The School for Policy Analysis NaUKMA (SPA) is a think tank that is an integral part of the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”. It implements the latest research to promote quality, evidence-based decisions based on reliable analytics, especially in the areas of countering populism, information security, and youth education policy.
SPA was the first such program in Ukraine. It followed the example of similar university programs in other countries, but it built its own path to answer the current needs of Ukraine. The School for Policy Analysis was founded in 2001 as a project at the Kyiv-Mohyla Center for National Security Studies. But because of its successful development, the entire Center for National Security Studies was then reformatted and renamed as School for Policy Analysis.
The activity and programs of SPA are focused on conducting policy-oriented research, a significant part of which is the development of evidence-based recommendations for society and government entities but independent of them.
SPA takes pride in its independence and lack of external influence on the analytical work it conducts, especially from any political forces or individuals, and its non-involvement in political technologies in order to maintain objectivity in the analysis of political events in Ukraine and the world.
Until 2014, the SPA prepared an annual political analysis of Ukraine for the publication of “Nations in Transit”, used by the international organization “Freedom House” for its country ratings.
After 2014, SPA focuses its attention on the urgent problems that arose after the annexation of Crimea, Russian military aggression in the East of Ukraine. the information warfare, and the spread of populism and its negative effects.
The director of SPA is Maksym Yakovlev, Ph.D. in political science, chair of the department of international relations. A motivated team of researchers and academics leads the School and can be found on this link https://spa.ukma.edu.ua/komanda/
