MA: University of Odessa (USSR; 1979, English)
PhD: University of Odessa (USSR; 1988, Linguistics)
MPA: University of Kansas (1996, U.S. Local Governance)
First field: Comparative Politics
Second field: Post-Communist Studies
Expected Graduation: 2010
Research interests: Political regimes typology; informal institutions; nexus between political ideas and social practices; political parties as a tool of democratic linkage; human rights; international development; international organizations.
Other interests: Journalism, wellness, PTA volunteering, amateur video production.
Words of Wisdom: "With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." —Max Ehrmann
Email: pvoitsekhovsky at gvpt•umd•edu

Biography: I have lived and worked in three different political and social environments: a communist dictatorship — USSR, a liberal democracy — United States, and a ‘hybrid’ system of the post-Soviet Ukraine. My life made me a comparativist and prompted me to study this field professionally. It also nourished my interest in studies of inter-cultural contact, especially the broad issue of ‘democracy in translation.’ I have always tried to parallel the study of academic theory with practical work in the ‘real world.’ The latter includes service in projects of the USAID, OSCE, international NGOs such as the Krieble Institute of the Free Congress Foundation, as well as journalistic reporting for the BBC and Radio Liberty and political commentaries for the Voice of America.