International StudiesPolitical Economy and Public PolicyPolitical ScienceSustainability Studies

S Mohsin Hashim

Professor, Dept. Chair, Political Science; Director, Russian Studies Program
International StudiesPolitical Economy and Public PolicyPolitical ScienceSustainability Studies

S Mohsin Hashim

Professor, Dept. Chair, Political Science; Director, Russian Studies Program

Education

  • Moscow State University – BA and MA
  • Pennsylvania State University – Ph.D.

Teaching Interests

I teach courses that are related to comparative politics and international relations sub-fields of political science. The courses I teach regularly are: Government and Politics of Russia; Government and Politics of South Asia; Developing Nations; Globalization and Social Justice; International Political Economy; Regimes and Regime Change; and Introduction to Comparative Politics and International Relations. My expertise is in post-Soviet Russian politics. Some of my courses are related to my studies in political economy for my undergraduate and Master’s degrees. I have a keen interest in development, democratization, and its challenges, as well as how institutions affect those issues.

Research and Scholarship

I am currently looking at Vladimir Putin’s “personalistic” system of rule. I am interested in how it undermines Russia’s quest for great power status. My other project is looking at Bangladesh’s current political challenges. A student-led movement overthrew a secular hybrid regime and presented another democratic opportunity for the country. This moment allows me to ask interesting questions about the limits of authoritarian modernization projects.

  • Developing Nations
  • Globalization & Social Justice
  • Introduction to Comparative Politics & International Relations

Hashim. S. Mohsin. 2018. “Uncritical Cosmopolitanism of Modernity and the “West’” in (Re)Considering Diversity, Human Difference, and Global Engagement at Muhlenberg College, Published by Muhlenberg College (October 2018)  

• Hashim, S. Mohsin. 2017. “Putin’s High-Modernism and its Limits - Assessing the Sources of State Incapacity in Russia” in Communist and Post-Communist Studies. Vol. 50, Issue 3: 195-205  

• Gambino, Giacomo & S. Mohsin Hashim. 2016. “In Their Own Words: Assessing
Global Citizenship in a Short-Term Study Abroad Program in Bangladesh” in Journal of Political Science Education. Volume 12, Issue 1: 15-29

• Hashim, S. Mohsin. 2010. “Power Loss or Power Transition? Assessing the Limits of Using the Energy Sector in Reviving Russia’s Geopolitical Stature” in Communist and Post-Communist Studies. Vol. 43, Issue 3: 263-274

• Hashim, S. Mohsin. 2005. “Putin's Etatization Project and Limits to Democratic Reforms in Russia” in Communist and Post-Communist Studies. Vol. 38, Issue 1: 25-48  

• Hashim, S. Mohsin. 2002. “Shadows of the Past: The Varying Roles of Successor
Parties in the Polish, Hungarian, and Russian Transitions” in Problems of PostCommunism. Vol.  49, No. 3: 42-58

• Hashim, Syed Mohsin. 1999. “KPRF ideology and its implications for democratization in Russia” in Communist and Post-Communist Studies. Vol. 32, No. 1: 77-89

• Review of Graeme Robertson’s The Politics of Protest in Hybrid Regimes: Managing Dissent in Post-Communist Russia (Cambridge University Press, 2012) in Journal of Politics, Vol. 74, Issue 2  

• Hashim, S. Mohsin. 2002. “911 and the Poverty of International Relations Theory” in Aftermath:  Thinking After September 11th, Published by Center of
Ethics and Leadership, Muhlenberg College (April 2002)

  • Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching
  • Paul C. Empie Memorial Teaching Award

Kirill Tighe (’17). “Bureaucratic Despotism: Paperwork as an Instrument of Political Control in Russia.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, April 2017.

Susanne Boss (’17). “The Recalibration of Russia's Foreign Policy.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, April 2016.

Mahsheed Mahjor (’17). “A Historical and Political Analysis of the Russian-Iranian Relationship and Their Collaboration in Syria.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, April 2016.

Thomas Lemons (’19). “Putin, the Oligarchs and Silovarchs: Changes in the ruling elite.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Shippensburg, PA, April 2016.

Andrew Loewy (’17). “Russia’s Put’in energy resources for political and economic gain have its limitations.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Shippensburg, PA, April 2016.

Maggie Emge (’18). “Islamic Radicalization in Chechnya.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Shippensburg, PA, April 2016.

Daniel Cojocaru (’17). “European Union – Russia Relations, and the Places of Future Impact.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Shippensburg, PA, April 2016.

Chris Baumgartel (‘17). “Negotiating Blue in the Garden of Sand: The Politics of Sustainable Levantine Water.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, April 2014.

Hailey Goldberg (’17). “Assault on the Secular State: escalating religious tensions in post-Nyerere Tanzania.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, April 2014.

Branden Sheehan (’15). “Russian Nostalgia: A Fondness for the Past, to Resonate in the Future.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, April 2014.

Lena Schneider (’16). “Nature’s Newest Ancient Weapon: A look at systematic sexual violence as a weapon in Sudanese armed conflict.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, April 2014.

Sarah Chabolla (’14). “Problems on the Periphery: Sexual Rights in Russia." Paper presented at the 2013 LVAIC Women’s Studies Conference. Winner of Best Paper Award.

Sydney Yonak (’13). “The Failure of Long-Term Peace in Chechnya.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Allentown, PA, April 2013.

Daniel Attori (’12) and Evan Lovas (’13). “Implications of the Security-Economic Nexus for Prospects of ‘Democratic’ Institutionalization of Power in Iraq.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Allentown, PA, March 2012

Carolyn Dorf (’14). “The Evolution of the Undemocratic Russian Party System.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Allentown, PA, March 2012.

Emily Paulus (’14). “Environmental Policy and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Russia.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Allentown, PA, March 2012 .

George Fuzayl (’14). “An analysis of the evolution of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in modern Russia, as a medium of failure in social dynamics, and public policy.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Allentown, PA, March 2012.

Justin Barabander (’11). “Party Systems and Their Roles in the Development of Hybrid States.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, March 2011.

Joseph Armenti (’10). "The Rise of Russia's Energy Sector: Short and Long-Term Viability.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, PA, March 2010.

Joseph Armenti (’10). " Russian Foreign Policy: Evaluating Russia's Energy Sector.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Undergraduate Research Symposium, Europe: East and West, University of Pittsburgh, April 2010.

Jonathan Heppen (’11). "The Russian Mafia: Failures of the Yeltsin Government." Paper presented at the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, Europe: East and West, University of Pittsburgh, April 2010.

Eric Feld (’08). “Fear in the Federation: Russia’s Environmental Crisis.” Paper presented at the Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, Europe: East and West, University of Pittsburgh, April 2008.

Sean Patwell (’08). “The Siloviki and Security Reform: A Mutually Reinforcing Phenomenon.” Paper presented at the Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, Europe: East and West, University of Pittsburgh, April 2008.

Ashley Farkas (’08). “Tuning Out the Fourth Estate: What Putin’s State-Managed Democracy Means for the Russian Mass Media.” Paper presented at the Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, Europe: East and West, University of Pittsburgh, April 2008.


Kirill Meleshevich (’08). “Russia’s Great Tradition and Russia’s Great Ambition.” Paper presented at the Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, Europe: East and West, University of Pittsburgh, April 2006.

Kristina Necovska (’07). “The Russian Demographic Crisis and its Impact on the Health Code System.” Paper presented at the Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, Europe: East and West, University of Pittsburgh, April 2006.

Erynn Summers (’06). “Russian Civil Society: In Search of the Right Religion.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, April 2005.

Aaron Solomon (’06). “Russkaya Mafiya: Criminalized Economy for a Post-Soviet Polity?” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, April 2004.

Michael Tenenhaus (’07). “Multilateralism is Dead! Long-Live Multilateralism!” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, April 2004.

International Studies

Political Economy and Public Policy

Political Science

Sustainability Studies