Speaker: Dr Huseyn Aliyev, University of Glasgow
Date: Monday 14 September 2026
Time: 16.00–17.30
Venue: Arts Lecture Theatre, University of St Andrews
Registration: To register, email [email protected]
Abstract
This seminar will discuss mobilisation and transformation of paramilitary volunteers in Ukraine since 2014. It will focus on both individual motivations and group-level dynamics of paramilitary mobilisation, also drawing on examples from other recent intra- and inter-state armed conflicts around the world. The transformation of paramilitary forces in Ukraine will be discussed as embedded into the broader context of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. This seminar will conclude by analysing the role of volunteer formations in present-day conventional warfare.
About the speaker
Huseyn Aliyev is Senior Lecturer at Central & East European Studies, University of Glasgow. Dr Aliyev’s current research focuses on force design and the role of technology in modern land warfare. From 2014 to 2021, Dr Aliyev conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork among Ukrainian paramilitary volunteers and army, examining various dynamics of (de)mobilisation, force design and inter-ethnic relations within the armed forces of Ukraine. His recent monograph “Collecting Data among paramilitaries”, co-authored with Dr Hana Josticova, provides an in-depth methodological guide to conducting fieldwork among armed groups.