Nicolò Fasola

Education

• 2018-2022: PhD Political Science and International Studies -- University of Birmingham (GBR)
• 2015-2017: MA Interdisciplinary Research and Studies on Eastern Europe -- joint degree: University of Bologna (ITA), Saint Petersburg State University (RUS), Vytautas Magnus University at Kaunas (LTU), Corvinus University in Budapest (HUN)
• 2012-2015: BA International and European Studies -- University of Milan (ITA)
  

Work experience

Current positions

• since APR2023: Research Fellow -- University fo Bologna (ITA)
• since SEP2022: Adjunct Professor -- University of Bologna (ITA)
• since SEP2022: Programme Tutor MA MIREES -- University of Bologna (ITA)

Past positions

• FEB2025: Visiting Researcher -- German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) (DEU)
• NOV2023: Visiting Researcher -- Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) (DEU)
• SEP-2021-AUG2023. Teaching Assistant -- University of Bologna (ITA)
• OCT2018-SEP2022: Doctoral Researcher -- University of Birmingham (GBR)
• FEB-APR2022: Eisenhower Pre-Doctoral Fellow -- NATO Defense College (NDC) (ITA)
• OCT2021-JAN2022: Visiting Doctoral Researcher -- Friedrich-Schiller Universitaet Jena (DEU)
• SEP2020-JUN2021: Staff Officer -- NATO SHAPE, Partnership Directorate, Military Cooperation Division (BEL)
• JAN-AUG2020: Adjunct Lecturer of Russian Foreign Policy -- University of Salford (GBR)
• JAN-JUN2020: Teaching Assistant of Contemporary History -- University of Birmingham (GBR)
• SEP-DEC2019: Visiting Doctoral Researcher -- Saint Petersburg State University (RUS)
• OCT2018-NOV2019: Researcher -- Association of Universities of the Adriatic-Ionian Area (UniAdrion)
• JAN-JUL2018: Assistant to the Staff Officer (trainee) -- NATO SHAPE, Military Partnerships Directorate, Office for the Special Relationship with Ukraine (BEL)
• SEP2017-MAR2020: Foreign Correspondent -- Radio Panda 96.3 fm (ITA)
• MAY-DEC2017: Independent / Associate Researcher -- Institute of International Relations (IIR) (CZE)
• FEB-MAY2017: Assistant to the Ambassador (trainee) -- Italian Embassy in Estonia (EST)
  

Conferences and other engagements (selected)

• Co-convenor, with Rafael Biermann, of the section on ‘Patron Client Relations in World Politics’ (four panels) -- during the annual conference of the European International Studies Association (EISA), University of Bologna, 25-29 August 2025.
• 'Current Russian Thinking on Strategic Stability and Deterrence' (con Derek Averre) -- paper presented at the annual conference of the Standing Group on International Relations (SGRI), Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP), 12-13 June 2025.
• 'Disentangling the Challenges of the War in Ukraine: Identity, Norms, and Security' -- organised by Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe and the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Bologna, 11 November 2024 (invited speaker).
• 'L’etnocentrismo strategico e la sfida russa' -- within the forum Hard Times: le nuove guerre e la difesa europea, hosted by the Italian Senate, Rome, 09 July 2024.
• 'The future of strategic competition in Central Asia' -- roundtable organised by the NATO Defence College (NDC), Rome, 29-30 January 2024 (invited participant).
• 'The interplay of Russian and Chinese (self-)perceptions in Kyrgyzstan' (with Sara Berloto) -- paper presented at the annual conference of the Associazione per lo Studio in Italia dell'Asia Centrale (ASIAC), Rome, 14-16 December 2023.
• ‘Beyond the Fremity Paradigm: Exploring the Role of Worldviews and Self-perceptions in Russia-China Relations’ (with Sara Berloto) -- paper presented at the annual conference of the Standing Group on International Relations (SGRI), Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP), 15-16 June 2023.
• ‘Not so different after all? Comparing Russia’s Campaigns in Ukraine and Syria’ -- paper presented at the 7th Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies, University of Tartu (EST), 11-13 June 2023.
• ‘No Mere Autocratic Axis: Unpacking Russia’s Support for Assad’s Regime Through the Frame of Patron-Client Relations’ -- paper presented at the Joint Sessions of Workshops of the European Council on Political Research (ECPR), Science Po Toulouse (FRA), 25-28 April 2023.
• 'Russia's way of war: comparing Russia's strategies and operations in Ukraine and Syria' -- paper presented at the annual conference of the European Initiative for Security Studies (EISS), Hertie School (DEU), 01 July 2022.
• 'Le dimensioni convenzionale e nucleare della minaccia russa' -- talk given within the roundtable Verso un nuovo Concetto Strategico della NATO: prospettive e interessi dell'Italia, UNITELMA Sapienza (ITA), 21 March 2022.
• 'NATO's Future Leaders Conference' -- workshop organised by the NATO Defense College (NDC), Rome, 17-18 March 2022 (invited participant).
  
• 'Collegial View on the Strategic Concept' -- workshop organised by the NATO Defense College (NDC), Rome, 6-7 December 2021 (invited participant).
• ‘Russia’s Military Preferences and Nuclear Use: Is There an ‘Escalate to De-escalate Doctrine’?’ -- paper presented at the 2nd Early Career Nuclear Strategists Workshop (ECSNW), NATO Defence College (online venue), 30 June-2 July 2020.
• ‘Framing Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Culture’ -- workshop organised by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), online venue, 27 May 2020 (invited participant).
• ‘Historical Memory Laboratory: What Happened Before Us? The Problems of Mutual Understanding Between the Younger Generations of Russia and the EU’ -- forum organised by the Gorchakov Fund and the Council on Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), Moscow, 20-22 November 2019 (invited participant).