Welcome! I’m Emma Mateo, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard’s Ukrainian Research Institute.

I research how people and communities respond in times of crisis, with a regional focus on Ukraine and Belarus. I am especially interested in understanding the nature and drivers of local mobilization during mass protests and conflict. I also study the ethics of conducting research in conflict contexts, aiming to make scholarship both responsible and impactful.

In my work, I engage with qualitative and quantitative research methods – from interviews and surveys to GIS and social media data analysis – to explore the dynamics of political behaviour, mobilisation and civil society. I draw on deep regional knowledge and advanced language skills (Ukrainian, French, Russian) in order to contribute to both real-world insights and broader debates in sociology, political science, and peace and conflict studies.

On this site, you can explore my research, publications and public engagement work, learn more about me, and find out how to contact me.