Russian Studies Workshop

Suzanne Freeman is a fourth-year PhD student in the MIT Political Science Department in the international relations and comparative politics subfields. Her research focuses on civil-military relations, civil-intelligence relations, nuclear issues, and grand strategy using Russia as a primary case study. Her dissertation project examines intelligence agency intervention in foreign policy decision-making in non-democratic states, specifically Russia and the former Soviet Union. Her other research projects focus on the reform of post-Communist intelligence agencies and police forces, Soviet counterproliferation strategy, and the power projection capability of the Russian military. Before graduate school, Suzanne worked as a research associate at the U.S. Naval War College’s Russia Maritime Studies Institute, conducting research on Russian naval strategy, operations, and strategic deterrence. She holds a BA in Slavic Studies from Columbia University and an MA in International Security Policy and Russia and the Soviet Space from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.