Marin Gherman - Institute of Political Studies and Social Capital

Marin GHERMAN is a political scientist, journalist and writer. Director of the Institute of Political Studies and Social Capital (Chernivtsi, Ukraine), PhD in political science. Lecturer at “Stefan cel Mare” University of Suceava (Romania), president and editor-in-chief of Media Center BucPress in Chernivtsi. Member of the scientific and expert council of the international network Erasmus Expertise (Paris), editor-in-chief of the ICR magazine ‘Glasul Bucovinei’ (Chernivtsi-Bucharest).

He teaches courses in political communication, international conflict analysis, methodologies in the study of political science, international and regional governance.

He graduated with honors from the Yuri Fedkovich National University of Chernivtsi in 2010, and in 2014 – he defends her PhD thesis on “Theories of social capital in the study of European integration processes in post-socialist societies (case study Ukraine, Romania)”.

He was a columnist for the newspaper “Libertatea” (Bucharest) (2022-2023). He is a columnist at “Veridica” (since 2020) – a publication specialized in monitoring, analyzing and debunking fake news, disinformation and manipulation campaigns in Central and Eastern Europe.

Founding President of the Media Center BucPress (since 2015), which includes four Romanian-language media outlets: the BucPress News Agency, Radio Cernăuți, BucPress TV and BucPress magazine. Member of the Writers’ Union of the Republic of Moldova and the Society of Romanian Writers in Chernivtsi.

Author of studies published in specialized journals. Author of the book “Social capital in Ukraine and Romania: a new dimension of European integration processes” (Chernivtsi, Druk Art Publishing House, 2022), co-author of four scientific volumes “Civil society and social capital in the new EU member states” (Chernivtsi, Tehnodruk, 2015), “Sprache Politik und Konflikte in der Ukraine, Republik Moldau und Georgien” (Leipzig, 2017), “Ethnocultural and ethnopolitical landscape of the border regions of Ukraine, R.Moldova and Romania. Historical Retrospective and Actuality” (Chernivtsi, Tehnodruk, 2018), “Educational Intersections: dialog with national minorities in the Chernivtsi and Transcarpathian regions” (Drogobici, Tek-LTD, 2020).

He contributed to the collective volumes “COVID-19. Dimensiuni ale gestionarea pandemiei” (Iași, Editura Junimea, 2020) and “Războiiul din Ucraina. A regional conflict with global effects” (Iași, European Institute, 2022). Author of the study Crisis Communication Strategy in Case of a Nuclear Incident in Ukraine, published in the volume “Medical Response Strategy in Case of Radiation Emergency Caused by the War in Ukraine”, Springer Publishing House (2024).

Co-author of the album “Chernivtsi: 105 annotated images” (Iasi, Junimea Publishing House, 2022). Author of two books of poetry: “Derivatele dezordinii” (Chernivtsi, “Alexandru cel Bun” Publishing House, 2010) and “Jocul dilemelor” (Râmnicu Sărat, Rafet Publishing House, 2015).

He has coordinated international research projects and has been a researcher in various programs funded by European governments. He was a political consultant, head of electoral offices, manager of information campaigns and international media analysis projects, coordinator of EU-funded cross-border projects and other grant programs.

MANAGEMENT SKILLS

1. Coordinator of the activities in Ukraine, carried out by the NGO BucPress Media Center within the BEST project “Special Ethnic Treasure of Bucovina” (January 1, 2020 – January 31, 2023), project ENI – CBC 2 SOFT/2.1/46, funded by the European Union through the Joint Operational Program Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020.

2. Coordinator of more than 15 press projects, financed by the Department for Romanians Abroad in the years 2015-2023, including the establishment of Radio Chernivtsi, the establishment of BucPress TV Chernivtsi, the establishment and development of BucPress magazine, the establishment of Romanian press organizations in the Transcarpathian, Chernivtsi and Odessa regions, the development of other cultural or editorial projects (the online library “Glasul Bucovinei” in Chernivtsi, Romanian Information Centres in the North of Bukovina, etc.).

3. Coordinator of the Romanian Journalist School in Chernivtsi (1st edition, 2017; 2nd edition, 2020).

RESEARCH PROJECTS:

Coordinator of the research project “Romanian Community in Chernivtsi, Transcarpathia and Odessa. Social Barometer – 2024”, realized by the Institute of Political Studies and Social Capital from Chernivtsi (Ukraine), funded by the Department for Romanians Abroad of the Romanian Government (2024).
Coordinator of the research project “The future of the Romanian community in Ukraine – a sociological x-ray of the young generation in the context of the war”, realized by the Institute of Political Studies and Social Capital in Chernivtsi (Ukraine), funded by the Department for Romanians Abroad of the Romanian Government (2023).
Coordinator of the research project “The Romanian community in Ukraine: needs, expectations and challenges during the war (social barometer)”, realized by the Institute of Political Studies and Social Capital in Chernivtsi (Ukraine), funded by the Department for Romanians Abroad of the Romanian Government (2022).
Researcher in the project “Building bridges to fight stereotypes”, funded by the Center for Governance and Culture at the Europe University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) (2021)
Researcher in the project “At educational intersections: scientifically argued dialogue with national minorities in the Chernivtsi and Transcarpathian regions”, funded by the MFA of Finland through the National Association of Educational Researchers in Kyiv (2019).
Researcher within the project “Ethno-cultural and ethno-political landscape of the border regions of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania: historical retrospective and current status”, funded by the State Fund of Basic Research of Ukraine (2017-2018).
Member of the Erasmus+ RENT project team, dedicated to eLearning, coordinated by Erasmus Expertise (France) (2024-2025)

MEMBER OF SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES

1. Member of the reviewing committee of the journal “Analele Bucovinei” (Bucovina Institute of the Romanian Academy), Rădăuți, Romania (since 2023)

2. Member of the reviewing committee of the magazine “Codrul Cosminului” (University “Ștefan cel Mare” from Suceava)

2. Editor-in-chief of the history and culture magazine “Glasul Bucovinei” (Chernivtsi-Bucharest), a publication of the Romanian Cultural Institute

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS

1. Director of the Institute of Political Studies and Social Capital in Chernivtsi (Ukraine) (since 2019)

2. Member of the Bukovinian Political Science Center (Chernivtsi) (since 2010)

3. Member of the National Association of Educational Researchers (Ukraine) (since 2018)

4. Member of the International Alliance of Romanian Journalists (Bucharest) (since 2020)

5. Member of the Writers’ Union of the Republic of Moldova (Chisinau) (since 2010)

6. Member of the Society of Romanian Writers in Chernivtsi (Ukraine) (since 2010)

TRAINING AND COURSES HELD

Lecturer at the summer and fall schools organized by the Moldova Institut Leipzig (Germany): “Identity discourses in multicultural spaces: the Republic of Moldova and Bukovina” (Chisinau-Cernăuți, August – September 12, 2021), “Ethnic minorities in the post-Soviet space. Recognizing, analyzing and defusing conflict potentials” (Chisinau – Chernivtsi, September 13-21, 2020), “Places of memory and the Soviet past in the culture of memory” (Chisinau – Chernivtsi, September 6-14, 2018), “Minority policies and rights in Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia” (Chernivtsi, September 2-10, 2017).

Trainer in the project “Fake News – Fake Reality. Social Resilience through Critical Thinking” addressed to professional journalists from Romania on the fight against fake news, organized by the International Alliance of Romanian Journalists together with the Association Alternative Sociale and the County Center for Educational Resources and Assistance Iasi (November-December 2022)

Trainer within the project “Ukraine, disinformation and demystification“, organized by the Romanian Academic Society (June 2023) for journalists, students and members of the associative environment from Romania and the Republic of Moldova