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Birka Ieva

Birka Ieva

Visiting Lecturer. Director of the Future Leaders Academy Department of Languages and Communication

Ieva Birka has been the Director of the Future Leaders Academy at SSE Riga since 2017 and is a lecturer in the Politics for Journalists course, part of the Centre for Media Studies' activities.


Education

Doctor of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Latvia, Latvia, 2009-2014.

Masters of Science (with Merit) Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, Department of Government, London School of Economics, United Kingdom, 2003-2004.

Bachelor of Arts Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Rochester, United States, 1999-2003.

 

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Baltic Studies Research Fellow, Yale University, MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies, United States, 2015-2016.

SCIEX Research Fellow, University of Lucerne, Faculty of Social Sciences, Switzerland, 2013-2014.

 

Selected Projects

2024-2026 EU Recovery and Resilience Facility project "Internal and External Consolidation of the University of Latvia" research award (200,000 EUR) for two-year research project titled ‘Urban Preparedness for Emerging Risks in the Baltic Sea Region’.

2023-2025 Council of Baltic States research award (65,000 EUR) for two-year research project titled ‘Prepared Together: Stronger Together’.

2020-2022 Latvian Science Council FLPP research award (100,000 EUR) for a yearlong research project titled ‘Diaspora Diplomacy and the Global Pandemic’.

2018-2022 EU ERAF post-doctoral research award (133,806 EUR) for 3 years for a project titled ‘Harnessing the Economic Potential of the Diaspora’ with the University of Latvia, the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., University of Adelaide Hugo Centre for Migration and Population Research, and National University of Ireland Social Sciences Institute.
 

Selected Publications

I. Birka, D. Kļaviņš and M. Stučka (2024) Return and Circular Migration Motives of Nordic and Baltic Citizens during the Covid-19 Pandemic and Diaspora Engagement. Diaspora Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/09763457-bja10083.

I.Birka (2024) Latvia Report 2023. Freedom House: Nations in Transit. https://freedomhouse.org/country/latvia/nations-transit/2024.

I.Birka and R. Wasserman (2023) Developed Country Diaspora Strategy Framework: Lessons from Ireland and Australia. Diaspora Studies, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 241–263. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/09763457-bja10045

I.Birka (2023) Geopolitics and integration in the Baltics. Baltic Rim Economies, 1/2023. ISSN:1459-9759.

I.Birka and S. Grgić (2023) Croatia & Latvia: Data-Driven Diplomacy. Bilateral Book Serie.

I. Birka (2022) Thinking Diaspora Diplomacy after Russia’s war in Ukraine. Space & Polity, Vol. 26:1, pp. 53-61. DOI: 10.1080/13562576.2022.2104632. 

I. Birka, D. Kļaviņš and R. Kits (2022) ‘Duty to Care: consular diplomacy response of the Baltic and Nordic countries to COVID-19’. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191x-bja10115.

I. Birka (2021) ‘Top-down vs bottom-up diaspora engagement: Latvia vs Australia’. In H.R. Tasev and E.M. Disoska (eds.) Business Threats and Opportunities in the Western Balkans. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 77-106. ISBN (10): 1-5275-7502-0.

I. Birka and A. Lāce (2021) ‘Diasporic politics and defining diaspora in law: the case of Latvia’. Baltic Journal of Law and Politics, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 48-72. DOI: 10.2478/bjlp-2021-0003.

I. Birka (2020) Engaging the diaspora for economic gain: what can Latvia expect?, Journal of Baltic Studies, DOI: 10.1080/01629778.2020.1791194. 

I. Birka and D. Kļaviņš (2019) Diaspora Diplomacy: Nordic and Baltic perspective.  Diaspora Studies, Vol. 13(2), 115-132, 10.1080/09739572.2019.1693861.

I.Birka, A. Schlenker and J. Blatter (2016) ‘Practicing Transnational Citizenship: Dual Nationality and Simultaneous Political Involvement among Emigrants,’ Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2016.1185941.

I.Birka, N. Muižnieks and J. Rozenvalds (2015) ‘Ethnicity and Social Cohesion in the Post-Soviet Baltic States’ in Social Cohesion and Social Change in Europe, Routledge.  ISBN-13: 978-1138999435.

I.Birka (2015) ‘Expressed Attachment to Russia and Integration:  the Case of Young Russians in Latvia 2004-2010’, Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. 47/2. DOI:10.1080/01629778.2015.1094743.

I.Birka (2015) ‘Evaluation of Dual Citizenship Regulation of Latvia in Accordance with Theories of Democracy’ in University of Latvia Centre for Diaspora and Migration Research publication The Political Representation of Diaspora in Latvia and the European Union, DMPC.

I.Birka (2014) ‘Russian Speaker Sense of Belonging to Latvia within the Context of Integration and National Identity’ in the University of Latvia academic publication Multiple and Changing Latvian Identities, University of Latvia Press.  ISBN 978-9984-45-871-7.

I.Birka, N. Muižnieks and J. Rozenvalds (2014) ‘Ethnicity and Social Cohesion in the Post-Soviet Baltic States’, Patterns of Prejudice Special Issue Social Cohesion and Social Change in Europe, Vol. 47/3. DOI: 10.1080/0031322X.2013.812349.

I.Gruzina (2011) ‘Relationship between History and a Sense of Belonging – Russian Speaking Minority Integration in Latvia’ in Central European University Political Science Journal, Vol. 6/3.