CALL FOR PAPERS

Special Issue on “Ukraine: War, resilience, and prospects”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has fundamentally changed the dynamics in
the region and beyond. While previous wars in Moldova, Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia, Crimea
and Donbas turned into frozen conflicts, this invasion quickly became the most serious open
war in Europe since World War II in terms of military presence, damages to infrastructure, but
also atrocities and war crimes. Economists have been estimating the colossal damages to
the Ukrainian economy. They have also been exploring the possible effects of sanctions and
embargos on Russia’s economy. Millions of displaced people and refugees are reshaping the
European landscape of human and social capital. Politicians, businesses, and industries are
making plans for a future recovery proposing a new “lend-lease” and “Marshall plan”.

This chain of tragic events poses questions that demand dispassionate academic investigation.
What brought about this war? Why were global security and political institutions unable to prevent
the war and minimize the damage? What are the global consequences of war? How will post-
communist societies be affected economically and politically? What are the war’s costs? What
historical, cultural, and policy choices explain the remarkable resilience and resistance of the
Ukrainian people?

To this end, we invite papers on a wide range of topics ranging from economic history to policy and
development. Although this special issue is focused primarily on Ukraine and Russia’s invasion,
we welcome comparative papers that address related issues such as the development of East
European political and economic institutions, recovery after major conflicts, and the welfare of
refugees and the displaced. Here is a non-exhaustive list of topics that will be considered:

Historical legacies. What institutions and historical processes have shaped the Ukrainian
economy and its distinct path of development?
Post-Soviet transformations and post-Euromaidan policies. In what ways has Ukraine’s post-
Soviet transformation differed from those of neighboring countries? How have decentralization
and local governance shaped contemporary Ukraine and its economy?
War economy in Ukraine. What are the immediate and long-term consequences of the wars of
2014 and 2022 in terms of economic shocks, political stability, and humanitarian needs?
Global trade and agriculture. What is the impact of Russia-Ukraine War of 2022 on global food
security and the global food market?
The role of sanctions. What role have they played in the Russia-Ukraine War of 2022 and
previous post-Soviet conflicts of the region?
Post-war development. What roles have relief packages played in developing and post-war
economies?
Humanitarian crisis. What are the war’s immediate and long-term impacts on migration, health,
socioeconomic inequalities in Ukraine and refugee-hosting countries?
Culture and identities. In what ways do social norms, social capital, religion, and both
historical and current national and local identities explain the war and its dynamics?

If you are interested in submitting a paper proposal for this special issue, please email
an abstract (no more than 500 words), outlining the article’s contents, including its
methodology and fit with this special issue, alongside a 50-word author biography, to
Tymofii Brik at tbrik@kse.org.ua

Invited editors:
Tymofiy Mylovanov, Kiev School of Economics.
Yuri Gorodnichenko, University of California, Berkeley.

Authors of the selected papers will be invited to participate in an online conference in

September 2022.

Papers accepted for presentation at the conference may also be considered for possible
publication in a special issue of the Journal of Comparative Economics, subject to
editorial review. Authors submitting a paper to the special issue must confirm in the
comments field that their submitted paper is not under review at another journal.

Deadline for submitting a full paper: November 1, 2022.